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An instructor and student pilot in a C172 encountered lowering cloud cover that was not reported by tower or previous metar as they took off for some local pattern work. They stayed low and returned for a full stop landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 362310 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199703 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : frg |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 900 msl bound upper : 900 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : frg |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1550 flight time type : 500 |
| ASRS Report | 362310 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was conducting a training lesson at frg airport. The lesson was conducted on mar/xx/97 at XB00Z through XB10Z. The lesson was to entail pattern operations and landing technique. After takeoff and leveling off at 900 ft MSL in the left downwind for runway 19, my student and I encountered scattered clouds at 1100 ft MSL (which was the reason for our leveling off at 900 ft MSL). After we leveled off on the downwind I proceeded to call the tower of our position on the downwind and I also verified the aircraft's distance from the runway. The tower gave me instructions to follow a piper cherokee on the left downwind. Midfield to the downwind the scattered layer became 1000 ft MSL. At this point the tower requested my altitude. My altitude was 900 ft MSL, where I transmitted this information to the tower. The tower advised me that the field would be going IFR. I responded with a request for a full stop landing. The tower granted my request. Due to the piper cherokee had been flying in the air traffic pattern numerous circuits prior to my takeoff I believe the tower controller could have possibly issued a special WX metar indicating the change in cloud altitudes. The change was apparently -800 ft MSL from the time of the reported metar report.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PLT IN A C172 ENCOUNTERED LOWERING CLOUD COVER THAT WAS NOT RPTED BY TWR OR PREVIOUS METAR AS THEY TOOK OFF FOR SOME LCL PATTERN WORK. THEY STAYED LOW AND RETURNED FOR A FULL STOP LNDG.
Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A TRAINING LESSON AT FRG ARPT. THE LESSON WAS CONDUCTED ON MAR/XX/97 AT XB00Z THROUGH XB10Z. THE LESSON WAS TO ENTAIL PATTERN OPS AND LNDG TECHNIQUE. AFTER TKOF AND LEVELING OFF AT 900 FT MSL IN THE L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19, MY STUDENT AND I ENCOUNTERED SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 1100 FT MSL (WHICH WAS THE REASON FOR OUR LEVELING OFF AT 900 FT MSL). AFTER WE LEVELED OFF ON THE DOWNWIND I PROCEEDED TO CALL THE TWR OF OUR POS ON THE DOWNWIND AND I ALSO VERIFIED THE ACFT'S DISTANCE FROM THE RWY. THE TWR GAVE ME INSTRUCTIONS TO FOLLOW A PIPER CHEROKEE ON THE L DOWNWIND. MIDFIELD TO THE DOWNWIND THE SCATTERED LAYER BECAME 1000 FT MSL. AT THIS POINT THE TWR REQUESTED MY ALT. MY ALT WAS 900 FT MSL, WHERE I XMITTED THIS INFO TO THE TWR. THE TWR ADVISED ME THAT THE FIELD WOULD BE GOING IFR. I RESPONDED WITH A REQUEST FOR A FULL STOP LNDG. THE TWR GRANTED MY REQUEST. DUE TO THE PIPER CHEROKEE HAD BEEN FLYING IN THE AIR TFC PATTERN NUMEROUS CIRCUITS PRIOR TO MY TKOF I BELIEVE THE TWR CTLR COULD HAVE POSSIBLY ISSUED A SPECIAL WX METAR INDICATING THE CHANGE IN CLOUD ALTS. THE CHANGE WAS APPARENTLY -800 FT MSL FROM THE TIME OF THE RPTED METAR RPT.
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.