Narrative:

After fueling in grey bull, wy, I departed for casper. I made a precautionary landing at worland to wait for a thunderstorm in the area to dissipate. After about 1 1/2 hours there, the FSS attendant informed me that the local storm was dissipating, and that the previous activity near casper was now also gone. I took off and flew south to boysen reservoir, then headed east. As I flew over the boysen reservoir VOR, I called casper FSS to report a brush fire very near the VOR, and to make a position report. FSS informed me that there was a thunderstorm cell near my route, but that it was off to the north slightly. I passed over the dirt strip at shoshoni and realized it was 75 NM to casper, with no airports anywhere near the route. I thought I could circumnav the storm to the south, (I could see it by this time) so I pressed on. I flew slightly south of my course. As time went on, the turbulence started getting a little worse, and I was finding myself getting further and further off course, flying over the most remote landscape I'd ever seen. I could not get FSS on the radio, and though too low to get radar service (I tried). I listened to ZDV. They issued a convective SIGMET for the thunderstorm I was trying to go around. When I got to 10 NM southwest of pathfinder reservoir, I called casper FSS and asked for the status of the storm. They told me it was due to pass over casper soon, and that there were reports of hail. Shortly after, I passed around the storm, and started heading north, only to find that it extended off to the northeast. I realized by now that I had flown far south and it was traveling in a southeast direction (rapidly). I knew that I would not be able to get to casper. I had frantically switched, by this time, from FSS, to slc center, to ZDV to FSS, to casper approach, trying to get information on where I could go to: FSS was apparently confused about my location and suggested I fly northwest, which would have taken me into the storm. I looked southwest to rawlins, probably 40 NM away, but saw a line of dark cumulus with ragged bottoms (virga) all along the ridge between me and there I was getting bumped around a lot, and I was unsure if my fuel supply would take me to laramie. I was very afraid, and I decided to land on a dirt road below! I dragged the field, and landed without incident. I received help from motorists and called on 121.5. An airlines captain relayed my message to casper FSS that I landed safely, without damage to aircraft or pilot. I informed casper approach of my decision while still in the air. I am enrolled in a part 141 instrument (commercial pilot training program in everett, wa, and this was a cross-country training flight. After landing, passing motorists helped me to push the airplane off the road, and gave me ropes and stakes to tie the airplane down with, and gave me a ride into town. I fault myself for proceeding into an area of known thunderstorm activity without any airports nearby. I was not leaving myself an 'out'! Contributing factors were unfamiliarity with the local WX patterns and environment, uncertainty about my fuel status, and confusion in my conversations with casper FSS about my location and the direction of the storm's travel. I was reluctant to turn back when the situation called for it, until it was too late (low fuel). The proper action would have been to have a plan before I left as to where to go if I encountered hazardous WX or other emergency en route. In this case, the plan would have been to make a 180 degree and go back to the last airport, no matter how far, while I could, instead of flying 30 NM off my course, flying over wilderness instead of following my course over highway 20. Epilogue: at the owner's request, I hired a more experienced pilot to fly the plane off the road to casper. I then continued my trip without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT LANDS ON DIRT ROAD.

