Narrative:

This is a non standard and nearly unique type of flight operation. The glider is instrumented to study particle type, size and electrical charge as well as electric field strength in developing thunderstorms. The specific high as possible (operations limit 35000') in a cumulus-developing circuit breaker to test instrumentation and acquire data. This was one of a series of test flts made in the denver area. The glider departed bjc being towed by an small aircraft tow plane. An IFR flight plan had been filed with denver FSS. Our SOP is to depart VFR due to climb restrictions, then contact denver center for VFR flight following until a suitable cloud is located. Then an IFR clearance is requested for a circling climb within a block altitude. On this date, no suitable clouds were noted in the usual area of test flts, but one developing circuit breaker was noted northwest of loveland, co, and I instructed the pilot to fly nnw to that area. When we arrived in the vicinity of the cloud, there was already some rain and cloud to ground lightning was noted. A clearance was requested for a block altitude from the minimum IFR altitude to FL230. There was some delay and confusion on the controller's part about the request, perhaps because I was north of our usual working area. Finally, clearance was given to climb and maintain 17000'. At that time I should have verified that this was a block altitude, but I did not. I am normally very careful to have a block clearance because of the erratic or unpredictable nature of updrafts in cloud prevents an unmotorized glider from maintaining a specific assigned altitude. In this case timing was critical, since we had arrived in the area when the cloud was already well developed. After receiving clearance I entered the base of the cloud in its southwest quadrant just south of the roll cloud and soon found strong lift. I informed center that I needed 12500' MSL, my original requested altitude up to FL230 as soon as possible. There was considerable arrival traffic at the time and center was slow in acknowledging my repeated requests for higher altitude. Prior to reaching 17000' I received clearance to FL190. The updraft was very strong and I repeatedly informed center that I had to have higher clearance. I made a comment that where I was (a level 3 storm) nobody else wanted to be anyway, so why couldn't they clear me. Clearance was not forthcoming, so upon reaching FL190, I opened the dive brakes and began holding. Lift was in excess of 1000 FPM, precipitation was moderate in the form of graupel (soft hail) up to 1/4' dia. Turbulence was moderate, aircraft was accumulating mixed ice at a rate of approximately 1/4 inch per 5 mins. I had begun holding at XX36.40. This is a difficult procedure because the dive brakes have to be varied because of the varying strength of the updraft and I was also concerned about ice accumulation on the dive brakes, so I was cycling them. At 1 moment I climbed to 19300' before full dive brakes and pitching down could prevent further climb. At XX39.50 precipitation became heavier, and at XX40.23 I noted a lightning discharge, but was unsure if the aircraft had taken a strike. During this time I was doing my best to inform center of my need for higher clearance, but all I got were repeated instructions to 'stand by.' it was difficult to determine if some of my xmissions were being 'stepped on' by the other aircraft calls on the other frequency, or whether I was at times just being ignored. The controllers were busy, but it was also obvious that traffic was requesting deviations around where I was due to WX (center was painting precipitation in area). While I was holding, there was a controller change--male voice first, then female voice after about XX38. By about XX42, I had decided that further clearance was unlikely right away, and conditions were deteriorating rapidly, so I stopped circling and took up a heading of 150 degrees to exit the cloud. By the time I was able to inform center of my intentions, I was out of the strong updraft area, had flown about 2 mi south of my circling position, and had descended to 18500' and had reached visual flight conditions. I informed center to disregard my request for higher and that I was leaving the cloud heading 150 degrees, and would cancel IFR upon descent below FL180. The controller advised me that I had left an assigned altitude, and in the future would I please inform them before I did that. I replied, explaining my situation, that I thought it was a block altitude clearance and that I had no choice in the matter of the descent, and that I was sorry if I had inconvenienced them. I do not believe that this was a safety issue for any other aircraft in the vicinity. Factors involved were: uniqueness of the mission with VFR flight following and point clearance with no en route segment. My decision to request clearance in an area several mi away from the usual area which is off airways. Frequency congestion and controller overload, with change of controller during critical phase of operation. Communication on more than 1 frequency so that I could not judge and be aware of other aircraft better by hearing their side of the communication. Controller lack of familiarity with the operation (not their fault). In the past, we have had meetings with center people about our research and ways to better coordinate, but we have had no recent meetings, and center procedures seem to have change and rtes and workload and traffic vol seem to have increased during peak times. Even though these were just testflts for us in preparation for a project, we should increase or efforts for coordination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RESEARCH GLIDER OPERATION IN TSTM CLIMBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT WHILE ATTEMPTING CLRNC TO HIGHER.

