Narrative:

I feel as if I should start this. 'It was a dark and stormy night' because it really was. My spouse had flown the trip to mount holly, so as is our custom, it was my turn to fly the return trip home. I called flight service from the FBO at mount holly immediately upon our arrival, since we had anticipated making the round trip in one day. I got a very helpful (too helpful?) FSS briefer on the phone. I gave him our location and destination and asked for a briefing. He asked if I was going to file a flight plan. I said I wanted to check the WX first. After a few questions on his part, it became apparent that he was filling in a flight plan form as we talked. I thought, 'oh, well, if we don't use it, it will just go away.' the briefer proceeded to tell me that he would advise a northerly route, inasmuch as there was a line of thunderstorms and tornadoes, with 70 mi an hour winds and large hail, from cleveland south to marietta. The rest of the briefing consisted of icing, imbedded thunderstorms, freezing levels at altitudes that we would be using, windshear, low ceilings, and the possibility of being unable to make an approach at lansing because it was predicted to be below minimums. I let the briefer continue to fill out the flight plan. As he talked, I reminded myself to get a frequency to activate the flight plan upon departure, but he kept talking and I forgot what my question had been. I shared my newfound WX knowledge and the fact that the briefer had filed a flight plan for us with my husband. He said we'd get a sandwich and head out. I expected an argument. He never goes in WX like this. I assumed his mindset was to make the trip in one day, and, since I had filed a flight plan, he assumed I would want to go 'take a look.' with that in mind he thought that we'd get started and land if things got out of hand. (Information he did not share with me.) we did head out, without activating the flight plan or getting a void time. I called the philadelphia frequency we had used on the way in and asked for the frequency needed to activate my flight plan. I stepped on the controller's reply and he was too busy to care that I hadn't responded. He did give us a squawk and identify, and sometime later acknowledged our presence in his airspace. He did not have a flight plan for us, he did not know where we were going, and he was very irritated that we were a problem for him at rush hour in the busy airspace of philadelphia. The controller asked us how we were navigating to our announced destination. I answered, 'by our gyrocompass.' bad choice of terms. I thought he needed simple terms, he thought I was an ignorant low-time pilot. About this time, my spouse was looking at the sectional. He could recognize nothing. Then he happened to glance at the magnetic compass. The directional gyroscope (actually an HSI) was reading 330 degrees. The magnetic compass was reading 120 degrees. I immediately recycled the slave of the HSI and the compass began to swing. Sometime during this revelation, we were told we were in atlantic city airspace and to contact the atlantic city controller. He wasn't too happy with us either, but he was much nicer. I'm embarrassed for being less than professional and I'm humiliated that I am a pain in the rear to these controllers who have enough to worry about. I asked the controller