Narrative:

I had made an appointment to meet a friend in branson, mo, on the morning of mar/yy/96 at XA30 am, which was to be another great event in my life, because I was to meet a favorite singing group at the friend's residence. The appointment was scheduled as early as jan/xx/96. I was torn between leaving my friend and his family in the hospital or going on to missouri. The friend's wife advised me to continue on the trip and she would keep me posted on his condition. On the morning of mar/xx/96 I was awake at XA30 am. I called the fort worth FSS sometime around XA45 am. The briefer indicated the WX had not improved much during the night but the forecast showed some signs of improvement near XI00. The briefer did advise that a VFR flight was not recommended. The local WX was visually checked by me outside and the area around the irving appeared clear with a few scattered 1000 ft thin clouds. The friend was called in branson, mo, prior to leaving my residence, at which time the WX appeared foggy, but was expected to improve after daybreak, based on the branson local radio stations. I arrived at the airport at XB30 am but was not able to depart until around XC30 am, due to construction on the runway, and the taxiway was only to be used after daybreak. I departed with 50 gallons of fuel on board and was good for 5 1/2 hours flying time. The flight was going well, but I was also listening to flight watch and was hearing other pilots reporting slight icing conditions above 8000 ft and low ceilings to the northeast. This location was around paris, tx, and the time was around XD55 or XE00 am. I still had had over 3/4 tanks of fuel in both wings. At approximately XE45 I was approximately 72 mi on the DME from ft smith when I contacted flight watch and obtained another update on the branson WX. The condition was not improving. I then received more pain from my stomach and it was now obvious, I had a stomach virus -- had eaten something that did not agree with me, or the long hours at the hospital, or not enough rest was catching up with me.I was unsure of the cause but I was concerned about the nausea. I still was not at the point of no return on the fuel. My thought was to turn around and head back to the dallas area. I was telling the center of my change, but I was getting to the point I knew that I could not make dallas without soiling my trousers, my airplane, and my pride. I was now feeling a slight fever and the rumble in my stomach was telling me of my pending fortune. The center asked me if I was instrument rated. I lied, and told them I was. When they gave me the clearance I copied and proceeded on course. I then went to my flight bag for my approach plates and realized I had placed them on the desk at the hangar prior to the flight when planning the flight out. The VFR low charts were in the desk knee plate in the aircraft of which I had used on the flight. I did not declare an emergency because of the horror stories I had heard from pilots who had made them before. I also could not see me explaining away an accident in my trousers as an excuse for an emergency. Hindsight is always better than foresight and if I would do it today, I would have declared one. If I had a choice between the trousers and a fatal accident I would not choose the latter. My stomach was still giving me a problem but had seemed to subside a little. When I told razor back approach I had left my plates elsewhere, I could feel the pressure on them and me. The controller handled my problem with ease, which made me feel comfortable. When I landed I was summoned to the phone by mr. X, prior to my needed trip to the restroom. I don't remember what all was said on the telephone. If he ever asked me if I was ill, I don't remember it. But again, he could have told me he was the pope and I would not have been able to understand him very well at the time. After a long stay in the restroom and a walk around the facility, I called mr. X back. I can assure you I was able to communicate much better. I stayed in town and did not leave until the following evening. I do not have to be told of the dangers I placed myself and others in. I cannot change what happened, but I assure you it will not happen again, if given the chance. I am in the process at this time of making arrangements for a flight school to complete my instrument training and to be updated on other FARS. I would like to say, the controllers have always been my heroes. I know the tension they must have in their lives and I am sorry I had to give them more, but I was glad they were there when I needed them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POOR PLANNING AND POOR JUDGEMENT GOT THE RPTR PLT INTO DETERIORATING WX WITHOUT AN INST RATING. RPTR LIED TO MAKE AN APCH AND THEN DIDN'T HAVE THE PLATES. ENTIRE RPT IS GREATLY SUSPECT.