Narrative: THIS IS A NON STANDARD AND NEARLY UNIQUE TYPE OF FLT OP. THE GLIDER IS INSTRUMENTED TO STUDY PARTICLE TYPE, SIZE AND ELECTRICAL CHARGE AS WELL AS ELECTRIC FIELD STRENGTH IN DEVELOPING TSTMS. THE SPECIFIC HIGH AS POSSIBLE (OPS LIMIT 35000') IN A CUMULUS-DEVELOPING CB TO TEST INSTRUMENTATION AND ACQUIRE DATA. THIS WAS ONE OF A SERIES OF TEST FLTS MADE IN THE DENVER AREA. THE GLIDER DEPARTED BJC BEING TOWED BY AN SMA TOW PLANE. AN IFR FLT PLAN HAD BEEN FILED WITH DENVER FSS. OUR SOP IS TO DEPART VFR DUE TO CLB RESTRICTIONS, THEN CONTACT DENVER CTR FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING UNTIL A SUITABLE CLOUD IS LOCATED. THEN AN IFR CLRNC IS REQUESTED FOR A CIRCLING CLB WITHIN A BLOCK ALT. ON THIS DATE, NO SUITABLE CLOUDS WERE NOTED IN THE USUAL AREA OF TEST FLTS, BUT ONE DEVELOPING CB WAS NOTED NW OF LOVELAND, CO, AND I INSTRUCTED THE PLT TO FLY NNW TO THAT AREA. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE CLOUD, THERE WAS ALREADY SOME RAIN AND CLOUD TO GND LIGHTNING WAS NOTED. A CLRNC WAS REQUESTED FOR A BLOCK ALT FROM THE MINIMUM IFR ALT TO FL230. THERE WAS SOME DELAY AND CONFUSION ON THE CTLR'S PART ABOUT THE REQUEST, PERHAPS BECAUSE I WAS N OF OUR USUAL WORKING AREA. FINALLY, CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 17000'. AT THAT TIME I SHOULD HAVE VERIFIED THAT THIS WAS A BLOCK ALT, BUT I DID NOT. I AM NORMALLY VERY CAREFUL TO HAVE A BLOCK CLRNC BECAUSE OF THE ERRATIC OR UNPREDICTABLE NATURE OF UPDRAFTS IN CLOUD PREVENTS AN UNMOTORIZED GLIDER FROM MAINTAINING A SPECIFIC ASSIGNED ALT. IN THIS CASE TIMING WAS CRITICAL, SINCE WE HAD ARRIVED IN THE AREA WHEN THE CLOUD WAS ALREADY WELL DEVELOPED. AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC I ENTERED THE BASE OF THE CLOUD IN ITS SW QUADRANT JUST S OF THE ROLL CLOUD AND SOON FOUND STRONG LIFT. I INFORMED CTR THAT I NEEDED 12500' MSL, MY ORIGINAL REQUESTED ALT UP TO FL230 ASAP. THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE ARR TFC AT THE TIME AND CTR WAS SLOW IN ACKNOWLEDGING MY REPEATED REQUESTS FOR HIGHER ALT. PRIOR TO REACHING 17000' I RECEIVED CLRNC TO FL190. THE UPDRAFT WAS VERY STRONG AND I REPEATEDLY INFORMED CTR THAT I HAD TO HAVE HIGHER CLRNC. I MADE A COMMENT THAT WHERE I WAS (A LEVEL 3 STORM) NOBODY ELSE WANTED TO BE ANYWAY, SO WHY COULDN'T THEY CLR ME. CLRNC WAS NOT FORTHCOMING, SO UPON REACHING FL190, I OPENED THE DIVE BRAKES AND BEGAN HOLDING. LIFT WAS IN EXCESS OF 1000 FPM, PRECIPITATION WAS MODERATE IN THE FORM OF GRAUPEL (SOFT HAIL) UP TO 1/4' DIA. TURB WAS MODERATE, ACFT WAS ACCUMULATING MIXED ICE AT A RATE OF APPROX 1/4 INCH PER 5 MINS. I HAD BEGUN HOLDING AT XX36.40. THIS IS A DIFFICULT PROC BECAUSE THE DIVE BRAKES HAVE TO BE VARIED BECAUSE OF THE VARYING STRENGTH OF THE UPDRAFT AND I WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT ICE ACCUMULATION ON THE