Piper PA28-181 private pilot on a solo cross country training flight descended off cruising altitude due to downdraft condition of which his aircraft was unable to outclb.

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Attributes
ACN	532166
Time
Date	200112
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : jli.vortac
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 9000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute airway : v208.airway
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 49 flight time total : 245 flight time type : 105
ASRS Report	532166
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : altimeter other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : regained aircraft control
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was cruising at 9000 ft MSL on V208 between jli and trm vors. My destination was psp, and I was on an IFR flight plan. While conducting my scan, I noticed that my altitude had dropped about 150 ft. I pitched up to correct this and noticed a continuing drop. I added power and pitched for best rate, then best angle, attempting to arrest the descent. Finally, I began to climb again, after a loss of approximately 700 ft. As the MEA nebound on this airway is 9000 ft, I knew that I did not have a large margin for error, so my main concern was in trying to correct the problem. The controller asked about my altitude, and I replied that I thought I had been caught in a downdraft. I am from the midwest and have had no prior experience in mountain flying. I have since learned that a better course of action would have been to try to alter course to the left or right to fly out of the downdraft, as my aircraft did not have sufficient power to outclb it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER PA28-181 PVT PLT ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY TRAINING FLT DSNDED OFF CRUISING ALT DUE TO DOWNDRAFT CONDITION OF WHICH HIS ACFT WAS UNABLE TO OUTCLB.

Narrative: I WAS CRUISING AT 9000 FT MSL ON V208 BTWN JLI AND TRM VORS. MY DEST WAS PSP, AND I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. WHILE CONDUCTING MY SCAN, I NOTICED THAT MY ALT HAD DROPPED ABOUT 150 FT. I PITCHED UP TO CORRECT THIS AND NOTICED A CONTINUING DROP. I ADDED PWR AND PITCHED FOR BEST RATE, THEN BEST ANGLE, ATTEMPTING TO ARREST THE DSCNT. FINALLY, I BEGAN TO CLB AGAIN, AFTER A LOSS OF APPROX 700 FT. AS THE MEA NEBOUND ON THIS AIRWAY IS 9000 FT, I KNEW THAT I DID NOT HAVE A LARGE MARGIN FOR ERROR, SO MY MAIN CONCERN WAS IN TRYING TO CORRECT THE PROB. THE CTLR ASKED ABOUT MY ALT, AND I REPLIED THAT I THOUGHT I HAD BEEN CAUGHT IN A DOWNDRAFT. I AM FROM THE MIDWEST AND HAVE HAD NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE IN MOUNTAIN FLYING. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO TRY TO ALTER COURSE TO THE L OR R TO FLY OUT OF THE DOWNDRAFT, AS MY ACFT DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT PWR TO OUTCLB IT.

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.