Pilot of an small transport twin engine atx aircraft believed that he was not approved for flight un...

Attributes
ACN	258371
Time
Date	199312
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8000 msl bound upper : 12500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tracon : las
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3450 flight time type : 1850
ASRS Report	258371
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After dropping off passenger at the grand canyon airport, I took off empty (no passenger) for las vegas. WX at gcn was clear, there were scattered clouds in las vegas. The usual route is a direct line between gcn and las through the grand canyon special airspace at a cruising altitude of 10500 ft. I was on that route and altitude when I saw an overcast with tops at 10000 ft. Visibility was about 15 NM that day and as far as I could see the top of the clouds stayed around 10000 ft. I elected to stay above the clouds rather than below because I could see rain and deteriorating visibility underneath. After 15 mins of flight I was forced to climb to stay out of the clouds. I found myself at 12500 ft, still having to climb and the overcast seemed to be stretching forever which I didn't expect. I decided it was time to descend as I was getting closer to las vegas, about 60 NM at that time. I called ZLA and requested an IFR clearance to las vegas. After identify, the controller gave me a descent vector to 9000 ft then switched me to the las vegas controller who gave me a descending vector to 8000 ft. At that point I broke out of the clouds, canceled IFR and proceeded to destination VFR. There are no WX reporting stations between gcn and las. Grand canyon tour operator should maintain IFR certificates to give pilots more options in case of bad WX. My decision of staying high might have been wrong although I believe it was safer than going below the clouds and running the risk of getting 'boxed' in bad WX close to the plateaus and mountains where the clouds were the lowest.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT TWIN ENG ATX ACFT BELIEVED THAT HE WAS NOT APPROVED FOR FLT UNDER IFR SINCE THE COMPANY OPS SPECS DID NOT INCLUDE IFR.

Narrative: AFTER DROPPING OFF PAX AT THE GRAND CANYON ARPT, I TOOK OFF EMPTY (NO PAX) FOR LAS VEGAS. WX AT GCN WAS CLR, THERE WERE SCATTERED CLOUDS IN LAS VEGAS. THE USUAL RTE IS A DIRECT LINE BTWN GCN AND LAS THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON SPECIAL AIRSPACE AT A CRUISING ALT OF 10500 FT. I WAS ON THAT RTE AND ALT WHEN I SAW AN OVCST WITH TOPS AT 10000 FT. VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 15 NM THAT DAY AND AS FAR AS I COULD SEE THE TOP OF THE CLOUDS STAYED AROUND 10000 FT. I ELECTED TO STAY ABOVE THE CLOUDS RATHER THAN BELOW BECAUSE I COULD SEE RAIN AND DETERIORATING VISIBILITY UNDERNEATH. AFTER 15 MINS OF FLT I WAS FORCED TO CLB TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I FOUND MYSELF AT 12500 FT, STILL HAVING TO CLB AND THE OVCST SEEMED TO BE STRETCHING FOREVER WHICH I DIDN'T EXPECT. I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO DSND AS I WAS GETTING CLOSER TO LAS VEGAS, ABOUT 60 NM AT THAT TIME. I CALLED ZLA AND REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC TO LAS VEGAS. AFTER IDENT, THE CTLR GAVE ME A DSCNT VECTOR TO 9000 FT THEN SWITCHED ME TO THE LAS VEGAS CTLR WHO GAVE ME A DSNDING VECTOR TO 8000 FT. AT THAT POINT I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS, CANCELED IFR AND PROCEEDED TO DEST VFR. THERE ARE NO WX RPTING STATIONS BTWN GCN AND LAS. GRAND CANYON TOUR OPERATOR SHOULD MAINTAIN IFR CERTIFICATES TO GIVE PLTS MORE OPTIONS IN CASE OF BAD WX. MY DECISION OF STAYING HIGH MIGHT HAVE BEEN WRONG ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE IT WAS SAFER THAN GOING BELOW THE CLOUDS AND RUNNING THE RISK OF GETTING 'BOXED' IN BAD WX CLOSE TO THE PLATEAUS AND MOUNTAINS WHERE THE CLOUDS WERE THE LOWEST.

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.

Pilot of an small transport twin engine atx aircraft believed that he was not approved for flight under IFR since the company operations specifications did not include IFR.