Narrative:

Jan/wed/97 morning I watched the WX channel and saw that bad WX was coming in from the west. After calling flight service, I felt that if I left by XC00 I could be ahead of the storm. My only concern was going over top of clouds in northern florida and georgia. I departed marathon, fl, at XA30 am and refueled in central florida to make sure I had adequate fuel to get past the clouds or enough to return to central florida. I had gathered from the WX channel and flight service that once in the carolina's I would be past all the clouds and home free. Flight service had indicated that the cloud tops would be 12000 ft near the coast line. I stayed inland from the coast, but the cloud tops got higher and higher. After going to 13500 ft, I could see that the cloud tops were much higher than I cared to fly. I also noticed that I was on the carolina line, so I tried flying west for a while hoping to see lower clouds and land beneath me. Flying west into the wind was so slow that I now had thoughts of turning around and going back to florida. I circled a few mins to see if I had missed anything. I called flight service and explained that I was on top of the clouds and needed help. I was hoping to hear of a way to get past the clouds and continue my trip north. The worst thing I thought I might hear was that I might have to fly back to florida. They asked me my altitude and fuel on board. I was descending through 12000 ft and had 2 hours of fuel. They had me looking for a hole to get through and told me to stay VFR but not to waste any time getting down if I saw a hole. Approximately 30 mins later my situation was declared an emergency. I had been VFR and was able to stay VFR throughout the whole episode. I did not know I was in trouble until I called for help. I thought I would be asking for a little help, unaware of how serious the situation was. This was only the second time I had ever flown on top of clouds and the previous time was for a short period of time. I have only had my license 4 months and apparently have a lot to learn about WX. What had looked so good earlier on the WX channel was not what I was expecting at the carolina line. I am very thankful that we have someone to call when we have a question or problem in the air. During the next 2 days in statesboro waiting for the WX to get better, I took some ground school instruction. The manager of the statesboro airport gave me 3 hours of instruction in WX analysis and decision making, use of duats for briefing and flight planning. Now that I am home, I am starting on my instrument license. This incident has made me aware of how important it is to know the WX and if caught in it, how important an instrument license would be.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PVT PLT ELECTED TO FLY ON TOP BASED ON FORECAST. ENCOUNTERED HIGHER AND HIGHER TOPS AND FOUND IT NECESSARY TO DECLARE EMER FOR ASSISTANCE IN FINDING A VFR ARPT. LANDED AND GOT INSTRUCTION ON WX WHILE WAITING FOR IMPROVEMENT.

Narrative: JAN/WED/97 MORNING I WATCHED THE WX CHANNEL AND SAW THAT BAD WX WAS COMING IN FROM THE W. AFTER CALLING FLT SVC, I FELT THAT IF I LEFT BY XC00 I COULD BE AHEAD OF THE STORM. MY ONLY CONCERN WAS GOING OVER TOP OF CLOUDS IN NORTHERN FLORIDA AND GEORGIA. I DEPARTED MARATHON, FL, AT XA30 AM AND REFUELED IN CENTRAL FLORIDA TO MAKE SURE I HAD ADEQUATE FUEL TO GET PAST THE CLOUDS OR ENOUGH TO RETURN TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. I HAD GATHERED FROM THE WX CHANNEL AND FLT SVC THAT ONCE IN THE CAROLINA'S I WOULD BE PAST ALL THE CLOUDS AND HOME FREE. FLT SVC HAD INDICATED THAT THE CLOUD TOPS WOULD BE 12000 FT NEAR THE COAST LINE. I STAYED INLAND FROM THE COAST, BUT THE CLOUD TOPS GOT HIGHER AND HIGHER. AFTER GOING TO 13500 FT, I COULD SEE THAT THE CLOUD TOPS WERE MUCH HIGHER THAN I CARED TO FLY. I ALSO NOTICED THAT I WAS ON THE CAROLINA LINE, SO I TRIED FLYING W FOR A WHILE HOPING TO SEE LOWER CLOUDS AND LAND BENEATH ME. FLYING W INTO THE WIND WAS SO SLOW THAT I NOW HAD THOUGHTS OF TURNING AROUND AND GOING BACK TO FLORIDA. I CIRCLED A FEW MINS TO SEE IF I HAD MISSED ANYTHING. I CALLED FLT SVC AND EXPLAINED THAT I WAS ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS AND NEEDED HELP. I WAS HOPING TO HEAR OF A WAY TO GET PAST THE CLOUDS AND CONTINUE MY TRIP N. THE WORST THING I THOUGHT I MIGHT HEAR WAS THAT I MIGHT HAVE TO FLY BACK TO FLORIDA. THEY ASKED ME MY ALT AND FUEL ON BOARD. I WAS DSNDING THROUGH 12000 FT AND HAD 2 HRS OF FUEL. THEY HAD ME LOOKING FOR A HOLE TO GET THROUGH AND TOLD ME TO STAY VFR BUT NOT TO WASTE ANY TIME GETTING DOWN IF I SAW A HOLE. APPROX 30 MINS LATER MY SIT WAS DECLARED AN EMER. I HAD BEEN VFR AND WAS ABLE TO STAY VFR THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE EPISODE. I DID NOT KNOW I WAS IN TROUBLE UNTIL I CALLED FOR HELP. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ASKING FOR A LITTLE HELP, UNAWARE OF HOW SERIOUS THE SIT WAS. THIS WAS ONLY THE SECOND TIME I HAD EVER FLOWN ON TOP OF CLOUDS AND THE PREVIOUS TIME WAS FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE ONLY HAD MY LICENSE 4 MONTHS AND APPARENTLY HAVE A LOT TO LEARN ABOUT WX. WHAT HAD LOOKED SO GOOD EARLIER ON THE WX CHANNEL WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING AT THE CAROLINA LINE. I AM VERY THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE TO CALL WHEN WE HAVE A QUESTION OR PROB IN THE AIR. DURING THE NEXT 2 DAYS IN STATESBORO WAITING FOR THE WX TO GET BETTER, I TOOK SOME GND SCHOOL INSTRUCTION. THE MGR OF THE STATESBORO ARPT GAVE ME 3 HRS OF INSTRUCTION IN WX ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING, USE OF DUATS FOR BRIEFING AND FLT PLANNING. NOW THAT I AM HOME, I AM STARTING ON MY INST LICENSE. THIS INCIDENT HAS MADE ME AWARE OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO KNOW THE WX AND IF CAUGHT IN IT, HOW IMPORTANT AN INST LICENSE WOULD BE.

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.