Narrative:

Checking FSS WX, discovered 40-50 winds and SIGMET. Decided to send my wife home on commercial flight out of rno. Planned to go to tvl and go VFR if not too turbulent, or not takeoff and stay another day. At tvl, commercial pilot of 8-10 place turbo propeller that just arrived from sac said smooth at 13000 MSL. Decided to go for it. I'm IFR current, but didn't want to go IFR because only plane available for wkend had marginal vors, VOR #1 very unreliable. Also, didn't want to be in clouds - icing. After extremely rough climb out to 1000 AGL, flight appeared to be okay. Got good updraft and climbed to 14000 MSL, then turned into 50 KT headwinds for trip over sierras. As I approached mountains, my trouble began. I was unable to maintain altitude, and started losing 400 FPM. The cloud tops at 12500 became closer and closer. It looked at first like I could stay above them and pass over them, but my gndspd was so slow I ended up flirting with IMC and then in clouds. For a min or so I hoped to just punch through, but that didn't happen, then, I picked up a small dose of rime ice -- maybe 1/16 inch. I decided it was time to confess my troubles and get help. I was already monitoring ZOA, as I had tried for flight following, and they were too busy. I told center 'center, this is cessna xxy - - I need your help.' the controller asked for my radial off squaw, which the weak VOR sort of gave me, and vectored me towards the lake. About 30 seconds later I broke through into VMC, and about 2 mins later I could proceed VFR toward central valley and my destination. The controller asked if I needed further help, and when I said no, he left me on my way. Things to learn: don't expect performance above severe ceiling, even if only pilot on board (C-172 160 hp). Don't fly in mountains in WX -- ever with low performance plane. Ask for help before getting in trouble. I was reluctant to profess my dilemma! I was suffering from get homeitis compounded with a reluctance to return to tvl due to extremely rough takeoff. I shouldn't have started the trip. Things I did right: asked for help and got very calm, professional service immediately. At least went alone. Not sure if trip could have been completed with my wife on board. Bottom line: I flirted with potential disaster, not to mention being illegal. I'm taking this flight as a warning not to push my or aircraft limits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF SMA SEL WAS ASSISTED BY ATC OUT OF IMC AFTER HE COULD NOT MAINTAIN VFR OVER HIGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN.

Narrative: CHKING FSS WX, DISCOVERED 40-50 WINDS AND SIGMET. DECIDED TO SEND MY WIFE HOME ON COMMERCIAL FLT OUT OF RNO. PLANNED TO GO TO TVL AND GO VFR IF NOT TOO TURBULENT, OR NOT TKOF AND STAY ANOTHER DAY. AT TVL, COMMERCIAL PLT OF 8-10 PLACE TURBO PROP THAT JUST ARRIVED FROM SAC SAID SMOOTH AT 13000 MSL. DECIDED TO GO FOR IT. I'M IFR CURRENT, BUT DIDN'T WANT TO GO IFR BECAUSE ONLY PLANE AVAILABLE FOR WKEND HAD MARGINAL VORS, VOR #1 VERY UNRELIABLE. ALSO, DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN CLOUDS - ICING. AFTER EXTREMELY ROUGH CLBOUT TO 1000 AGL, FLT APPEARED TO BE OKAY. GOT GOOD UPDRAFT AND CLBED TO 14000 MSL, THEN TURNED INTO 50 KT HEADWINDS FOR TRIP OVER SIERRAS. AS I APCHED MOUNTAINS, MY TROUBLE BEGAN. I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ALT, AND STARTED LOSING 400 FPM. THE CLOUD TOPS AT 12500 BECAME CLOSER AND CLOSER. IT LOOKED AT FIRST LIKE I COULD STAY ABOVE THEM AND PASS OVER THEM, BUT MY GNDSPD WAS SO SLOW I ENDED UP FLIRTING WITH IMC AND THEN IN CLOUDS. FOR A MIN OR SO I HOPED TO JUST PUNCH THROUGH, BUT THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, THEN, I PICKED UP A SMALL DOSE OF RIME ICE -- MAYBE 1/16 INCH. I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO CONFESS MY TROUBLES AND GET HELP. I WAS ALREADY MONITORING ZOA, AS I HAD TRIED FOR FLT FOLLOWING, AND THEY WERE TOO BUSY. I TOLD CTR 'CTR, THIS IS CESSNA XXY - - I NEED YOUR HELP.' THE CTLR ASKED FOR MY RADIAL OFF SQUAW, WHICH THE WEAK VOR SORT OF GAVE ME, AND VECTORED ME TOWARDS THE LAKE. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER I BROKE THROUGH INTO VMC, AND ABOUT 2 MINS LATER I COULD PROCEED VFR TOWARD CENTRAL VALLEY AND MY DEST. THE CTLR ASKED IF I NEEDED FURTHER HELP, AND WHEN I SAID NO, HE LEFT ME ON MY WAY. THINGS TO LEARN: DON'T EXPECT PERFORMANCE ABOVE SEVERE CEILING, EVEN IF ONLY PLT ON BOARD (C-172 160 HP). DON'T FLY IN MOUNTAINS IN WX -- EVER WITH LOW PERFORMANCE PLANE. ASK FOR HELP BEFORE GETTING IN TROUBLE. I WAS RELUCTANT TO PROFESS MY DILEMMA! I WAS SUFFERING FROM GET HOMEITIS COMPOUNDED WITH A RELUCTANCE TO RETURN TO TVL DUE TO EXTREMELY ROUGH TKOF. I SHOULDN'T HAVE STARTED THE TRIP. THINGS I DID RIGHT: ASKED FOR HELP AND GOT VERY CALM, PROFESSIONAL SVC IMMEDIATELY. AT LEAST WENT ALONE. NOT SURE IF TRIP COULD HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WITH MY WIFE ON BOARD. BOTTOM LINE: I FLIRTED WITH POTENTIAL DISASTER, NOT TO MENTION BEING ILLEGAL. I'M TAKING THIS FLT AS A WARNING NOT TO PUSH MY OR ACFT LIMITS.

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.