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Small aircraft departs airport without WX briefing. Caught in deteriorating WX climbs into clouds. Also had transmitting problems.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 265043 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199402 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : q68 airport : o27 |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 7000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 39 flight time total : 116 flight time type : 116 |
| ASRS Report | 265043 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The purpose of the flight had been to make a tour of the local area. Since the flight was local and my telephone was out of order I did not obtain a WX briefing. The television news WX had called for afternoon clearing so I decided to proceed with the flight with the marginal VFR conditions that existed. For about 1/2 hour I toured the area 10 mi west of Q68 (pine mountain lake) in a VFR 'bubble.' as I returned to Q68 it had become obscured. While en route to my alternate airport, O22 (columbia), it had also become obscured. The VFR bubble then collapsed to ground level. In order to insure that I would clear any terrain in the area I started a climb and a heading to the west away from the mountains which forced me to ascend into the clouds. To find the nearest VMC I got in contact with rancho murieta FSS. Upon making contact with rancho murieta and before requesting WX, I lost the transmit function with my radios. Rancho murieta then had me change frequency to ZOA. After about 1 1/2 hours after takeoff I had ascended to 7000 ft MSL, heading west and was trying all the audio panel settings to see if I could find a setting that would work. I then ran into snow so I decided to descend to avoid it. In descending I ran into a hole in the clouds which appeared to have plenty of altitude between the ceiling and the ground. I made a circling descent under the ceiling, headed west into clear WX and landed at O27 (oakdale). I believe that if I had gone through the effort to get an aviation WX briefing I may have taken off a couple of hours later when the WX had cleared. Then after taking off I failed to realize how quickly the clouds could overtake me. I had taken off in the similar conditions and had gotten used to it. The radio problem turned out to be caused by a broken wire in my push-to-talk switch. I had also failed to remember that I could have used my hand microphone as a backup.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA DEPARTS ARPT WITHOUT WX BRIEFING. CAUGHT IN DETERIORATING WX CLBS INTO CLOUDS. ALSO HAD XMITTING PROBS.
Narrative: THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT HAD BEEN TO MAKE A TOUR OF THE LCL AREA. SINCE THE FLT WAS LCL AND MY TELEPHONE WAS OUT OF ORDER I DID NOT OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING. THE TELEVISION NEWS WX HAD CALLED FOR AFTERNOON CLRING SO I DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH THE FLT WITH THE MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED. FOR ABOUT 1/2 HR I TOURED THE AREA 10 MI W OF Q68 (PINE MOUNTAIN LAKE) IN A VFR 'BUBBLE.' AS I RETURNED TO Q68 IT HAD BECOME OBSCURED. WHILE ENRTE TO MY ALTERNATE ARPT, O22 (COLUMBIA), IT HAD ALSO BECOME OBSCURED. THE VFR BUBBLE THEN COLLAPSED TO GND LEVEL. IN ORDER TO INSURE THAT I WOULD CLR ANY TERRAIN IN THE AREA I STARTED A CLB AND A HDG TO THE W AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINS WHICH FORCED ME TO ASCEND INTO THE CLOUDS. TO FIND THE NEAREST VMC I GOT IN CONTACT WITH RANCHO MURIETA FSS. UPON MAKING CONTACT WITH RANCHO MURIETA AND BEFORE REQUESTING WX, I LOST THE XMIT FUNCTION WITH MY RADIOS. RANCHO MURIETA THEN HAD ME CHANGE FREQ TO ZOA. AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS AFTER TKOF I HAD ASCENDED TO 7000 FT MSL, HDG W AND WAS TRYING ALL THE AUDIO PANEL SETTINGS TO SEE IF I COULD FIND A SETTING THAT WOULD WORK. I THEN RAN INTO SNOW SO I DECIDED TO DSND TO AVOID IT. IN DSNDING I RAN INTO A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS WHICH APPEARED TO HAVE PLENTY OF ALT BTWN THE CEILING AND THE GND. I MADE A CIRCLING DSCNT UNDER THE CEILING, HEADED W INTO CLR WX AND LANDED AT O27 (OAKDALE). I BELIEVE THAT IF I HAD GONE THROUGH THE EFFORT TO GET AN AVIATION WX BRIEFING I MAY HAVE TAKEN OFF A COUPLE OF HRS LATER WHEN THE WX HAD CLRED. THEN AFTER TAKING OFF I FAILED TO REALIZE HOW QUICKLY THE CLOUDS COULD OVERTAKE ME. I HAD TAKEN OFF IN THE SIMILAR CONDITIONS AND HAD GOTTEN USED TO IT. THE RADIO PROB TURNED OUT TO BE CAUSED BY A BROKEN WIRE IN MY PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH. I HAD ALSO FAILED TO REMEMBER THAT I COULD HAVE USED MY HAND MIKE AS A BACKUP.
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.