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C152 instructor and student got trapped by a snow storm and were required to get an IMC clearance in an aircraft not approved for IMC flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 533006 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200112 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : puw.airport |
| State Reference | ID |
| Altitude | agl single value : 800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Snow Windshear other |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : puw.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 152 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 41.5 flight time total : 297.7 flight time type : 19.7 |
| ASRS Report | 533006 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
On dec/tue/01, while on a routine training flight in a cessna 152 I noticed that a fast moving snowstorm was moving towards the pullman airport, our home base. The WX was not predicted. I cut the flight short, and we headed for the airport, which was approximately 8 mi away. Just prior to entering the class east airspace we were overtaken by the storm. Visibility dropped to approximately 1 mi, the ground was not obscured. I took control of the aircraft, and turned around 180 degrees in an effort to get out of the storm, however, we were not able to get into better meteorological conditions. At a low altitude with terrain rising and conditions not improving, I elected to get a pop up IFR clearance, and divert to the lewiston airport, which was approximately 35 mi away. The aircraft is not IFR approved. While, I have no intention of violating the far's, I feel that obtaining an IFR clearance at that time was the only way to safely conclude the flight. After approximately 25 mins with ZSE VFR meteorological conditions were encountered, and the flight was continued under VFR until its safe termination at the lewiston airport.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C152 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT GOT TRAPPED BY A SNOW STORM AND WERE REQUIRED TO GET AN IMC CLRNC IN AN ACFT NOT APPROVED FOR IMC FLT.
Narrative: ON DEC/TUE/01, WHILE ON A ROUTINE TRAINING FLT IN A CESSNA 152 I NOTICED THAT A FAST MOVING SNOWSTORM WAS MOVING TOWARDS THE PULLMAN ARPT, OUR HOME BASE. THE WX WAS NOT PREDICTED. I CUT THE FLT SHORT, AND WE HEADED FOR THE ARPT, WHICH WAS APPROX 8 MI AWAY. JUST PRIOR TO ENTERING THE CLASS E AIRSPACE WE WERE OVERTAKEN BY THE STORM. VISIBILITY DROPPED TO APPROX 1 MI, THE GND WAS NOT OBSCURED. I TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT, AND TURNED AROUND 180 DEGS IN AN EFFORT TO GET OUT OF THE STORM, HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET INTO BETTER METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. AT A LOW ALT WITH TERRAIN RISING AND CONDITIONS NOT IMPROVING, I ELECTED TO GET A POP UP IFR CLRNC, AND DIVERT TO THE LEWISTON ARPT, WHICH WAS APPROX 35 MI AWAY. THE ACFT IS NOT IFR APPROVED. WHILE, I HAVE NO INTENTION OF VIOLATING THE FAR'S, I FEEL THAT OBTAINING AN IFR CLRNC AT THAT TIME WAS THE ONLY WAY TO SAFELY CONCLUDE THE FLT. AFTER APPROX 25 MINS WITH ZSE VFR METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED, AND THE FLT WAS CONTINUED UNDER VFR UNTIL ITS SAFE TERMINATION AT THE LEWISTON ARPT.
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.