Narrative:

Received WX brief from cedar city FSS by phone about 15 mins prior to departure. Filed IFR flight plan from provo, ut, (pvu) to salt lake approach and departed pvu. Clearance was to ffu via publish departure procedure, climb to 10000 ft followed by transponder code, void time, and frequency for salt lake approach. I was tired and in retrospect see that I missed the importance of the published departure procedure part of the clearance. I departed runway 31 and turned direct to ffu VOR. I was climbing to 10000, but due to down drafts from the wind over the mountains, I was not able to climb above 7500 ft for some time. Approach radar idented me and said that I was north of course and not at 10000 ft and asked my intentions. At this time I was clear of clouds and could see the cities of american fork and orem, (approximately 8-10 mi). I was also experiencing moderate up and down drafts (up to 500 FPM down at full power and maximum rate of climb). I decided to cancel IFR, because of the report from pvu AWOS of clear below 12000 and because I had not encountered clouds until very close to ffu on climb out, I cancelled IFR and turned towards provo. I was headed southeast, looking up the frequency for provo VOR (pvu) or for the localizer when I inadvertently entered a cloud layer at about 8000 ft MSL. I was quite surprised and experienced vertigo for a short reference to instruments and called approach to tell them that I was in clouds and requested vectors and an ILS approach to provo. While on vectors to the approach, continued to encounter occasional up and down drafts that made it difficult to maintain assigned altitude. ILS approach and landing at provo were uneventful. Considerations: I am going to pay a lot more attention to my physical state and realize how fatigue can affect my perceptions and judgement. In retrospect, the problem was misunderstanding the clearance and not following the departure procedure. I should have asked instead of assuming that it meant to fly direct to the VOR. Additionally I should have asked for the ILS instead of cancelling IFR. (Although there were no indications at the time that I would hit clouds at that altitude while headed back to pvu). The AWOS system has limitations and based on this and other experiences, I do not feel that reports are always accurate in regards to cloud cover and heights.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA FAILED TO FOLLOW IFR INST DEP PROC LEAVING PVU A NIGHT WITH IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: RECEIVED WX BRIEF FROM CEDAR CITY FSS BY PHONE ABOUT 15 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. FILED IFR FLT PLAN FROM PROVO, UT, (PVU) TO SALT LAKE APCH AND DEPARTED PVU. CLRNC WAS TO FFU VIA PUBLISH DEP PROC, CLB TO 10000 FT FOLLOWED BY TRANSPONDER CODE, VOID TIME, AND FREQ FOR SALT LAKE APCH. I WAS TIRED AND IN RETROSPECT SEE THAT I MISSED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PUBLISHED DEP PROC PART OF THE CLRNC. I DEPARTED RWY 31 AND TURNED DIRECT TO FFU VOR. I WAS CLBING TO 10000, BUT DUE TO DOWN DRAFTS FROM THE WIND OVER THE MOUNTAINS, I WAS NOT ABLE TO CLB ABOVE 7500 FT FOR SOME TIME. APCH RADAR IDENTED ME AND SAID THAT I WAS N OF COURSE AND NOT AT 10000 FT AND ASKED MY INTENTIONS. AT THIS TIME I WAS CLR OF CLOUDS AND COULD SEE THE CITIES OF AMERICAN FORK AND OREM, (APPROX 8-10 MI). I WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING MODERATE UP AND DOWN DRAFTS (UP TO 500 FPM DOWN AT FULL PWR AND MAX RATE OF CLB). I DECIDED TO CANCEL IFR, BECAUSE OF THE RPT FROM PVU AWOS OF CLR BELOW 12000 AND BECAUSE I HAD NOT ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS UNTIL VERY CLOSE TO FFU ON CLB OUT, I CANCELLED IFR AND TURNED TOWARDS PROVO. I WAS HEADED SE, LOOKING UP THE FREQ FOR PROVO VOR (PVU) OR FOR THE LOC WHEN I INADVERTENTLY ENTERED A CLOUD LAYER AT ABOUT 8000 FT MSL. I WAS QUITE SURPRISED AND EXPERIENCED VERTIGO FOR A SHORT REF TO INSTS AND CALLED APCH TO TELL THEM THAT I WAS IN CLOUDS AND REQUESTED VECTORS AND AN ILS APCH TO PROVO. WHILE ON VECTORS TO THE APCH, CONTINUED TO ENCOUNTER OCCASIONAL UP AND DOWN DRAFTS THAT MADE IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT. ILS APCH AND LNDG AT PROVO WERE UNEVENTFUL. CONSIDERATIONS: I AM GOING TO PAY A LOT MORE ATTN TO MY PHYSICAL STATE AND REALIZE HOW FATIGUE CAN AFFECT MY PERCEPTIONS AND JUDGEMENT. IN RETROSPECT, THE PROBLEM WAS MISUNDERSTANDING THE CLRNC AND NOT FOLLOWING THE DEP PROC. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED INSTEAD OF ASSUMING THAT IT MEANT TO FLY DIRECT TO THE VOR. ADDITIONALLY I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR THE ILS INSTEAD OF CANCELLING IFR. (ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO INDICATIONS AT THE TIME THAT I WOULD HIT CLOUDS AT THAT ALT WHILE HEADED BACK TO PVU). THE AWOS SYS HAS LIMITATIONS AND BASED ON THIS AND OTHER EXPERIENCES, I DO NOT FEEL THAT RPTS ARE ALWAYS ACCURATE IN REGARDS TO CLOUD COVER AND HEIGHTS.

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.