Narrative:

I was approaching 68J airport from the southeast (NAVAID located on the airport). I flew north and then east to stay clear of the tallahassee class C airspace to avoid potential traffic. Approximately 5-7 mi from 68J, I noticed I was approaching 2 cloud layers . Top of one at about 1500-1800 ft AGL and one about 4500 ft AGL (base). The lower and upper clouds were scattered sufficiently to allow VFR minimums to be maintained between the layers. I was almost to the airport so I continued. VFR was always maintained except for 1 small cloud which was in between layers. I didn't see the airport. With the lower layer of clouds, I couldn't see tallahassee regional at the time either. I flew 2 circles of about a 2 mi radius. At completion of the first, I saw a jet, large, off to my right and considerably lower top - 1500 ft and about 1/2 - 3/4 mi in front of me (passing from right to left). I completed another circle. Upon looking down, I noticed that I was being blown substantially sidewise and very fast (approximately direction from nose -- 10 O'clock). I was going to fly another circle but caught site of tlh. I then knew I was in the arsa and immediately called the tower. The controller responded and said 'you're in the arsa, clear to land on runway 18.' upon landing the controller told me where to park and asked me to call the tower upon parking. I did so. He told me he had to ask me a few questions. Said he had to make an air carrier flight make a lower than normal approach, had received phone calls about the noise, and that air carrier was asking a lot of questions. He explained that I should have contacted him 20 mi out and several other comments. He asked me to contact a supervisor in the morning, and I did so at plus or minus XA45. I went through the same conversation with him. He said they thought I was a student pilot and that this was a situation they'd encountered often. His comment specifically was 'terrorizing the pattern.' he commented that he would try to help me out but it was up to the air carrier pilot. He also said I'd broken about 5 FARS. Human performance considerations: the controller said that the air carrier pilot said that there was no way I could have been VFR. In my mind, there is no question that I did maintain the required minimums. When I saw him, he was at approximately 1500 ft and approximately 2 mi to my right. He was below the lower layer of clouds and was in IFR conditions. His perception of where I was may have and in fact was incorrect. There was no specific action required on my part. The air carrier plane was not in conflict with my course of flight, so I didn't need to take any action. The only inaction I may have not taken was that the WX was deteriorating and I made one more circle to locate 68J. If I had called tlh between circle 1 and 2, I would have been clear of the arsa and therefore entered in still without knowing. I must emphasize that the gust which blew me southward was very strong. Something which I have never experienced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA BLUNDERS INTO ARSA, ENTERS A CLOUD AND CAUSES A CONFLICT WITH AN ACR ACFT ON VECTORS.

Narrative: I WAS APCHING 68J ARPT FROM THE SE (NAVAID LOCATED ON THE ARPT). I FLEW N AND THEN E TO STAY CLR OF THE TALLAHASSEE CLASS C AIRSPACE TO AVOID POTENTIAL TFC. APPROX 5-7 MI FROM 68J, I NOTICED I WAS APCHING 2 CLOUD LAYERS . TOP OF ONE AT ABOUT 1500-1800 FT AGL AND ONE ABOUT 4500 FT AGL (BASE). THE LOWER AND UPPER CLOUDS WERE SCATTERED SUFFICIENTLY TO ALLOW VFR MINIMUMS TO BE MAINTAINED BTWN THE LAYERS. I WAS ALMOST TO THE ARPT SO I CONTINUED. VFR WAS ALWAYS MAINTAINED EXCEPT FOR 1 SMALL CLOUD WHICH WAS IN BTWN LAYERS. I DIDN'T SEE THE ARPT. WITH THE LOWER LAYER OF CLOUDS, I COULDN'T SEE TALLAHASSEE REGIONAL AT THE TIME EITHER. I FLEW 2 CIRCLES OF ABOUT A 2 MI RADIUS. AT COMPLETION OF THE FIRST, I SAW A JET, LARGE, OFF TO MY R AND CONSIDERABLY LOWER TOP - 1500 FT AND ABOUT 1/2 - 3/4 MI IN FRONT OF ME (PASSING FROM R TO L). I COMPLETED ANOTHER CIRCLE. UPON LOOKING DOWN, I NOTICED THAT I WAS BEING BLOWN SUBSTANTIALLY SIDEWISE AND VERY FAST (APPROX DIRECTION FROM NOSE -- 10 O'CLOCK). I WAS GOING TO FLY ANOTHER CIRCLE BUT CAUGHT SITE OF TLH. I THEN KNEW I WAS IN THE ARSA AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE TWR. THE CTLR RESPONDED AND SAID 'YOU'RE IN THE ARSA, CLR TO LAND ON RWY 18.' UPON LNDG THE CTLR TOLD ME WHERE TO PARK AND ASKED ME TO CALL THE TWR UPON PARKING. I DID SO. HE TOLD ME HE HAD TO ASK ME A FEW QUESTIONS. SAID HE HAD TO MAKE AN ACR FLT MAKE A LOWER THAN NORMAL APCH, HAD RECEIVED PHONE CALLS ABOUT THE NOISE, AND THAT ACR WAS ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS. HE EXPLAINED THAT I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED HIM 20 MI OUT AND SEVERAL OTHER COMMENTS. HE ASKED ME TO CONTACT A SUPVR IN THE MORNING, AND I DID SO AT PLUS OR MINUS XA45. I WENT THROUGH THE SAME CONVERSATION WITH HIM. HE SAID THEY THOUGHT I WAS A STUDENT PLT AND THAT THIS WAS A SIT THEY'D ENCOUNTERED OFTEN. HIS COMMENT SPECIFICALLY WAS 'TERRORIZING THE PATTERN.' HE COMMENTED THAT HE WOULD TRY TO HELP ME OUT BUT IT WAS UP TO THE ACR PLT. HE ALSO SAID I'D BROKEN ABOUT 5 FARS. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: THE CTLR SAID THAT THE ACR PLT SAID THAT THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE BEEN VFR. IN MY MIND, THERE IS NO QUESTION THAT I DID MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED MINIMUMS. WHEN I SAW HIM, HE WAS AT APPROX 1500 FT AND APPROX 2 MI TO MY R. HE WAS BELOW THE LOWER LAYER OF CLOUDS AND WAS IN IFR CONDITIONS. HIS PERCEPTION OF WHERE I WAS MAY HAVE AND IN FACT WAS INCORRECT. THERE WAS NO SPECIFIC ACTION REQUIRED ON MY PART. THE ACR PLANE WAS NOT IN CONFLICT WITH MY COURSE OF FLT, SO I DIDN'T NEED TO TAKE ANY ACTION. THE ONLY INACTION I MAY HAVE NOT TAKEN WAS THAT THE WX WAS DETERIORATING AND I MADE ONE MORE CIRCLE TO LOCATE 68J. IF I HAD CALLED TLH BTWN CIRCLE 1 AND 2, I WOULD HAVE BEEN CLR OF THE ARSA AND THEREFORE ENTERED IN STILL WITHOUT KNOWING. I MUST EMPHASIZE THAT THE GUST WHICH BLEW ME SOUTHWARD WAS VERY STRONG. SOMETHING WHICH I HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED.

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.