Altitude heading rule violated in a possible conflict with FARS during a WX avoidance atx flight.

Attributes
ACN	193121
Time
Date	199110
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12500 msl bound upper : 13500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6400 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	193121
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight was from bed-tnn, strong surface low over atlantic ocean moving west over land. Flight into bedford clear except moderate to severe turbulence on approach. WX before departure from bedford VFR, climbed southwest towards lga VOR. Planned cruise at 12500. Clouds at 11000 scattered to broken, tops at 12000. Another layer approximately 15000 ft broken to overcast. Elected to ride at 13500 for approximately 10-15 mins to maintain cloud separation and avoid lower clouds and severe turbulence. Once clear of western edge of WX, resumed proper altitude for direction of flight. Cloud layers lowered and became broken much faster than expected. Avoided IFR routing due to normal route is low level and directly into severe WX area. Elected to reach clear WX faster by VFR route. However, to maintain VFR cloud separation distances (1000 above and 1000 below) had to ride at incorrect altitude for short period. Did maintain diligence for other traffic, and did resume proper altitude when clouds permitted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT HDG RULE VIOLATED IN A POSSIBLE CONFLICT WITH FARS DURING A WX AVOIDANCE ATX FLT.

Narrative: FLT WAS FROM BED-TNN, STRONG SURFACE LOW OVER ATLANTIC OCEAN MOVING W OVER LAND. FLT INTO BEDFORD CLR EXCEPT MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB ON APCH. WX BEFORE DEP FROM BEDFORD VFR, CLBED SW TOWARDS LGA VOR. PLANNED CRUISE AT 12500. CLOUDS AT 11000 SCATTERED TO BROKEN, TOPS AT 12000. ANOTHER LAYER APPROX 15000 FT BROKEN TO OVERCAST. ELECTED TO RIDE AT 13500 FOR APPROX 10-15 MINS TO MAINTAIN CLOUD SEPARATION AND AVOID LOWER CLOUDS AND SEVERE TURB. ONCE CLR OF WESTERN EDGE OF WX, RESUMED PROPER ALT FOR DIRECTION OF FLT. CLOUD LAYERS LOWERED AND BECAME BROKEN MUCH FASTER THAN EXPECTED. AVOIDED IFR RTING DUE TO NORMAL RTE IS LOW LEVEL AND DIRECTLY INTO SEVERE WX AREA. ELECTED TO REACH CLR WX FASTER BY VFR RTE. HOWEVER, TO MAINTAIN VFR CLOUD SEPARATION DISTANCES (1000 ABOVE AND 1000 BELOW) HAD TO RIDE AT INCORRECT ALT FOR SHORT PERIOD. DID MAINTAIN DILIGENCE FOR OTHER TFC, AND DID RESUME PROPER ALT WHEN CLOUDS PERMITTED.

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.