Narrative:

At AB30 am (local time), I called the jnu FSS for a standard WX brief for AC30 am departure from jnu to gst and return (which included forecast WX). I departed jnu airport at AC30 am. The tower was not open at this time. I arrived at the gst airport at approximately AD00 am and departed approximately AD15 am back to juneau. On my trip from gst, I had 4 passenger on board, 3.5 hours of fuel, and their luggage. These 4 gentlemen were trying to make an AE00 am departure from juneau. Normally the flight from gst to jnu takes approximately 25 mins. It was VFR conditions when I left jnu earlier and it was VFR conditions when I left gst (approximately 2500 ft ceiling). When I 'rounded the point' at 'ground hog ridge,' I became aware of a wall of rain shower approximately 1 mi ahead of me and layers of clouds directly in front of me. I decided to climb because I had land always within view. I crossed a layer of clouds, made an approximately 25 degree turn to the left and began a descent to an area which looked familiar to me. There were lower clouds ahead so I descended to approximately 1000 ft AGL and flew to what I thought was a reporting point to the jnu airport (lena point). By then, I had the ATIS and made my normal call to the tower. At that point, I realized that I wasn't where I thought I was. I made a 180 degree turn and nothing in the area looked familiar. I flew south first thinking I would see something I recognized. I used my VOR to orient myself to the sister's VOR. That helped me a little although I was not able to navigation direct to the VOR because an area of low clouds was in my way. In the meantime, I wanted to get some help. When I called the jnu tower, I called back to tell them I was 'switching stations.' I wanted to figure out where I was before proceeding. I tried to get a hold of juneau radio, 'no response' on the 2 frequencys I was familiar with. I called our local reporting frequency 122.9 and tried to get help from another local pilot. I was able to reach someone finally who had come to rescue me thanks to the controller at jnu tower. I didn't realize this at the time that that was the case. The pilot helped me orient myself. From the point where I knew where I was, the WX had improved enough for me to find my way to the airport. I was assisted further though by the pilot to the point where a landing was safe as there were still low clouds in the area. I was always within gliding distance to land and the legal distance from clouds and flight visibility for the area I was in. The distance between gst and jnu is approximately 35-45 NM depending on which way you go.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT WITH 4 PAX WHO ARE TRYING TO MAKE A DEP FLT OUT OF JNU. PLT GETS LOST ON THE 25 MIN VFR FLT FROM GST WHEN SHE RUNS INTO RAIN SHOWERS ON THE RETURN TRIP TO JNU. PLT HAD JUST MADE THE RUN FROM JNU TO GST TO PICK UP THE PAX.

Narrative: AT AB30 AM (LCL TIME), I CALLED THE JNU FSS FOR A STANDARD WX BRIEF FOR AC30 AM DEP FROM JNU TO GST AND RETURN (WHICH INCLUDED FORECAST WX). I DEPARTED JNU ARPT AT AC30 AM. THE TWR WAS NOT OPEN AT THIS TIME. I ARRIVED AT THE GST ARPT AT APPROX AD00 AM AND DEPARTED APPROX AD15 AM BACK TO JUNEAU. ON MY TRIP FROM GST, I HAD 4 PAX ON BOARD, 3.5 HRS OF FUEL, AND THEIR LUGGAGE. THESE 4 GENTLEMEN WERE TRYING TO MAKE AN AE00 AM DEP FROM JUNEAU. NORMALLY THE FLT FROM GST TO JNU TAKES APPROX 25 MINS. IT WAS VFR CONDITIONS WHEN I LEFT JNU EARLIER AND IT WAS VFR CONDITIONS WHEN I LEFT GST (APPROX 2500 FT CEILING). WHEN I 'ROUNDED THE POINT' AT 'GROUND HOG RIDGE,' I BECAME AWARE OF A WALL OF RAIN SHOWER APPROX 1 MI AHEAD OF ME AND LAYERS OF CLOUDS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I DECIDED TO CLB BECAUSE I HAD LAND ALWAYS WITHIN VIEW. I CROSSED A LAYER OF CLOUDS, MADE AN APPROX 25 DEG TURN TO THE L AND BEGAN A DSCNT TO AN AREA WHICH LOOKED FAMILIAR TO ME. THERE WERE LOWER CLOUDS AHEAD SO I DSNDED TO APPROX 1000 FT AGL AND FLEW TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A RPTING POINT TO THE JNU ARPT (LENA POINT). BY THEN, I HAD THE ATIS AND MADE MY NORMAL CALL TO THE TWR. AT THAT POINT, I REALIZED THAT I WASN'T WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS. I MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND NOTHING IN THE AREA LOOKED FAMILIAR. I FLEW S FIRST THINKING I WOULD SEE SOMETHING I RECOGNIZED. I USED MY VOR TO ORIENT MYSELF TO THE SISTER'S VOR. THAT HELPED ME A LITTLE ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT ABLE TO NAV DIRECT TO THE VOR BECAUSE AN AREA OF LOW CLOUDS WAS IN MY WAY. IN THE MEANTIME, I WANTED TO GET SOME HELP. WHEN I CALLED THE JNU TWR, I CALLED BACK TO TELL THEM I WAS 'SWITCHING STATIONS.' I WANTED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE I WAS BEFORE PROCEEDING. I TRIED TO GET A HOLD OF JUNEAU RADIO, 'NO RESPONSE' ON THE 2 FREQS I WAS FAMILIAR WITH. I CALLED OUR LCL RPTING FREQ 122.9 AND TRIED TO GET HELP FROM ANOTHER LCL PLT. I WAS ABLE TO REACH SOMEONE FINALLY WHO HAD COME TO RESCUE ME THANKS TO THE CTLR AT JNU TWR. I DIDN'T REALIZE THIS AT THE TIME THAT THAT WAS THE CASE. THE PLT HELPED ME ORIENT MYSELF. FROM THE POINT WHERE I KNEW WHERE I WAS, THE WX HAD IMPROVED ENOUGH FOR ME TO FIND MY WAY TO THE ARPT. I WAS ASSISTED FURTHER THOUGH BY THE PLT TO THE POINT WHERE A LNDG WAS SAFE AS THERE WERE STILL LOW CLOUDS IN THE AREA. I WAS ALWAYS WITHIN GLIDING DISTANCE TO LAND AND THE LEGAL DISTANCE FROM CLOUDS AND FLT VISIBILITY FOR THE AREA I WAS IN. THE DISTANCE BTWN GST AND JNU IS APPROX 35-45 NM DEPENDING ON WHICH WAY YOU GO.

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.