Small aircraft pilot at wrong altitude for VFR flight.

Attributes
ACN	223575
Time
Date	199210
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : uca
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 52
ASRS Report	223575
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight from sidney, oh, (I-12) to middlebury, vt. Had been flying at 7500 ft VFR (on top part of way). Contacted buffalo radio on 122.1 and listened on utica VOR frequency 38 NM southwest of utica -- reception poor. Was told to switch to georgetown VOR -- reception better. Requested WX at glens falls, ny, and burlington, vt. Buffalo requested position and altitude. When told that I was at the present time at 6000 ft, was informed that I was an IFR altitude and suggested that I descend to 5500. My estimate was that I would be in the scattered layer of clouds, and informed him of this. (I was at the time descending -- intention was to descend to below scattered/broken layer of clouds and fly around south end of the mountains and up to glens falls if glens falls WX was ok). He still had not given me my requested information and continued to belabor the fact that I was at 6000 ft. Repeatedly, I requested WX at glens falls and burlington so I could establish my flight planning ie, land at utica if gfl and btv socked in or go on as far as possible depending on the WX at gfl and btv. It was as though he was more interested in establishing a violation than in giving me assistance by furnishing the WX information that I had requested. Finally he gave me current WX at gfl and a special at btv. I had gone back up to 7500 and notified him of this. When I found that gfl was good VFR, I descended to the southeast (large breaks) and headed to gfl. I let down to 3500 ft and flew the rest of the trip to middlebury at this altitude.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT AT WRONG ALT FOR VFR FLT.

Narrative: FLT FROM SIDNEY, OH, (I-12) TO MIDDLEBURY, VT. HAD BEEN FLYING AT 7500 FT VFR (ON TOP PART OF WAY). CONTACTED BUFFALO RADIO ON 122.1 AND LISTENED ON UTICA VOR FREQ 38 NM SW OF UTICA -- RECEPTION POOR. WAS TOLD TO SWITCH TO GEORGETOWN VOR -- RECEPTION BETTER. REQUESTED WX AT GLENS FALLS, NY, AND BURLINGTON, VT. BUFFALO REQUESTED POS AND ALT. WHEN TOLD THAT I WAS AT THE PRESENT TIME AT 6000 FT, WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS AN IFR ALT AND SUGGESTED THAT I DSND TO 5500. MY ESTIMATE WAS THAT I WOULD BE IN THE SCATTERED LAYER OF CLOUDS, AND INFORMED HIM OF THIS. (I WAS AT THE TIME DSNDING -- INTENTION WAS TO DSND TO BELOW SCATTERED/BROKEN LAYER OF CLOUDS AND FLY AROUND S END OF THE MOUNTAINS AND UP TO GLENS FALLS IF GLENS FALLS WX WAS OK). HE STILL HAD NOT GIVEN ME MY REQUESTED INFO AND CONTINUED TO BELABOR THE FACT THAT I WAS AT 6000 FT. REPEATEDLY, I REQUESTED WX AT GLENS FALLS AND BURLINGTON SO I COULD ESTABLISH MY FLT PLANNING IE, LAND AT UTICA IF GFL AND BTV SOCKED IN OR GO ON AS FAR AS POSSIBLE DEPENDING ON THE WX AT GFL AND BTV. IT WAS AS THOUGH HE WAS MORE INTERESTED IN ESTABLISHING A VIOLATION THAN IN GIVING ME ASSISTANCE BY FURNISHING THE WX INFO THAT I HAD REQUESTED. FINALLY HE GAVE ME CURRENT WX AT GFL AND A SPECIAL AT BTV. I HAD GONE BACK UP TO 7500 AND NOTIFIED HIM OF THIS. WHEN I FOUND THAT GFL WAS GOOD VFR, I DSNDED TO THE SE (LARGE BREAKS) AND HEADED TO GFL. I LET DOWN TO 3500 FT AND FLEW THE REST OF THE TRIP TO MIDDLEBURY AT THIS ALT.

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.