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Charter small transport enters IMC on VFR flight plan.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 294222 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199501 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : d87 |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zmp |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 130 flight time total : 8650 flight time type : 200 |
| ASRS Report | 294222 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I departed from an airport in marginal VFR conditions to fly to a destination just 10 mi away. En route I encountered deteriorating conditions of lowering ceilings and reduced visibility in snow squalls. When I saw I could not continue VFR, I executed a 180 degree turn in now IFR conditions back to VFR and back to the airport I had just departed. Some of this occurred in surface based class east airspace. The problem was not as much the flying, but the faulty thought process that led to the decision to make that flight VFR. I had come to the departure airport from a missed approach at another airport. As I descended on the GS and broke out in good VFR conditions I observed how low the WX was to the south and southwest, but how clear it was to the northwest, the direction of my next stop. I could even see the sun reflecting off the bay that the next airport was located near. (The airport I had intended to go to next was northwest of the airport I had missed at. It was southwest of the airport of departure. The sun was reflecting off a lake aobut 12 mi away.) the WX I received from dispatch on the VFR destination was marginal VFR with good visibility. It concurred with what I saw in the context of the faulty perception of where I was going. As soon as I turned on my perceived course after departure, I realized it was the wrong way, but thought I would still be able to go VFR to my destination. After landing and reviewing my flight and the chart, I realized the mental picture of where I was and where I was going was skewed with images of other areas. The RNAV was set to the destination before takeoff and that alerted me to my mistake in direction. But that was not enough to reconcile in my mind where the airport was and where I thought it should be. The area I was actually in was unfamiliar and contained class east airspace and towers. The implications prompted this report. This is the 7TH report I've made since 1986. In reviewing these, I would like to share some observations. The first 4 occurred while I was in corporate aviation over a period of 6 yrs. 1 involved misreading a confusing chart, 2 involved cockpit distrs, the 4TH involved a center procedural change. The next 3 occurred while working with the same aprt 135 operator in a period of just over a yr. All 3 involved fatigue, all were accompanied by similar initial perceptions that I was going the right way when I was not. 5 occurred during the same time of yr. Fatigue, stress, perhaps low blood sugar from not eating, all contributed to the mistakes I made. All seem to be a part of this job. I know what I did wrong, but what will I do next time? The effects of fatigue and stress are sometimes insidious, even when you are aware of them. This also seems to be the most stressful time of yr for me personally and it seems to show in these reports. I had hoped, with recent events in mind, that there would be a restructuring of duty time limits for 135, freight, and commuter operators. That does not appear likely. As for me, I am still looking for a different facet of aviation to get involved in while I still have my health and my certificate.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CHARTER SMT ENTERS IMC ON VFR FLT PLAN.
Narrative: I DEPARTED FROM AN ARPT IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS TO FLY TO A DEST JUST 10 MI AWAY. ENRTE I ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING CONDITIONS OF LOWERING CEILINGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY IN SNOW SQUALLS. WHEN I SAW I COULD NOT CONTINUE VFR, I EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN IN NOW IFR CONDITIONS BACK TO VFR AND BACK TO THE ARPT I HAD JUST DEPARTED. SOME OF THIS OCCURRED IN SURFACE BASED CLASS E AIRSPACE. THE PROB WAS NOT AS MUCH THE FLYING, BUT THE FAULTY THOUGHT PROCESS THAT LED TO THE DECISION TO MAKE THAT FLT VFR. I HAD COME TO THE DEP ARPT FROM A MISSED APCH AT ANOTHER ARPT. AS I DSNDED ON THE GS AND BROKE OUT IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS I OBSERVED HOW LOW THE WX WAS TO THE S AND SW, BUT HOW CLR IT WAS TO THE NW, THE DIRECTION OF MY NEXT STOP. I COULD EVEN SEE THE SUN REFLECTING OFF THE BAY THAT THE NEXT ARPT WAS LOCATED NEAR. (THE ARPT I HAD INTENDED TO GO TO NEXT WAS NW OF THE ARPT I HAD MISSED AT. IT WAS SW OF THE ARPT OF DEP. THE SUN WAS REFLECTING OFF A LAKE AOBUT 12 MI AWAY.) THE WX I RECEIVED FROM DISPATCH ON THE VFR DEST WAS MARGINAL VFR WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. IT CONCURRED WITH WHAT I SAW IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FAULTY PERCEPTION OF WHERE I WAS GOING. AS SOON AS I TURNED ON MY PERCEIVED COURSE AFTER DEP, I REALIZED IT WAS THE WRONG WAY, BUT THOUGHT I WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO GO VFR TO MY DEST. AFTER LNDG AND REVIEWING MY FLT AND THE CHART, I REALIZED THE MENTAL PICTURE OF WHERE I WAS AND WHERE I WAS GOING WAS SKEWED WITH IMAGES OF OTHER AREAS. THE RNAV WAS SET TO THE DEST BEFORE TKOF AND THAT ALERTED ME TO MY MISTAKE IN DIRECTION. BUT THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH TO RECONCILE IN MY MIND WHERE THE ARPT WAS AND WHERE I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE. THE AREA I WAS ACTUALLY IN WAS UNFAMILIAR AND CONTAINED CLASS E AIRSPACE AND TWRS. THE IMPLICATIONS PROMPTED THIS RPT. THIS IS THE 7TH RPT I'VE MADE SINCE 1986. IN REVIEWING THESE, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE SOME OBSERVATIONS. THE FIRST 4 OCCURRED WHILE I WAS IN CORPORATE AVIATION OVER A PERIOD OF 6 YRS. 1 INVOLVED MISREADING A CONFUSING CHART, 2 INVOLVED COCKPIT DISTRS, THE 4TH INVOLVED A CTR PROCEDURAL CHANGE. THE NEXT 3 OCCURRED WHILE WORKING WITH THE SAME APRT 135 OPERATOR IN A PERIOD OF JUST OVER A YR. ALL 3 INVOLVED FATIGUE, ALL WERE ACCOMPANIED BY SIMILAR INITIAL PERCEPTIONS THAT I WAS GOING THE RIGHT WAY WHEN I WAS NOT. 5 OCCURRED DURING THE SAME TIME OF YR. FATIGUE, STRESS, PERHAPS LOW BLOOD SUGAR FROM NOT EATING, ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE MISTAKES I MADE. ALL SEEM TO BE A PART OF THIS JOB. I KNOW WHAT I DID WRONG, BUT WHAT WILL I DO NEXT TIME? THE EFFECTS OF FATIGUE AND STRESS ARE SOMETIMES INSIDIOUS, EVEN WHEN YOU ARE AWARE OF THEM. THIS ALSO SEEMS TO BE THE MOST STRESSFUL TIME OF YR FOR ME PERSONALLY AND IT SEEMS TO SHOW IN THESE RPTS. I HAD HOPED, WITH RECENT EVENTS IN MIND, THAT THERE WOULD BE A RESTRUCTURING OF DUTY TIME LIMITS FOR 135, FREIGHT, AND COMMUTER OPERATORS. THAT DOES NOT APPEAR LIKELY. AS FOR ME, I AM STILL LOOKING FOR A DIFFERENT FACET OF AVIATION TO GET INVOLVED IN WHILE I STILL HAVE MY HEALTH AND MY CERTIFICATE.
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.