Pilot of PA28-140 encounters headwinds and dust storms and unable to continue to destination. Attemp...

Attributes
ACN	361590
Time
Date	199702
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ipl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 3960 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	361590
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cross country from phx to see. Passed ipl airport VFR en route to see. Unable to reach san diego area due to 80+ KT headwinds, diverted to L08. Unable to see borrego due to unexpected dust storm. Diverted to ipl. Ipl was also covered by a dust storm and I was unable to see. With no airfields in sight, low fuel from diversions, low visibility and night coming on, I made a precautionary landing on a berm between 2 corn fields. No damage. Departure next day without incident. I would like some warning about desert dust storms on the WX briefing or on 122.0. I had a GPS and was familiar with the territory. This was a new one on me to see the obscurations localized at airports I wanted to land at. The storm only lasted about an hour but that was enough. Sometimes it's necessary to make precautionary lndgs. Too bad the FAA doesn't recognize this. They have a tendency to find something to hang a pilot for, even when he did the right thing. I certainly felt the pressure to press on to an airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF PA28-140 ENCOUNTERS HEADWINDS AND DUST STORMS AND UNABLE TO CONTINUE TO DEST. ATTEMPTING TO DIVERT, HE DETERMINES THE NEARBY ARPTS ARE INACCESSIBLE DUE TO THE DUST STORMS. OFF ARPT LNDG. DEPARTS THE NEXT MORNING.

Narrative: XCOUNTRY FROM PHX TO SEE. PASSED IPL ARPT VFR ENRTE TO SEE. UNABLE TO REACH SAN DIEGO AREA DUE TO 80+ KT HEADWINDS, DIVERTED TO L08. UNABLE TO SEE BORREGO DUE TO UNEXPECTED DUST STORM. DIVERTED TO IPL. IPL WAS ALSO COVERED BY A DUST STORM AND I WAS UNABLE TO SEE. WITH NO AIRFIELDS IN SIGHT, LOW FUEL FROM DIVERSIONS, LOW VISIBILITY AND NIGHT COMING ON, I MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A BERM BTWN 2 CORN FIELDS. NO DAMAGE. DEP NEXT DAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WOULD LIKE SOME WARNING ABOUT DESERT DUST STORMS ON THE WX BRIEFING OR ON 122.0. I HAD A GPS AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE TERRITORY. THIS WAS A NEW ONE ON ME TO SEE THE OBSCURATIONS LOCALIZED AT ARPTS I WANTED TO LAND AT. THE STORM ONLY LASTED ABOUT AN HR BUT THAT WAS ENOUGH. SOMETIMES IT'S NECESSARY TO MAKE PRECAUTIONARY LNDGS. TOO BAD THE FAA DOESN'T RECOGNIZE THIS. THEY HAVE A TENDENCY TO FIND SOMETHING TO HANG A PLT FOR, EVEN WHEN HE DID THE RIGHT THING. I CERTAINLY FELT THE PRESSURE TO PRESS ON TO AN ARPT.

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.

Pilot of PA28-140 encounters headwinds and dust storms and unable to continue to destination. Attempting to divert, he determines the nearby airports are inaccessible due to the dust storms. Off airport landing. Departs the next morning.