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Small aircraft departs VFR even though briefing indicates not recommended. Flies into IMC in mountains.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 179129 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199105 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ioc |
| State Reference | CO |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 13000 msl bound upper : 13000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : v95 |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 603 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 179129 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I received an FSS briefing before departure at buena vista with FSS advising VFR not recommended, thunderstorms along the route. I filed IFR only to learn that the lowest altitude available due to traffic was FL190. Our small aircraft could not go that high, so we opted to run V95, underneath it, that is, because it has a floor of 13000' MSL for the route of flight. Severe turbulence caused frequency bumps into this controled airspace. Precipitation static prevented our dual navs from helping us stay within the corridor below 13000'. So, during flight when precipitation static lightened up and our navs worked, we would recenter ourselves on and below the route--while we were drifted more than 4 mi from route center or greater than 13000' and in IMC we were illegal. I recommend that when VFR is not recommended and/or IMC is known to exist along a route of flight, always, always, always have an IFR clearance before takeoff. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he has not flown IFR since this event. Knows he was foolish. He ended up behind the curve on the rest of the flight and entered TCA as well. Double jeopardy for himself.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA DEPARTS VFR EVEN THOUGH BRIEFING INDICATES NOT RECOMMENDED. FLIES INTO IMC IN MOUNTAINS.
Narrative: I RECEIVED AN FSS BRIEFING BEFORE DEP AT BUENA VISTA WITH FSS ADVISING VFR NOT RECOMMENDED, TSTMS ALONG THE RTE. I FILED IFR ONLY TO LEARN THAT THE LOWEST ALT AVAILABLE DUE TO TFC WAS FL190. OUR SMA COULD NOT GO THAT HIGH, SO WE OPTED TO RUN V95, UNDERNEATH IT, THAT IS, BECAUSE IT HAS A FLOOR OF 13000' MSL FOR THE RTE OF FLT. SEVERE TURB CAUSED FREQ BUMPS INTO THIS CTLED AIRSPACE. PRECIPITATION STATIC PREVENTED OUR DUAL NAVS FROM HELPING US STAY WITHIN THE CORRIDOR BELOW 13000'. SO, DURING FLT WHEN PRECIPITATION STATIC LIGHTENED UP AND OUR NAVS WORKED, WE WOULD RECENTER OURSELVES ON AND BELOW THE RTE--WHILE WE WERE DRIFTED MORE THAN 4 MI FROM RTE CENTER OR GREATER THAN 13000' AND IN IMC WE WERE ILLEGAL. I RECOMMEND THAT WHEN VFR IS NOT RECOMMENDED AND/OR IMC IS KNOWN TO EXIST ALONG A RTE OF FLT, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS HAVE AN IFR CLRNC BEFORE TKOF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE HAS NOT FLOWN IFR SINCE THIS EVENT. KNOWS HE WAS FOOLISH. HE ENDED UP BEHIND THE CURVE ON THE REST OF THE FLT AND ENTERED TCA AS WELL. DOUBLE JEOPARDY FOR HIMSELF.
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.