Narrative:

I was flying on a heading of 125 degrees from a line west of fort smith, arkansas, on a VFR flight. My flight originated at sundance airpark (hsd), oklahoma city, oklahoma. I had filed a flight plan with FSS mcalister and had VFR following from oklahoma city to fort smith, arkansas to hot springs, arkansas to destin, florida. I was in contact with ZME who informed me about the WX at fort smith and in southern oklahoma. With ZME advisement I was proceeding clear of the WX direct to hot springs arkansas. WX abruptly changed when I was southeast of fort smith to less than VFR. I, therefore, made a standard coordinated timed turn to a westerly direction. I recognized this as an extreme emergency and I knew I must take whatever procedures necessary to extract myself from this adverse WX condition that had suddenly enveloped me. Because of the adverse WX conditions, I unknowingly lost reception on my #2 radio. My receiver had failed without my knowledge. With the extreme turbulence my directional gyro processed and I was flying off my standby compass. The #1 thing in my mind was flying the airplane first. I flew on a westerly heading based on a timed standard rate turn. This brought me over the restr area of fort chaffee. Because of the hard driving rain my forward vision was restr. Before I changed course, I could see latterly and downward from my position of 11500 ft. I immediately began to descend as I turned. I had reduced my speed to maneuvering speed. I recognized that I was over fort chaffee and recognized fort smith airport. I called fort smith approach and they were helpful. I called fort smith on my #1 radio leaving ZME on my #2 radio still not aware that reception had failed on the #2 radio. I was very appreciative of the professional and helpful attitude of the controllers at fort smith.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF A SMA ENTERED A RESTR AREA DUE TO INFLT WX ENCOUNTER RESULTING IN A FLT ASSIST FROM ATC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON A HDG OF 125 DEGS FROM A LINE W OF FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS, ON A VFR FLT. MY FLT ORIGINATED AT SUNDANCE AIRPARK (HSD), OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. I HAD FILED A FLT PLAN WITH FSS MCALISTER AND HAD VFR FOLLOWING FROM OKLAHOMA CITY TO FORT SMITH, ARKANSAS TO HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS TO DESTIN, FLORIDA. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH ZME WHO INFORMED ME ABOUT THE WX AT FORT SMITH AND IN SOUTHERN OKLAHOMA. WITH ZME ADVISEMENT I WAS PROCEEDING CLR OF THE WX DIRECT TO HOT SPRINGS ARKANSAS. WX ABRUPTLY CHANGED WHEN I WAS SE OF FORT SMITH TO LESS THAN VFR. I, THEREFORE, MADE A STANDARD COORDINATED TIMED TURN TO A WESTERLY DIRECTION. I RECOGNIZED THIS AS AN EXTREME EMERGENCY AND I KNEW I MUST TAKE WHATEVER PROCS NECESSARY TO EXTRACT MYSELF FROM THIS ADVERSE WX CONDITION THAT HAD SUDDENLY ENVELOPED ME. BECAUSE OF THE ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS, I UNKNOWINGLY LOST RECEPTION ON MY #2 RADIO. MY RECEIVER HAD FAILED WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. WITH THE EXTREME TURB MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO PROCESSED AND I WAS FLYING OFF MY STANDBY COMPASS. THE #1 THING IN MY MIND WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE FIRST. I FLEW ON A WESTERLY HDG BASED ON A TIMED STANDARD RATE TURN. THIS BROUGHT ME OVER THE RESTR AREA OF FORT CHAFFEE. BECAUSE OF THE HARD DRIVING RAIN MY FORWARD VISION WAS RESTR. BEFORE I CHANGED COURSE, I COULD SEE LATTERLY AND DOWNWARD FROM MY POS OF 11500 FT. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO DSND AS I TURNED. I HAD REDUCED MY SPD TO MANEUVERING SPD. I RECOGNIZED THAT I WAS OVER FORT CHAFFEE AND RECOGNIZED FORT SMITH ARPT. I CALLED FORT SMITH APCH AND THEY WERE HELPFUL. I CALLED FORT SMITH ON MY #1 RADIO LEAVING ZME ON MY #2 RADIO STILL NOT AWARE THAT RECEPTION HAD FAILED ON THE #2 RADIO. I WAS VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THE PROFESSIONAL AND HELPFUL ATTITUDE OF THE CTLRS AT FORT SMITH.

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.