Low time pilot was led into a heavy WX situation at night by a WX briefing that did not fully cover ...

Narrative:

I departed bullhead/laughlin airport for las vegas at XA00 after a 4 hour delay because of severe WX in las vegas. I received a WX briefing just before departure, and several briefings in past hours. WX in las vegas was 4000 scattered, 8000 scattered, 18000 overcast, temperature 54, dewpoint 48, visibility 10, light rain showers. Forecast for widely scattered thunderstorms and rain showers. After departing bullhead city I noticed some bad looking WX around the lake mead area, which is the way we had to go. So I decided to choose an alternate route. After looking at my sectional, I decided to track to the goffs VOR and then to interstate 15, then track the freeway to las vegas. The WX looked very favorable this direction. Everything was very smooth and fine all the way to the stateline casino area. This is where we encountered some light rain showers, which I did not see as a big factor because I've encountered rain many times before. As we continued to the jean area, the rain suddenly intensified to very severe along with very severe wind and turbulence. I had all I could do to keep the airplane under control. Then visibility went to 0 all of a sudden. I got on the instruments and quickly descended to VFR conditions and decided I had to land or we were going to be in trouble. I had thought about doing a 180 degree and going to jean airport, but it was nighttime and the airport is unlit and a gravel runway, so I deemed it unsafe. I knew the freeway was right below and could be easily reached, so I decided to land there. I landed with traffic and pulled the airplane off to the side of the road. A truck driver pulled over to help us. We were not hurt nor was the airplane or any property or other persons. I believe this unintentional situation could have been prevented by not going (staying overnight in laughlin) or talking to center or flight service in the air to see where WX was. This situation was totally unexpected, but luckily it turned out safely. I thank the emergency training and training for my instrument rating I've had so far, it helped me stay in control and not let the sudden fear turn to sudden panic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PLT WAS LED INTO A HVY WX SITUATION AT NIGHT BY A WX BRIEFING THAT DID NOT FULLY COVER ALL OF THE POSSIBILITIES. WHEN HE WAS TRAPPED IN HVY RAIN AT NIGHT, HE LANDED SAFELY ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED BULLHEAD/LAUGHLIN ARPT FOR LAS VEGAS AT XA00 AFTER A 4 HR DELAY BECAUSE OF SEVERE WX IN LAS VEGAS. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING JUST BEFORE DEP, AND SEVERAL BRIEFINGS IN PAST HRS. WX IN LAS VEGAS WAS 4000 SCATTERED, 8000 SCATTERED, 18000 OVCST, TEMP 54, DEWPOINT 48, VISIBILITY 10, LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS. FORECAST FOR WIDELY SCATTERED TSTMS AND RAIN SHOWERS. AFTER DEPARTING BULLHEAD CITY I NOTICED SOME BAD LOOKING WX AROUND THE LAKE MEAD AREA, WHICH IS THE WAY WE HAD TO GO. SO I DECIDED TO CHOOSE AN ALTERNATE RTE. AFTER LOOKING AT MY SECTIONAL, I DECIDED TO TRACK TO THE GOFFS VOR AND THEN TO INTERSTATE 15, THEN TRACK THE FREEWAY TO LAS VEGAS. THE WX LOOKED VERY FAVORABLE THIS DIRECTION. EVERYTHING WAS VERY SMOOTH AND FINE ALL THE WAY TO THE STATELINE CASINO AREA. THIS IS WHERE WE ENCOUNTERED SOME LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS, WHICH I DID NOT SEE AS A BIG FACTOR BECAUSE I'VE ENCOUNTERED RAIN MANY TIMES BEFORE. AS WE CONTINUED TO THE JEAN AREA, THE RAIN SUDDENLY INTENSIFIED TO VERY SEVERE ALONG WITH VERY SEVERE WIND AND TURB. I HAD ALL I COULD DO TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE UNDER CTL. THEN VISIBILITY WENT TO 0 ALL OF A SUDDEN. I GOT ON THE INSTS AND QUICKLY DSNDED TO VFR CONDITIONS AND DECIDED I HAD TO LAND OR WE WERE GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE. I HAD THOUGHT ABOUT DOING A 180 DEG AND GOING TO JEAN ARPT, BUT IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND THE ARPT IS UNLIT AND A GRAVEL RWY, SO I DEEMED IT UNSAFE. I KNEW THE FREEWAY WAS RIGHT BELOW AND COULD BE EASILY REACHED, SO I DECIDED TO LAND THERE. I LANDED WITH TFC AND PULLED THE AIRPLANE OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. A TRUCK DRIVER PULLED OVER TO HELP US. WE WERE NOT HURT NOR WAS THE AIRPLANE OR ANY PROPERTY OR OTHER PERSONS. I BELIEVE THIS UNINTENTIONAL SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY NOT GOING (STAYING OVERNIGHT IN LAUGHLIN) OR TALKING TO CTR OR FLT SVC IN THE AIR TO SEE WHERE WX WAS. THIS SITUATION WAS TOTALLY UNEXPECTED, BUT LUCKILY IT TURNED OUT SAFELY. I THANK THE EMER TRAINING AND TRAINING FOR MY INST RATING I'VE HAD SO FAR, IT HELPED ME STAY IN CTL AND NOT LET THE SUDDEN FEAR TURN TO SUDDEN PANIC.

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.

Attributes
ACN	206556
Time
Date	199203
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 0l7
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 142
ASRS Report	206556
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Low time pilot was led into a heavy WX situation at night by a WX briefing that did not fully cover all of the possibilities. When he was trapped in heavy rain at night, he landed safely on an interstate highway with no injuries or damage.