C172 non instrument rated pilot encountered deteriorating WX en route, became disoriented and had ai...

Attributes
ACN	385610
Time
Date	199711
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ztl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 115 flight time type : 110
ASRS Report	385610
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In sum: forecast WX was good with just some occasional light rain, so reporter was on a VFR flight plan since reporter was not instrument rated. The flight was handed off by ZTL to greer approach control, and the reporter heard an ELT beacon. Reporter attempted to contact approach control, and it turned out it was the reporter's, but the reporter didn't know it until after landing. The next leg was rushed, and the reporter didn't get an adequate WX briefing. The reporter ran into clouds with reduced visibility, which caused problems navigating. Then the left fuel gauge was reading empty, so reporter looked for an airport and attempted to navigation on an NDB which he was unable to receive. As the WX closed in, he circled and descended through a clear area, but inadvertently entered clouds at about 900 ft AGL and quickly overbanked to 60 degrees at 140 KTS. The reporter recovered by using the attitude indicator, but the clouds continued closing in and he couldn't see the ground. The reporter attempted calling atl approach control with no luck, but other aircraft offered help and relayed the predicament, and soon the reporter received an atl center frequency. Center helped look for landmarks, and vectored the reporter for an airport. Due to clouds the reporter had to be at 300 ft AGL to see the ground. Finally, the reporter saw the runway and was able to land. Things went bad quickly -- one min the reporter was in marginal, but tolerable, VFR and the next the reporter was in the clouds. The reporter learned 2 important lessons: don't wait to see if things get worse. They will. The time to put the alternate plan into action is when the first doubt surfaces, because after that, the events will overtake you quickly. The second thing is to ask for help or advice before you absolutely need it -- then you'll have more options open. The reporter made it down safely only because several pilots and controllers at ZTL did everything they could to help.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 NON INST RATED PLT ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WX ENRTE, BECAME DISORIENTED AND HAD ACFT CTL DIFFICULTY IN CLOUDS. EVENTUALLY CTR CTLR WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT AND LOCATION OF RPTR PLUS OTHER ACFT HELPED IN DIRECTING RPTR TO AN ARPT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: IN SUM: FORECAST WX WAS GOOD WITH JUST SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN, SO RPTR WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN SINCE RPTR WAS NOT INST RATED. THE FLT WAS HANDED OFF BY ZTL TO GREER APCH CTL, AND THE RPTR HEARD AN ELT BEACON. RPTR ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APCH CTL, AND IT TURNED OUT IT WAS THE RPTR'S, BUT THE RPTR DIDN'T KNOW IT UNTIL AFTER LNDG. THE NEXT LEG WAS RUSHED, AND THE RPTR DIDN'T GET AN ADEQUATE WX BRIEFING. THE RPTR RAN INTO CLOUDS WITH REDUCED VISIBILITY, WHICH CAUSED PROBS NAVING. THEN THE L FUEL GAUGE WAS READING EMPTY, SO RPTR LOOKED FOR AN ARPT AND ATTEMPTED TO NAV ON AN NDB WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE. AS THE WX CLOSED IN, HE CIRCLED AND DSNDED THROUGH A CLR AREA, BUT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED CLOUDS AT ABOUT 900 FT AGL AND QUICKLY OVERBANKED TO 60 DEGS AT 140 KTS. THE RPTR RECOVERED BY USING THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, BUT THE CLOUDS CONTINUED CLOSING IN AND HE COULDN'T SEE THE GND. THE RPTR ATTEMPTED CALLING ATL APCH CTL WITH NO LUCK, BUT OTHER ACFT OFFERED HELP AND RELAYED THE PREDICAMENT, AND SOON THE RPTR RECEIVED AN ATL CTR FREQ. CTR HELPED LOOK FOR LANDMARKS, AND VECTORED THE RPTR FOR AN ARPT. DUE TO CLOUDS THE RPTR HAD TO BE AT 300 FT AGL TO SEE THE GND. FINALLY, THE RPTR SAW THE RWY AND WAS ABLE TO LAND. THINGS WENT BAD QUICKLY -- ONE MIN THE RPTR WAS IN MARGINAL, BUT TOLERABLE, VFR AND THE NEXT THE RPTR WAS IN THE CLOUDS. THE RPTR LEARNED 2 IMPORTANT LESSONS: DON'T WAIT TO SEE IF THINGS GET WORSE. THEY WILL. THE TIME TO PUT THE ALTERNATE PLAN INTO ACTION IS WHEN THE FIRST DOUBT SURFACES, BECAUSE AFTER THAT, THE EVENTS WILL OVERTAKE YOU QUICKLY. THE SECOND THING IS TO ASK FOR HELP OR ADVICE BEFORE YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED IT -- THEN YOU'LL HAVE MORE OPTIONS OPEN. THE RPTR MADE IT DOWN SAFELY ONLY BECAUSE SEVERAL PLTS AND CTLRS AT ZTL DID EVERYTHING THEY COULD TO HELP.

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.

C172 non instrument rated pilot encountered deteriorating WX en route, became disoriented and had aircraft control difficulty in clouds. Eventually center controller was able to establish contact and location of reporter plus other aircraft helped in directing reporter to an airport for landing.