Narrative:

To gain practice I filed IFR glendale airport, az, to montgomery airport, san diego, ca, a distance of 270 NM. My true airspeed was 120 KTS and the forecast headwind was 30 KTS. With a planned ground speed of 90 KTS the ETA was 3 hours. I had 5 hours of fuel on board and the briefing indicated VMC all the way, scattered clouds and visibility greater than 7 mi. The only hint of a problem was a pilot report of 50 KT headwinds between imperial and san diego. The distance from imperial to san diego is 86 NM. Less than an hour at 90 KTS and an hour and 26 mins at 60 KTS which would equate to a 70 KT headwind with a true airspeed of 120 KTS. But, what I did not figure was I was at full throttle at 8000 ft to get 75 percent power and 120 KTS. I crossed imperial at the expected 2 hours with expectations of getting the remaining 86 mi no problem. The problem was to maintain altitude I had to sacrifice airspeed over the mountains with the mountain wave. In fact I had to sacrifice altitude when I got to my maximum rate of climb speed about 70 KTS. I got a block altitude down to 7000 ft which was MEA for that area. I went south of course for WX with the approval of ATC and when I was ready to return to course was assigned 280 degrees to intercept the 076 degree inbound to mzb. With the winds 290 degrees and 69 KTS and my 280 degree heading at a true airspeed of 70 KTS my ground speed was 13 KTS and my track was 200 degrees. When I could get back to cruise at 120 KTS my track was 260 degrees and my ground speed was 58 KTS. When I got ATIS I learned there was a special 400 overcast and 2 mi rain at montgomery. The socal approach was telling the airliners the flts getting into lindburgh were breaking out at minimums. It took me 2 hours to fly 86 mi. I flew a total of 4 hours and put 42 gals of fuel into the 50 gal tank at montgomery after having to fly an ILS approach to minimums. At 7500 ft the fuel burn charts show 9.7 gals per hour. I was the only one in the airplane so it was not near maximum gross. Due to the headwinds, the downdraft, unavailability of excess power, I was unable to maintain my filed altitude or filed course. I could not go much lower because of the mountainous terrain. My tailwinds are never as strong as my headwinds but if they were I could have made the 86 mi back to imperial from san diego in about 30 mins. I will be much more conscious of my vulnerability to headwinds and mountain waves when flying an aircraft requiring full throttle to maintain the required altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT CONTINUES FLT INTO HEADWINDS, WITH LOW CEILINGS AHEAD, LANDS WITH 2 GALS OF FUEL REMAINING.

Narrative: TO GAIN PRACTICE I FILED IFR GLENDALE ARPT, AZ, TO MONTGOMERY ARPT, SAN DIEGO, CA, A DISTANCE OF 270 NM. MY TRUE AIRSPD WAS 120 KTS AND THE FORECAST HEADWIND WAS 30 KTS. WITH A PLANNED GND SPD OF 90 KTS THE ETA WAS 3 HRS. I HAD 5 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND THE BRIEFING INDICATED VMC ALL THE WAY, SCATTERED CLOUDS AND VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 7 MI. THE ONLY HINT OF A PROB WAS A PLT RPT OF 50 KT HEADWINDS BTWN IMPERIAL AND SAN DIEGO. THE DISTANCE FROM IMPERIAL TO SAN DIEGO IS 86 NM. LESS THAN AN HR AT 90 KTS AND AN HR AND 26 MINS AT 60 KTS WHICH WOULD EQUATE TO A 70 KT HEADWIND WITH A TRUE AIRSPD OF 120 KTS. BUT, WHAT I DID NOT FIGURE WAS I WAS AT FULL THROTTLE AT 8000 FT TO GET 75 PERCENT PWR AND 120 KTS. I CROSSED IMPERIAL AT THE EXPECTED 2 HRS WITH EXPECTATIONS OF GETTING THE REMAINING 86 MI NO PROB. THE PROB WAS TO MAINTAIN ALT I HAD TO SACRIFICE AIRSPD OVER THE MOUNTAINS WITH THE MOUNTAIN WAVE. IN FACT I HAD TO SACRIFICE ALT WHEN I GOT TO MY MAX RATE OF CLB SPD ABOUT 70 KTS. I GOT A BLOCK ALT DOWN TO 7000 FT WHICH WAS MEA FOR THAT AREA. I WENT S OF COURSE FOR WX WITH THE APPROVAL OF ATC AND WHEN I WAS READY TO RETURN TO COURSE WAS ASSIGNED 280 DEGS TO INTERCEPT THE 076 DEG INBOUND TO MZB. WITH THE WINDS 290 DEGS AND 69 KTS AND MY 280 DEG HDG AT A TRUE AIRSPD OF 70 KTS MY GND SPD WAS 13 KTS AND MY TRACK WAS 200 DEGS. WHEN I COULD GET BACK TO CRUISE AT 120 KTS MY TRACK WAS 260 DEGS AND MY GND SPD WAS 58 KTS. WHEN I GOT ATIS I LEARNED THERE WAS A SPECIAL 400 OVCST AND 2 MI RAIN AT MONTGOMERY. THE SOCAL APCH WAS TELLING THE AIRLINERS THE FLTS GETTING INTO LINDBURGH WERE BREAKING OUT AT MINIMUMS. IT TOOK ME 2 HRS TO FLY 86 MI. I FLEW A TOTAL OF 4 HRS AND PUT 42 GALS OF FUEL INTO THE 50 GAL TANK AT MONTGOMERY AFTER HAVING TO FLY AN ILS APCH TO MINIMUMS. AT 7500 FT THE FUEL BURN CHARTS SHOW 9.7 GALS PER HR. I WAS THE ONLY ONE IN THE AIRPLANE SO IT WAS NOT NEAR MAX GROSS. DUE TO THE HEADWINDS, THE DOWNDRAFT, UNAVAILABILITY OF EXCESS PWR, I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN MY FILED ALT OR FILED COURSE. I COULD NOT GO MUCH LOWER BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. MY TAILWINDS ARE NEVER AS STRONG AS MY HEADWINDS BUT IF THEY WERE I COULD HAVE MADE THE 86 MI BACK TO IMPERIAL FROM SAN DIEGO IN ABOUT 30 MINS. I WILL BE MUCH MORE CONSCIOUS OF MY VULNERABILITY TO HEADWINDS AND MOUNTAIN WAVES WHEN FLYING AN ACFT REQUIRING FULL THROTTLE TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED ALT.

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.