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Pilot of small aircraft in cruise becomes VFR on top and loses ground contact. Requests vectors and is given flight assist to a field that is VFR. He descends through the clouds.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 396829 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : afw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dfw |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 38 flight time total : 96 flight time type : 96 |
| ASRS Report | 396379 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : became reoriented |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I took off from mwl and climbed to 3500 ft in 30 mins. After contacting ZFW I asked them to give me some radar vectors to go back to addison and then 15 mins later a big layer of clouds was coming from my destination. I was 1500 ft above the clouds with VFR on the top, with losing ground reference. I told him that I don't have any ground reference and I'm a VFR pilot. He said keep your heading I'm going to see what is the ceiling in addison. It was 900 ft and then he asked me if I can go to other airport with highest ceiling, which is afw. Then he said are you able to fly through the clouds until having ground visibility. I said if I have to do that I will do it. I flew through the clouds for about 1 min with my instruments, descent to 1800 ft with ground reference in sight and landed in afw.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA IN CRUISE BECOMES VFR ON TOP AND LOSES GND CONTACT. REQUESTS VECTORS AND IS GIVEN FLT ASSIST TO A FIELD THAT IS VFR. HE DSNDS THROUGH THE CLOUDS.
Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM MWL AND CLBED TO 3500 FT IN 30 MINS. AFTER CONTACTING ZFW I ASKED THEM TO GIVE ME SOME RADAR VECTORS TO GO BACK TO ADDISON AND THEN 15 MINS LATER A BIG LAYER OF CLOUDS WAS COMING FROM MY DEST. I WAS 1500 FT ABOVE THE CLOUDS WITH VFR ON THE TOP, WITH LOSING GND REF. I TOLD HIM THAT I DON'T HAVE ANY GND REF AND I'M A VFR PLT. HE SAID KEEP YOUR HDG I'M GOING TO SEE WHAT IS THE CEILING IN ADDISON. IT WAS 900 FT AND THEN HE ASKED ME IF I CAN GO TO OTHER ARPT WITH HIGHEST CEILING, WHICH IS AFW. THEN HE SAID ARE YOU ABLE TO FLY THROUGH THE CLOUDS UNTIL HAVING GND VISIBILITY. I SAID IF I HAVE TO DO THAT I WILL DO IT. I FLEW THROUGH THE CLOUDS FOR ABOUT 1 MIN WITH MY INSTS, DSCNT TO 1800 FT WITH GND REF IN SIGHT AND LANDED IN AFW.
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.