if we could change heading and return northwest and he cleared us to do that. Then I was handed off to philadelphia again and a female controller with a short temper. I misheard a frequency when she handed me off (and repeated it back to her) and was unable to contact the next controller. When I went back to her to confirm the frequency she got really testy and said it very slow and made me repeat it back twice. Anyway when I got to the next controller I asked to change frequency to refile a flight plan (since the earlier one was no where near where I was) and was cleared to contact flight service, told to remain VFR, and call when I was back on frequency. In the interim, I told my spouse to find a VOR in our near vicinity that we could use to file from and to hurry, since we were fast approaching IFR WX. None of this worked out. The flight service briefer talked and talked and talked and, my spouse likes to hear WX, so he wasn't concerned, but I was now doing 360 degree turns in order to stay VFR while he found out what the WX was doing 500 mi away. Finally, he had the flight plan filed and the briefer ran out of perilous things to relate. Then I attempted to recontact harrisburg approach. Ha! I tried 3 or 4 times, with no response. Then an aircraft relayed a message to us from harrisburg to try another frequency, I tried that one, too, with no response. At this point I am becoming one of those stories about the WX closing in from all sides with nowhere to go. I informed my spouse that I was turning around. He tried to get me to go somewhere else, but I finally took control of my flight and said I was going back where we came from because I knew where there was an airport back there. Within a very short time, he said, 'there's lancaster.' (the sectional was again a big help). My spouse got a tower frequency, called the tower and gave our position, and we were cleared to land. Yes!!! Considering the previous 1 hour and 15 mins of chaos, I made a great landing. Of course, the ground controller had a message for me to call harrisburg tower. I expected the worst. I don't know what they wrote up (if anything), but the man I talked to simply said they were worried about me because I had dropped off their radar screen. I gave my explanation about not being able to hear them and the 180 degree and landing at lancaster. We spent an uneventful evening in lancaster and returned home the next day, with new icing reports, turbulence, imbedded thunderstorms, and clouds. The difference was it was daylight, we had an activated flight plan, and I checked the HSI before we left the ground. I learned that when I am PIC, I need to be responsible for go/no go decisions. If I had exercised my command, we would have spent the night in mount holly. We both learned that we should communication better about our options. Each of us assumed what the other was thinking, but never asked to make sure. I should never attempt to activate a flight plan or takeoff withoutknowing the procedure for the airport from which I am departing, especially in the very crowded, very busy, northeast. I also learned that, despite 15 yrs of accuracy, I should never trust the instruments, in this case the HSI, to be performing correctly, and should always check them before takeoff.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENCOUNTERS WX PROBS ALONG WITH MALFUNCTIONING HSI, DIVERTS TO LAND.

