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Low time private pilot above a cloud layer requests ATC help. Becoming fuel critical, a descent is made in IFR conditions to VFR and landing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 484288 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200009 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gpt.airport |
| State Reference | MS |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1300 msl bound upper : 7500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : gpt.tracon tracon : p31.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna Single Piston Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change |
| 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 : 30 flight time total : 105 flight time type : 105 |
| ASRS Report | 484288 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
VFR to destin, fl, at 5500 ft scattered, overcast, called in to mobile approach, change altitude to 7500 ft as cloud cover was growing. 1/2 way between mob approach and pensacola, asked for descent to 5500 ft as cloud cover was gaining altitude. IMC experienced at 5500 ft. Called in to go to 3500 ft. IMC through 3500 ft. Asked mobile to update on WX at destin. Reply, 'socked in' with ceiling down to 800 ft. I was handed off to pensacola approach where I asked them for update WX in area. IFR, and growing worse. Asked pensacola for cancellation of VFR flight plan with reroute to any alternate airport in immediate vicinity. Rerouted to foley municipal. IFR conditions called in to pensacola approach and told them I wanted to turn 180 degrees back to first VFR airspace. Handed me back off to mobile. Conditions getting worse. They called in to biloxi, VFR to 1300 ft. Handed back to biloxi with cloud cover 1300-5500 ft. Now fuel was becoming an issue. Biloxi suggested I go to new orleans lake front. I told them that I did not want to try as fuel was now approaching 45 mins remaining. Biloxi declared fuel emergency with IFR transition through cloud layer to 1300 ft. Flew through 3500-1300 ft. Landed at biloxi gulfport. Problem arose by not staying on top of WX bulletin. My lack of experience with IMC WX conditions added to loss of time while rerouting to alternate airspace. These events could have been avoided by stopping at first sign of impending IMC conditions and being updated on WX. Once I realized that conditions were growing worse in front of us I asked for help and was rerouted while on top of clouds. Time it took to reroute was contributing factor, as conditions grew worse with dusk approaching. Fuel becomes an issue while flying through IMC conditions. In the future I intend to get IFR certified and stop for WX information more often.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: LOW TIME PVT PLT ABOVE A CLOUD LAYER REQUESTS ATC HELP. BECOMING FUEL CRITICAL, A DSCNT IS MADE IN IFR CONDITIONS TO VFR AND LNDG.
Narrative: VFR TO DESTIN, FL, AT 5500 FT SCATTERED, OVCST, CALLED IN TO MOBILE APCH, CHANGE ALT TO 7500 FT AS CLOUD COVER WAS GROWING. 1/2 WAY BTWN MOB APCH AND PENSACOLA, ASKED FOR DSCNT TO 5500 FT AS CLOUD COVER WAS GAINING ALT. IMC EXPERIENCED AT 5500 FT. CALLED IN TO GO TO 3500 FT. IMC THROUGH 3500 FT. ASKED MOBILE TO UPDATE ON WX AT DESTIN. REPLY, 'SOCKED IN' WITH CEILING DOWN TO 800 FT. I WAS HANDED OFF TO PENSACOLA APCH WHERE I ASKED THEM FOR UPDATE WX IN AREA. IFR, AND GROWING WORSE. ASKED PENSACOLA FOR CANCELLATION OF VFR FLT PLAN WITH REROUTE TO ANY ALTERNATE ARPT IN IMMEDIATE VICINITY. REROUTED TO FOLEY MUNICIPAL. IFR CONDITIONS CALLED IN TO PENSACOLA APCH AND TOLD THEM I WANTED TO TURN 180 DEGS BACK TO FIRST VFR AIRSPACE. HANDED ME BACK OFF TO MOBILE. CONDITIONS GETTING WORSE. THEY CALLED IN TO BILOXI, VFR TO 1300 FT. HANDED BACK TO BILOXI WITH CLOUD COVER 1300-5500 FT. NOW FUEL WAS BECOMING AN ISSUE. BILOXI SUGGESTED I GO TO NEW ORLEANS LAKE FRONT. I TOLD THEM THAT I DID NOT WANT TO TRY AS FUEL WAS NOW APCHING 45 MINS REMAINING. BILOXI DECLARED FUEL EMER WITH IFR TRANSITION THROUGH CLOUD LAYER TO 1300 FT. FLEW THROUGH 3500-1300 FT. LANDED AT BILOXI GULFPORT. PROB AROSE BY NOT STAYING ON TOP OF WX BULLETIN. MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH IMC WX CONDITIONS ADDED TO LOSS OF TIME WHILE REROUTING TO ALTERNATE AIRSPACE. THESE EVENTS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY STOPPING AT FIRST SIGN OF IMPENDING IMC CONDITIONS AND BEING UPDATED ON WX. ONCE I REALIZED THAT CONDITIONS WERE GROWING WORSE IN FRONT OF US I ASKED FOR HELP AND WAS REROUTED WHILE ON TOP OF CLOUDS. TIME IT TOOK TO REROUTE WAS CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, AS CONDITIONS GREW WORSE WITH DUSK APCHING. FUEL BECOMES AN ISSUE WHILE FLYING THROUGH IMC CONDITIONS. IN THE FUTURE I INTEND TO GET IFR CERTIFIED AND STOP FOR WX INFO MORE OFTEN.
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.