DIVE BRAKES, SO I WAS CYCLING THEM. AT 1 MOMENT I CLBED TO 19300' BEFORE FULL DIVE BRAKES AND PITCHING DOWN COULD PREVENT FURTHER CLB. AT XX39.50 PRECIPITATION BECAME HEAVIER, AND AT XX40.23 I NOTED A LIGHTNING DISCHARGE, BUT WAS UNSURE IF THE ACFT HAD TAKEN A STRIKE. DURING THIS TIME I WAS DOING MY BEST TO INFORM CTR OF MY NEED FOR HIGHER CLRNC, BUT ALL I GOT WERE REPEATED INSTRUCTIONS TO 'STAND BY.' IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF SOME OF MY XMISSIONS WERE BEING 'STEPPED ON' BY THE OTHER ACFT CALLS ON THE OTHER FREQ, OR WHETHER I WAS AT TIMES JUST BEING IGNORED. THE CTLRS WERE BUSY, BUT IT WAS ALSO OBVIOUS THAT TFC WAS REQUESTING DEVS AROUND WHERE I WAS DUE TO WX (CTR WAS PAINTING PRECIPITATION IN AREA). WHILE I WAS HOLDING, THERE WAS A CTLR CHANGE--MALE VOICE FIRST, THEN FEMALE VOICE AFTER ABOUT XX38. BY ABOUT XX42, I HAD DECIDED THAT FURTHER CLRNC WAS UNLIKELY RIGHT AWAY, AND CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING RAPIDLY, SO I STOPPED CIRCLING AND TOOK UP A HDG OF 150 DEGS TO EXIT THE CLOUD. BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO INFORM CTR OF MY INTENTIONS, I WAS OUT OF THE STRONG UPDRAFT AREA, HAD FLOWN ABOUT 2 MI S OF MY CIRCLING POS, AND HAD DSNDED TO 18500' AND HAD REACHED VISUAL FLT CONDITIONS. I INFORMED CTR TO DISREGARD MY REQUEST FOR HIGHER AND THAT I WAS LEAVING THE CLOUD HDG 150 DEGS, AND WOULD CANCEL IFR UPON DSNT BELOW FL180. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT I HAD LEFT AN ASSIGNED ALT, AND IN THE FUTURE WOULD I PLEASE INFORM THEM BEFORE I DID THAT. I REPLIED, EXPLAINING MY SITUATION, THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS A BLOCK ALT CLRNC AND THAT I HAD NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER OF THE DSNT, AND THAT I WAS SORRY IF I HAD INCONVENIENCED THEM. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR ANY OTHER ACFT IN THE VICINITY. FACTORS INVOLVED WERE: UNIQUENESS OF THE MISSION WITH VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND POINT CLRNC WITH NO ENRTE SEGMENT. MY DECISION TO REQUEST CLRNC IN AN AREA SEVERAL MI AWAY FROM THE USUAL AREA WHICH IS OFF AIRWAYS. FREQ CONGESTION AND CTLR OVERLOAD, WITH CHANGE OF CTLR DURING CRITICAL PHASE OF OP. COM ON MORE THAN 1 FREQ SO THAT I COULD NOT JUDGE AND BE AWARE OF OTHER ACFT BETTER BY HEARING THEIR SIDE OF THE COM. CTLR LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH THE OP (NOT THEIR FAULT). IN THE PAST, WE HAVE HAD MEETINGS WITH CTR PEOPLE ABOUT OUR RESEARCH AND WAYS TO BETTER COORDINATE, BUT WE HAVE HAD NO RECENT MEETINGS, AND CTR PROCS SEEM TO HAVE CHANGE AND RTES AND WORKLOAD AND TFC VOL SEEM TO HAVE INCREASED DURING PEAK TIMES. EVEN THOUGH THESE WERE JUST TESTFLTS FOR US IN PREPARATION FOR A PROJECT, WE SHOULD INCREASE OR EFFORTS FOR COORD.

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.