Narrative: I FEEL AS IF I SHOULD START THIS. 'IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT' BECAUSE IT REALLY WAS. MY SPOUSE HAD FLOWN THE TRIP TO MOUNT HOLLY, SO AS IS OUR CUSTOM, IT WAS MY TURN TO FLY THE RETURN TRIP HOME. I CALLED FLT SVC FROM THE FBO AT MOUNT HOLLY IMMEDIATELY UPON OUR ARR, SINCE WE HAD ANTICIPATED MAKING THE ROUND TRIP IN ONE DAY. I GOT A VERY HELPFUL (TOO HELPFUL?) FSS BRIEFER ON THE PHONE. I GAVE HIM OUR LOCATION AND DEST AND ASKED FOR A BRIEFING. HE ASKED IF I WAS GOING TO FILE A FLT PLAN. I SAID I WANTED TO CHK THE WX FIRST. AFTER A FEW QUESTIONS ON HIS PART, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT HE WAS FILLING IN A FLT PLAN FORM AS WE TALKED. I THOUGHT, 'OH, WELL, IF WE DON'T USE IT, IT WILL JUST GO AWAY.' THE BRIEFER PROCEEDED TO TELL ME THAT HE WOULD ADVISE A NORTHERLY RTE, INASMUCH AS THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS AND TORNADOES, WITH 70 MI AN HR WINDS AND LARGE HAIL, FROM CLEVELAND S TO MARIETTA. THE REST OF THE BRIEFING CONSISTED OF ICING, IMBEDDED TSTMS, FREEZING LEVELS AT ALTS THAT WE WOULD BE USING, WINDSHEAR, LOW CEILINGS, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF BEING UNABLE TO MAKE AN APCH AT LANSING BECAUSE IT WAS PREDICTED TO BE BELOW MINIMUMS. I LET THE BRIEFER CONTINUE TO FILL OUT THE FLT PLAN. AS HE TALKED, I REMINDED MYSELF TO GET A FREQ TO ACTIVATE THE FLT PLAN UPON DEP, BUT HE KEPT TALKING AND I FORGOT WHAT MY QUESTION HAD BEEN. I SHARED MY NEWFOUND WX KNOWLEDGE AND THE FACT THAT THE BRIEFER HAD FILED A FLT PLAN FOR US WITH MY HUSBAND. HE SAID WE'D GET A SANDWICH AND HEAD OUT. I EXPECTED AN ARGUMENT. HE NEVER GOES IN WX LIKE THIS. I ASSUMED HIS MINDSET WAS TO MAKE THE TRIP IN ONE DAY, AND, SINCE I HAD FILED A FLT PLAN, HE ASSUMED I WOULD WANT TO GO 'TAKE A LOOK.' WITH THAT IN MIND HE THOUGHT THAT WE'D GET STARTED AND LAND IF THINGS GOT OUT OF HAND. (INFO HE DID NOT SHARE WITH ME.) WE DID HEAD OUT, WITHOUT ACTIVATING THE FLT PLAN OR GETTING A VOID TIME. I CALLED THE PHILADELPHIA FREQ WE HAD USED ON THE WAY IN AND ASKED FOR THE FREQ NEEDED TO ACTIVATE MY FLT PLAN. I STEPPED ON THE CTLR'S REPLY AND HE WAS TOO BUSY TO CARE THAT I HADN'T RESPONDED. HE DID GIVE US A SQUAWK AND IDENT, AND SOMETIME LATER ACKNOWLEDGED OUR PRESENCE IN HIS AIRSPACE. HE DID NOT HAVE A FLT PLAN FOR US, HE DID NOT KNOW WHERE WE WERE GOING, AND HE WAS VERY IRRITATED THAT WE WERE A PROB FOR HIM AT RUSH HR IN THE BUSY AIRSPACE OF PHILADELPHIA. THE CTLR ASKED US HOW WE WERE NAVING TO OUR ANNOUNCED DEST. I ANSWERED, 'BY OUR GYROCOMPASS.' BAD CHOICE OF TERMS. I THOUGHT HE NEEDED SIMPLE TERMS, HE THOUGHT I WAS AN IGNORANT LOW-TIME PLT. ABOUT THIS TIME, MY SPOUSE WAS LOOKING AT THE SECTIONAL. HE COULD RECOGNIZE NOTHING. THEN HE HAPPENED TO GLANCE AT THE MAGNETIC COMPASS. THE DIRECTIONAL GYROSCOPE (ACTUALLY AN HSI) WAS READING 330 DEGS. THE MAGNETIC COMPASS WAS READING 120 DEGS. I IMMEDIATELY RECYCLED THE SLAVE OF THE HSI AND THE COMPASS BEGAN TO SWING. SOMETIME DURING THIS REVELATION, WE WERE TOLD WE WERE IN ATLANTIC CITY AIRSPACE AND TO CONTACT THE ATLANTIC CITY CTLR. HE WASN'T TOO HAPPY WITH US EITHER, BUT HE WAS MUCH NICER. I'M EMBARRASSED FOR BEING LESS THAN PROFESSIONAL AND I'M HUMILIATED THAT I AM A PAIN IN THE REAR TO THESE CTLRS WHO HAVE ENOUGH TO WORRY ABOUT. I ASKED THE