Narrative:

Departed alton, il direct to north little rock, ar. Diverted toward east. Course 155 degrees to avoid rain (some lightning 2-3 about 10 mi southwest). Entered piedmont into LORAN approximately 10 mi northwest of field. Arrived over field and continued 090 degrees toward clearing skies. Ceiling now flat solid 2200' with following dense rain area. 2 1/2 mi east of piedmont ceiling lowering 1800'. Made decision to reverse course and land at piedmont. 1 min encountered strong headwinds, quickly lowering ceiling, intense rain and moderate turbulence. Had field in sight. Descended to 800'. Overflew runway 21. Midway encountered severe heavy rainfall, 0 visibility, fogged windscreen and able only to see runway out left window (while on reverse heading 030 degrees). Unable to see forward. Climbed into solid overcast. Heavy rain to 1400'. Turned to 090 degrees level. Set transponder to 7700. Called mayday any station 121.5 upon finding LORAN losing signal strength and unable to safely descend. Reached another aircraft X. Asked for center frequency. Unsuccessful in contacting center. Relayed request through X for vectors out of storm area. Reported non instrument pilot, unsure location. Gave last valid LORAN coordinate (piedmont) 3-4 mins earlier and heading. Identify 7700 not received. Center suggested heading 135 degrees (poplar bluff) VOR's no reading. Break in clouds over small town (possibly piedmont). Unable to identify location. Remained below clouds approximately 1300-1400'. Apparently 800-1000' AGL on 135 degrees. Continued to use X as relay to center. Recognized highway to poplar bluff followed highway at 1300 into gradually improving conditions. Reported over highway patrol tower northwest poplar bluff. X relayed vectors to airport. After approximately 15 mins since mayday, relayed through X that I had airport insight, was in VFR conditions. Thanked for aid and said leaving 121.5. No longer emergency condition. Was landing poplar bluff. Center reportedly had received mode C 7700 1400' poplar bluff. Landed. Shift supervisor ZME called poplar bluff FBO and I talked with him. Possibly misjudged distance to precipitation. Should have landed piedmont first time. Misjudged intensity of WX. Upon encountering rain, should have re-reversed course. Avionics shop reported LORAN antenna shorting out to overhead speaker. West/O some instrument (simulated) operation, would have been unable to maintain flight. Severe vertigo. Hard to believe attitude instruments accurate. Possible squawked 'mayday' prematurely. Given choice of feeling dumb, calling west/O sufficient cause, or waiting, I felt very relieved to have someone (center, X) to help with frequencys, advice and a calm, soothing voice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON IFR RATED PVT PLT IN SMA ENCOUNTERED WX ON VFR FLT. LORAN BECAME ERRATIC. ATTEMPTED TO LAND. ENTERED HEAVY RAIN 0 VISIBILITY. CLIMBED INTO CLOUDS AND BECAME DISORIENTED, SQUAWKING 7700 AND CALLING MAYDAY. USED ANOTHER SMA FOR RELAYS FROM CENTER FOR VECTORS TO CLEARING WX AND LANDED AT POPLAR BLUFF, AR.

Narrative: DEPARTED ALTON, IL DIRECT TO NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR. DIVERTED TOWARD E. COURSE 155 DEGS TO AVOID RAIN (SOME LIGHTNING 2-3 ABOUT 10 MI SW). ENTERED PIEDMONT INTO LORAN APPROX 10 MI NW OF FIELD. ARRIVED OVER FIELD AND CONTINUED 090 DEGS TOWARD CLRING SKIES. CEILING NOW FLAT SOLID 2200' WITH FOLLOWING DENSE RAIN AREA. 2 1/2 MI E OF PIEDMONT CEILING LOWERING 1800'. MADE DECISION TO REVERSE COURSE AND LAND AT PIEDMONT. 1 MIN ENCOUNTERED STRONG HEADWINDS, QUICKLY LOWERING CEILING, INTENSE RAIN AND MODERATE TURB. HAD FIELD IN SIGHT. DSNDED TO 800'. OVERFLEW RWY 21. MIDWAY ENCOUNTERED SEVERE HEAVY RAINFALL, 0 VISIBILITY, FOGGED WINDSCREEN AND ABLE ONLY TO SEE RWY OUT LEFT WINDOW (WHILE ON REVERSE HDG 030 DEGS). UNABLE TO SEE FORWARD. CLBED INTO SOLID OVCST. HEAVY RAIN TO 1400'. TURNED TO 090 DEGS LEVEL. SET XPONDER TO 7700. CALLED MAYDAY ANY STATION 121.5 UPON FINDING LORAN LOSING SIGNAL STRENGTH AND UNABLE TO SAFELY DSND. REACHED ANOTHER ACFT X. ASKED FOR CENTER FREQ. UNSUCCESSFUL IN CONTACTING CENTER. RELAYED REQUEST THROUGH X FOR VECTORS OUT OF STORM AREA. RPTED NON INST PLT, UNSURE LOCATION. GAVE LAST VALID LORAN COORDINATE (PIEDMONT) 3-4 MINS EARLIER AND HDG. IDENT 7700 NOT RECEIVED. CENTER SUGGESTED HDG 135 DEGS (POPLAR BLUFF) VOR'S NO READING. BREAK IN CLOUDS OVER SMALL TOWN (POSSIBLY PIEDMONT). UNABLE TO IDENT LOCATION. REMAINED BELOW CLOUDS APPROX 1300-1400'. APPARENTLY 800-1000' AGL ON 135 DEGS. CONTINUED TO USE X AS RELAY TO CENTER. RECOGNIZED HWY TO POPLAR BLUFF FOLLOWED HWY AT 1300 INTO GRADUALLY IMPROVING CONDITIONS. RPTED OVER HWY PATROL TWR NW POPLAR BLUFF. X RELAYED VECTORS TO ARPT. AFTER APPROX 15 MINS SINCE MAYDAY, RELAYED THROUGH X THAT I HAD ARPT INSIGHT, WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS. THANKED FOR AID AND SAID LEAVING 121.5. NO LONGER EMER CONDITION. WAS LNDG POPLAR BLUFF. CENTER REPORTEDLY HAD RECEIVED MODE C 7700 1400' POPLAR BLUFF. LANDED. SHIFT SUPVR ZME CALLED POPLAR BLUFF FBO AND I TALKED WITH HIM. POSSIBLY MISJUDGED DISTANCE TO PRECIPITATION. SHOULD HAVE LANDED PIEDMONT FIRST TIME. MISJUDGED INTENSITY OF WX. UPON ENCOUNTERING RAIN, SHOULD HAVE RE-REVERSED COURSE. AVIONICS SHOP RPTED LORAN ANTENNA SHORTING OUT TO OVERHEAD SPEAKER. W/O SOME INST (SIMULATED) OPERATION, WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO MAINTAIN FLT. SEVERE VERTIGO. HARD TO BELIEVE ATTITUDE INSTS ACCURATE. POSSIBLE SQUAWKED 'MAYDAY' PREMATURELY. GIVEN CHOICE OF FEELING DUMB, CALLING W/O SUFFICIENT CAUSE, OR WAITING, I FELT VERY RELIEVED TO HAVE SOMEONE (CENTER, X) TO HELP WITH FREQS, ADVICE AND A CALM, SOOTHING VOICE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.