Narrative: AFTER FUELING IN GREY BULL, WY, I DEPARTED FOR CASPER. I MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG AT WORLAND TO WAIT FOR A TSTM IN THE AREA TO DISSIPATE. AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS THERE, THE FSS ATTENDANT INFORMED ME THAT THE LCL STORM WAS DISSIPATING, AND THAT THE PREVIOUS ACTIVITY NEAR CASPER WAS NOW ALSO GONE. I TOOK OFF AND FLEW S TO BOYSEN RESERVOIR, THEN HEADED E. AS I FLEW OVER THE BOYSEN RESERVOIR VOR, I CALLED CASPER FSS TO RPT A BRUSH FIRE VERY NEAR THE VOR, AND TO MAKE A POS RPT. FSS INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A TSTM CELL NEAR MY RTE, BUT THAT IT WAS OFF TO THE N SLIGHTLY. I PASSED OVER THE DIRT STRIP AT SHOSHONI AND REALIZED IT WAS 75 NM TO CASPER, WITH NO ARPTS ANYWHERE NEAR THE RTE. I THOUGHT I COULD CIRCUMNAV THE STORM TO THE S, (I COULD SEE IT BY THIS TIME) SO I PRESSED ON. I FLEW SLIGHTLY S OF MY COURSE. AS TIME WENT ON, THE TURB STARTED GETTING A LITTLE WORSE, AND I WAS FINDING MYSELF GETTING FURTHER AND FURTHER OFF COURSE, FLYING OVER THE MOST REMOTE LANDSCAPE I'D EVER SEEN. I COULD NOT GET FSS ON THE RADIO, AND THOUGH TOO LOW TO GET RADAR SVC (I TRIED). I LISTENED TO ZDV. THEY ISSUED A CONVECTIVE SIGMET FOR THE TSTM I WAS TRYING TO GAR. WHEN I GOT TO 10 NM SW OF PATHFINDER RESERVOIR, I CALLED CASPER FSS AND ASKED FOR THE STATUS OF THE STORM. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS DUE TO PASS OVER CASPER SOON, AND THAT THERE WERE RPTS OF HAIL. SHORTLY AFTER, I PASSED AROUND THE STORM, AND STARTED HEADING N, ONLY TO FIND THAT IT EXTENDED OFF TO THE NE. I REALIZED BY NOW THAT I HAD FLOWN FAR S AND IT WAS TRAVELING IN A SE DIRECTION (RAPIDLY). I KNEW THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET TO CASPER. I HAD FRANTICALLY SWITCHED, BY THIS TIME, FROM FSS, TO SLC CTR, TO ZDV TO FSS, TO CASPER APCH, TRYING TO GET INFO ON WHERE I COULD GO TO: FSS WAS APPARENTLY CONFUSED ABOUT MY LOCATION AND SUGGESTED I FLY NW, WHICH WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME INTO THE STORM. I LOOKED SW TO RAWLINS, PROBABLY 40 NM AWAY, BUT SAW A LINE OF DARK CUMULUS WITH RAGGED BOTTOMS (VIRGA) ALL ALONG THE RIDGE BTWN ME AND THERE I WAS GETTING BUMPED AROUND A LOT, AND I WAS UNSURE IF MY FUEL SUPPLY WOULD TAKE ME TO LARAMIE. I WAS VERY AFRAID, AND I DECIDED TO LAND ON A DIRT ROAD BELOW! I DRAGGED THE FIELD, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I RECEIVED HELP FROM MOTORISTS AND CALLED ON 121.5. AN AIRLINES CAPT RELAYED MY MESSAGE TO CASPER FSS THAT I LANDED SAFELY, WITHOUT DAMAGE TO ACFT OR PLT. I INFORMED CASPER APCH OF MY DECISION WHILE STILL IN THE AIR. I AM ENROLLED IN A PART 141 INST (COMMERCIAL PLT TRAINING PROGRAM IN EVERETT, WA, AND THIS WAS A CROSS-COUNTRY TRAINING FLT. AFTER LNDG, PASSING MOTORISTS HELPED ME TO PUSH THE AIRPLANE OFF THE ROAD, AND GAVE ME ROPES AND STAKES TO TIE THE AIRPLANE DOWN WITH, AND GAVE ME A RIDE INTO TOWN. I FAULT MYSELF FOR PROCEEDING INTO AN AREA OF KNOWN TSTM ACTIVITY WITHOUT ANY ARPTS NEARBY. I WAS NOT LEAVING MYSELF AN 'OUT'! CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE LCL WX PATTERNS AND ENVIRONMENT, UNCERTAINTY ABOUT MY FUEL STATUS, AND CONFUSION IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH CASPER FSS ABOUT MY LOCATION AND THE DIRECTION OF THE STORM'S TRAVEL. I WAS RELUCTANT TO TURN BACK WHEN THE SIT CALLED FOR IT, UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE (LOW FUEL). THE PROPER ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE A PLAN BEFORE I LEFT AS TO WHERE TO GO IF I ENCOUNTERED HAZARDOUS WX OR OTHER EMER ENRTE. IN THIS CASE, THE PLAN WOULD HAVE BEEN TO MAKE A 180 DEG AND GO BACK TO THE LAST ARPT, NO MATTER HOW FAR, WHILE I COULD, INSTEAD OF FLYING 30 NM OFF MY COURSE, FLYING OVER WILDERNESS INSTEAD OF FOLLOWING MY COURSE OVER HWY 20. EPILOGUE: AT THE OWNER'S REQUEST, I HIRED A MORE EXPERIENCED PLT TO FLY THE PLANE OFF THE ROAD TO CASPER. I THEN CONTINUED MY TRIP WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.