Pilot in PA30 operates IMC in VFR flight during ferry flight. Proximity of obstruction.

Attributes
ACN	361629
Time
Date	199702
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ink
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-30 Twin Comanche
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 4300 flight time type : 2
ASRS Report	361629
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger observation : observer
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

The morning of feb/xx/97 WX had changed to IFR conditions up through albuquerque, however, the route west through el paso was reported VFR with isolated rain showers. Ceilings at odessa were reported at 2100 ft AGL and improving along the route to broken to overcast of 4500 ft AGL by salt flat and clear at el paso. Not wanting to fly an unfamiliar plane IFR, I chose the latter route through el paso using flight following in lieu of a flight plan. The departure out of odessa was uneventful with adequate ceilings to maintain level cruise at 4500 ft MSL with a 1500 ft cloud base separation. 30 mi west of wink VOR on V94, the ceilings lowered to 1500 ft AGL so we descended to 4000 ft MSL, 1000 ft AGL, lost contact with flight following, and shortly thereafter encountered snow obscuring forward vision, leaving only vertical vision to the ground. At this low altitude the VOR needles began scalloping and indicating unreliable navigation information. Along the route we passed several tall antenna, thus a decision to turn around at the low altitude AGL did not seem prudent. Called ZAB for IFR clearance, climbed en route to 10000 ft MSL and picked up ice during climb and upon leveling out in IMC conditions. Broke out on top at 10000 ft but chose to climb to 10600 to maintain clear of clouds on top. Out of the icing conditions. During this period the pilot side push-to-talk quit operations and was unable to communicate during this brief period. Inserted hand-held microphone into microphone jack and was able to transmit weak and broken, but enough to request 12000 ft to maintain clear of clouds on top. Eventually discovered using copilot push-to-talk worked best. Rest of the flight was uneventful. Solution? Better WX information along rtes of flight. Since WX is hard to anticipate and forecast I don't have any real solutions. Even if I had filed a flight plan the situation and procedures would still have been the same.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN PA30 OPERATES IMC IN VFR FLT DURING FERRY FLT. PROX OF OBSTRUCTION.

Narrative: THE MORNING OF FEB/XX/97 WX HAD CHANGED TO IFR CONDITIONS UP THROUGH ALBUQUERQUE, HOWEVER, THE RTE W THROUGH EL PASO WAS RPTED VFR WITH ISOLATED RAIN SHOWERS. CEILINGS AT ODESSA WERE RPTED AT 2100 FT AGL AND IMPROVING ALONG THE RTE TO BROKEN TO OVCST OF 4500 FT AGL BY SALT FLAT AND CLR AT EL PASO. NOT WANTING TO FLY AN UNFAMILIAR PLANE IFR, I CHOSE THE LATTER RTE THROUGH EL PASO USING FLT FOLLOWING IN LIEU OF A FLT PLAN. THE DEP OUT OF ODESSA WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH ADEQUATE CEILINGS TO MAINTAIN LEVEL CRUISE AT 4500 FT MSL WITH A 1500 FT CLOUD BASE SEPARATION. 30 MI W OF WINK VOR ON V94, THE CEILINGS LOWERED TO 1500 FT AGL SO WE DSNDED TO 4000 FT MSL, 1000 FT AGL, LOST CONTACT WITH FLT FOLLOWING, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER ENCOUNTERED SNOW OBSCURING FORWARD VISION, LEAVING ONLY VERT VISION TO THE GND. AT THIS LOW ALT THE VOR NEEDLES BEGAN SCALLOPING AND INDICATING UNRELIABLE NAV INFO. ALONG THE RTE WE PASSED SEVERAL TALL ANTENNA, THUS A DECISION TO TURN AROUND AT THE LOW ALT AGL DID NOT SEEM PRUDENT. CALLED ZAB FOR IFR CLRNC, CLBED ENRTE TO 10000 FT MSL AND PICKED UP ICE DURING CLB AND UPON LEVELING OUT IN IMC CONDITIONS. BROKE OUT ON TOP AT 10000 FT BUT CHOSE TO CLB TO 10600 TO MAINTAIN CLR OF CLOUDS ON TOP. OUT OF THE ICING CONDITIONS. DURING THIS PERIOD THE PLT SIDE PUSH-TO-TALK QUIT OPS AND WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE DURING THIS BRIEF PERIOD. INSERTED HAND-HELD MIKE INTO MIKE JACK AND WAS ABLE TO XMIT WEAK AND BROKEN, BUT ENOUGH TO REQUEST 12000 FT TO MAINTAIN CLR OF CLOUDS ON TOP. EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED USING COPLT PUSH-TO-TALK WORKED BEST. REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. SOLUTION? BETTER WX INFO ALONG RTES OF FLT. SINCE WX IS HARD TO ANTICIPATE AND FORECAST I DON'T HAVE ANY REAL SOLUTIONS. EVEN IF I HAD FILED A FLT PLAN THE SIT AND PROCS WOULD STILL HAVE BEEN THE SAME.

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.