Narrative: I HAD MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO MEET A FRIEND IN BRANSON, MO, ON THE MORNING OF MAR/YY/96 AT XA30 AM, WHICH WAS TO BE ANOTHER GREAT EVENT IN MY LIFE, BECAUSE I WAS TO MEET A FAVORITE SINGING GROUP AT THE FRIEND'S RESIDENCE. THE APPOINTMENT WAS SCHEDULED AS EARLY AS JAN/XX/96. I WAS TORN BTWN LEAVING MY FRIEND AND HIS FAMILY IN THE HOSPITAL OR GOING ON TO MISSOURI. THE FRIEND'S WIFE ADVISED ME TO CONTINUE ON THE TRIP AND SHE WOULD KEEP ME POSTED ON HIS CONDITION. ON THE MORNING OF MAR/XX/96 I WAS AWAKE AT XA30 AM. I CALLED THE FORT WORTH FSS SOMETIME AROUND XA45 AM. THE BRIEFER INDICATED THE WX HAD NOT IMPROVED MUCH DURING THE NIGHT BUT THE FORECAST SHOWED SOME SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT NEAR XI00. THE BRIEFER DID ADVISE THAT A VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. THE LCL WX WAS VISUALLY CHKED BY ME OUTSIDE AND THE AREA AROUND THE IRVING APPEARED CLR WITH A FEW SCATTERED 1000 FT THIN CLOUDS. THE FRIEND WAS CALLED IN BRANSON, MO, PRIOR TO LEAVING MY RESIDENCE, AT WHICH TIME THE WX APPEARED FOGGY, BUT WAS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE AFTER DAYBREAK, BASED ON THE BRANSON LCL RADIO STATIONS. I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT AT XB30 AM BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO DEPART UNTIL AROUND XC30 AM, DUE TO CONSTRUCTION ON THE RWY, AND THE TXWY WAS ONLY TO BE USED AFTER DAYBREAK. I DEPARTED WITH 50 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD AND WAS GOOD FOR 5 1/2 HRS FLYING TIME. THE FLT WAS GOING WELL, BUT I WAS ALSO LISTENING TO FLT WATCH AND WAS HEARING OTHER PLTS RPTING SLIGHT ICING CONDITIONS ABOVE 8000 FT AND LOW CEILINGS TO THE NE. THIS LOCATION WAS AROUND PARIS, TX, AND THE TIME WAS AROUND XD55 OR XE00 AM. I STILL HAD HAD OVER 3/4 TANKS OF FUEL IN BOTH WINGS. AT APPROX XE45 I WAS APPROX 72 MI ON THE DME FROM FT SMITH WHEN I CONTACTED FLT WATCH AND OBTAINED ANOTHER UPDATE ON THE BRANSON WX. THE CONDITION WAS NOT IMPROVING. I THEN RECEIVED MORE PAIN FROM MY STOMACH AND IT WAS NOW OBVIOUS, I HAD A STOMACH VIRUS -- HAD EATEN SOMETHING THAT DID NOT AGREE WITH ME, OR THE LONG HRS AT THE HOSPITAL, OR NOT ENOUGH REST WAS CATCHING UP WITH ME.I WAS UNSURE OF THE CAUSE BUT I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE NAUSEA. I STILL WAS NOT AT THE POINT OF NO RETURN ON THE FUEL. MY THOUGHT WAS TO TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK TO THE DALLAS AREA. I WAS TELLING THE CTR OF MY CHANGE, BUT I WAS GETTING TO THE POINT I KNEW THAT I COULD NOT MAKE DALLAS WITHOUT SOILING MY TROUSERS, MY AIRPLANE, AND MY PRIDE. I WAS NOW FEELING A SLIGHT FEVER AND THE RUMBLE IN MY STOMACH WAS TELLING ME OF MY PENDING FORTUNE. THE CTR ASKED ME IF I WAS INST RATED. I LIED, AND TOLD THEM I WAS. WHEN THEY GAVE ME THE CLRNC I COPIED AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE. I THEN WENT TO MY FLT BAG FOR MY APCH PLATES AND REALIZED I HAD PLACED THEM ON THE DESK AT THE HANGAR PRIOR TO THE FLT WHEN PLANNING THE FLT OUT. THE VFR LOW CHARTS WERE IN THE DESK KNEE PLATE IN THE ACFT OF WHICH I HAD USED ON THE FLT. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER BECAUSE OF THE HORROR STORIES I HAD HEARD FROM PLTS WHO HAD MADE THEM BEFORE. I ALSO COULD NOT SEE ME EXPLAINING AWAY AN ACCIDENT IN MY TROUSERS AS AN EXCUSE FOR AN EMER. HINDSIGHT IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN FORESIGHT AND IF I WOULD DO IT TODAY, I WOULD HAVE DECLARED ONE. IF I HAD A CHOICE BTWN THE TROUSERS AND A FATAL ACCIDENT I WOULD NOT CHOOSE THE LATTER. MY STOMACH WAS STILL GIVING ME A PROB BUT HAD SEEMED TO SUBSIDE A LITTLE. WHEN I TOLD RAZOR BACK APCH I HAD LEFT MY PLATES ELSEWHERE, I COULD FEEL THE PRESSURE ON THEM AND ME. THE CTLR HANDLED MY PROB WITH EASE, WHICH MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE. WHEN I LANDED I WAS SUMMONED TO THE PHONE BY MR. X, PRIOR TO MY NEEDED TRIP TO THE RESTROOM. I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT ALL WAS SAID ON THE TELEPHONE. IF HE EVER ASKED ME IF I WAS ILL, I DON'T REMEMBER IT. BUT AGAIN, HE COULD HAVE TOLD ME HE WAS THE POPE AND I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO UNDERSTAND HIM VERY WELL AT THE TIME. AFTER A LONG STAY IN THE RESTROOM AND A WALK AROUND THE FACILITY, I CALLED MR. X BACK. I CAN ASSURE YOU I WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE MUCH BETTER. I STAYED IN TOWN AND DID NOT LEAVE UNTIL THE FOLLOWING EVENING. I DO NOT HAVE TO BE TOLD OF THE DANGERS I PLACED MYSELF AND OTHERS IN. I CANNOT CHANGE WHAT HAPPENED, BUT I ASSURE YOU IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN, IF GIVEN THE CHANCE. I AM IN THE PROCESS AT THIS TIME OF MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR A FLT SCHOOL TO COMPLETE MY INST TRAINING AND TO BE UPDATED ON OTHER FARS. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, THE CTLRS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN MY HEROES. I KNOW THE TENSION THEY MUST HAVE IN THEIR LIVES AND I AM SORRY I HAD TO GIVE THEM MORE, BUT I WAS GLAD THEY WERE THERE WHEN I NEEDED THEM.

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.