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Pilot of small aircraft on VFR flight became trapped on top broken to overcast layer saw hole went down through encountering IFR before breaking out 1200 AGL. Proceeded VFR to destination (15 mi).
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 196991 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199112 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : c29 |
| State Reference | WI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1200 agl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : msn |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 247 flight time type : 81 |
| ASRS Report | 196991 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Sat afternoon, my husband and I could not get back to our home base (C29, middleton, wi) or into nearby msn after a pleasure flight due to the rapid development of heavy fog. We diverted to C47, portage municipal, approximately 25 mi way. Monday night the WX was predicted to be good VFR so we decided to retrieve the plane. We drove to portage, fueled, settled the bill, and decided that I would fly back while my husband drove. I departed runway 35. Even though my last night flight had been 6 mos ago, I felt confident about making the short flight over very familiar territory. I was climbing out and had turned on course when at about 2000 ft AGL the visibility started to deteriorate. It took me a second or two to realize that it wasn't the windows fogging up, but rather that I was entering the cloud bases. By the time I decided to return to the airport, I had lost visual contact with the ground. Before I could decide whether to continue climbing or descend, I was on top in VMC. After deciding not to panic, I tuned in msn ATIS which was reporting M17 broken. I climbed to 3500 and selected a course to keep me clear of the msn arsa, hoping to find a hole in the allegedly broken layer. After several mi I realized that this was an overcast layer. I throttled back to a slow cruise speed and circled while I tried to formulate a plan. I came up with 3 options: call msn approach, throw myself on their mercy. Try the VOR B approach into C29 without talking to msn. Call grb FSS and find the nearest VFR. I had about decided on (3) when I saw a small hole, through which I could recognize a brightly lit ski hill. I knew there were no obstructions south F the ski hill, and set up a 500 FPM descent which took me partly through the hole, and partly through the clouds. I broke out right around 2000 MSL (1200 AGL) and returned to C29 in VMC.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA ON VFR FLT BECAME TRAPPED ON TOP BROKEN TO OVCST LAYER SAW HOLE WENT DOWN THROUGH ENCOUNTERING IFR BEFORE BREAKING OUT 1200 AGL. PROCEEDED VFR TO DEST (15 MI).
Narrative: SAT AFTERNOON, MY HUSBAND AND I COULD NOT GET BACK TO OUR HOME BASE (C29, MIDDLETON, WI) OR INTO NEARBY MSN AFTER A PLEASURE FLT DUE TO THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF HVY FOG. WE DIVERTED TO C47, PORTAGE MUNI, APPROX 25 MI WAY. MONDAY NIGHT THE WX WAS PREDICTED TO BE GOOD VFR SO WE DECIDED TO RETRIEVE THE PLANE. WE DROVE TO PORTAGE, FUELED, SETTLED THE BILL, AND DECIDED THAT I WOULD FLY BACK WHILE MY HUSBAND DROVE. I DEPARTED RWY 35. EVEN THOUGH MY LAST NIGHT FLT HAD BEEN 6 MOS AGO, I FELT CONFIDENT ABOUT MAKING THE SHORT FLT OVER VERY FAMILIAR TERRITORY. I WAS CLBING OUT AND HAD TURNED ON COURSE WHEN AT ABOUT 2000 FT AGL THE VISIBILITY STARTED TO DETERIORATE. IT TOOK ME A SECOND OR TWO TO REALIZE THAT IT WASN'T THE WINDOWS FOGGING UP, BUT RATHER THAT I WAS ENTERING THE CLOUD BASES. BY THE TIME I DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE ARPT, I HAD LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. BEFORE I COULD DECIDE WHETHER TO CONTINUE CLBING OR DSND, I WAS ON TOP IN VMC. AFTER DECIDING NOT TO PANIC, I TUNED IN MSN ATIS WHICH WAS RPTING M17 BKN. I CLBED TO 3500 AND SELECTED A COURSE TO KEEP ME CLR OF THE MSN ARSA, HOPING TO FIND A HOLE IN THE ALLEGEDLY BROKEN LAYER. AFTER SEVERAL MI I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS AN OVCST LAYER. I THROTTLED BACK TO A SLOW CRUISE SPD AND CIRCLED WHILE I TRIED TO FORMULATE A PLAN. I CAME UP WITH 3 OPTIONS: CALL MSN APCH, THROW MYSELF ON THEIR MERCY. TRY THE VOR B APCH INTO C29 WITHOUT TALKING TO MSN. CALL GRB FSS AND FIND THE NEAREST VFR. I HAD ABOUT DECIDED ON (3) WHEN I SAW A SMALL HOLE, THROUGH WHICH I COULD RECOGNIZE A BRIGHTLY LIT SKI HILL. I KNEW THERE WERE NO OBSTRUCTIONS S F THE SKI HILL, AND SET UP A 500 FPM DSCNT WHICH TOOK ME PARTLY THROUGH THE HOLE, AND PARTLY THROUGH THE CLOUDS. I BROKE OUT RIGHT AROUND 2000 MSL (1200 AGL) AND RETURNED TO C29 IN VMC.
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.