CTLR IF WE COULD CHANGE HDG AND RETURN NW AND HE CLRED US TO DO THAT. THEN I WAS HANDED OFF TO PHILADELPHIA AGAIN AND A FEMALE CTLR WITH A SHORT TEMPER. I MISHEARD A FREQ WHEN SHE HANDED ME OFF (AND REPEATED IT BACK TO HER) AND WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THE NEXT CTLR. WHEN I WENT BACK TO HER TO CONFIRM THE FREQ SHE GOT REALLY TESTY AND SAID IT VERY SLOW AND MADE ME REPEAT IT BACK TWICE. ANYWAY WHEN I GOT TO THE NEXT CTLR I ASKED TO CHANGE FREQ TO REFILE A FLT PLAN (SINCE THE EARLIER ONE WAS NO WHERE NEAR WHERE I WAS) AND WAS CLRED TO CONTACT FLT SVC, TOLD TO REMAIN VFR, AND CALL WHEN I WAS BACK ON FREQ. IN THE INTERIM, I TOLD MY SPOUSE TO FIND A VOR IN OUR NEAR VICINITY THAT WE COULD USE TO FILE FROM AND TO HURRY, SINCE WE WERE FAST APCHING IFR WX. NONE OF THIS WORKED OUT. THE FLT SVC BRIEFER TALKED AND TALKED AND TALKED AND, MY SPOUSE LIKES TO HEAR WX, SO HE WASN'T CONCERNED, BUT I WAS NOW DOING 360 DEG TURNS IN ORDER TO STAY VFR WHILE HE FOUND OUT WHAT THE WX WAS DOING 500 MI AWAY. FINALLY, HE HAD THE FLT PLAN FILED AND THE BRIEFER RAN OUT OF PERILOUS THINGS TO RELATE. THEN I ATTEMPTED TO RECONTACT HARRISBURG APCH. HA! I TRIED 3 OR 4 TIMES, WITH NO RESPONSE. THEN AN ACFT RELAYED A MESSAGE TO US FROM HARRISBURG TO TRY ANOTHER FREQ, I TRIED THAT ONE, TOO, WITH NO RESPONSE. AT THIS POINT I AM BECOMING ONE OF THOSE STORIES ABOUT THE WX CLOSING IN FROM ALL SIDES WITH NOWHERE TO GO. I INFORMED MY SPOUSE THAT I WAS TURNING AROUND. HE TRIED TO GET ME TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, BUT I FINALLY TOOK CTL OF MY FLT AND SAID I WAS GOING BACK WHERE WE CAME FROM BECAUSE I KNEW WHERE THERE WAS AN ARPT BACK THERE. WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME, HE SAID, 'THERE'S LANCASTER.' (THE SECTIONAL WAS AGAIN A BIG HELP). MY SPOUSE GOT A TWR FREQ, CALLED THE TWR AND GAVE OUR POS, AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. YES!!! CONSIDERING THE PREVIOUS 1 HR AND 15 MINS OF CHAOS, I MADE A GREAT LNDG. OF COURSE, THE GND CTLR HAD A MESSAGE FOR ME TO CALL HARRISBURG TWR. I EXPECTED THE WORST. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY WROTE UP (IF ANYTHING), BUT THE MAN I TALKED TO SIMPLY SAID THEY WERE WORRIED ABOUT ME BECAUSE I HAD DROPPED OFF THEIR RADAR SCREEN. I GAVE MY EXPLANATION ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO HEAR THEM AND THE 180 DEG AND LNDG AT LANCASTER. WE SPENT AN UNEVENTFUL EVENING IN LANCASTER AND RETURNED HOME THE NEXT DAY, WITH NEW ICING RPTS, TURB, IMBEDDED TSTMS, AND CLOUDS. THE DIFFERENCE WAS IT WAS DAYLIGHT, WE HAD AN ACTIVATED FLT PLAN, AND I CHKED THE HSI BEFORE WE LEFT THE GND. I LEARNED THAT WHEN I AM PIC, I NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR GO/NO GO DECISIONS. IF I HAD EXERCISED MY COMMAND, WE WOULD HAVE SPENT THE NIGHT IN MOUNT HOLLY. WE BOTH LEARNED THAT WE SHOULD COM BETTER ABOUT OUR OPTIONS. EACH OF US ASSUMED WHAT THE OTHER WAS THINKING, BUT NEVER ASKED TO MAKE SURE. I SHOULD NEVER ATTEMPT TO ACTIVATE A FLT PLAN OR TKOF WITHOUTKNOWING THE PROC FOR THE ARPT FROM WHICH I AM DEPARTING, ESPECIALLY IN THE VERY CROWDED, VERY BUSY, NE. I ALSO LEARNED THAT, DESPITE 15 YRS OF ACCURACY, I SHOULD NEVER TRUST THE INSTS, IN THIS CASE THE HSI, TO BE PERFORMING CORRECTLY, AND SHOULD ALWAYS CHK THEM BEFORE TKOF.

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.