Narrative:

On 03/fri/02, we departed lex VFR to bfm, after receiving a standard WX briefing, which appeared to be a good day for VFR flight with no airmets and no tfr's on my route of flight. Upon climb out, I received vectors from lex departure which put me on my course heading to cullman, al (3a1), 251 mi where I had a planned fuel stop (mid point). Approximately 30 mins into the flight I noticed the air becoming extremely bumpy. The autoplt was set (heading bug) and plane trimmed to hold the altitude as best as possible. I requested altitude changes, higher and lower in hopes of finding smoother air, which did not seem to help as the turbulence just seemed to worsen. At that point, I called center and notified them that I was a PA28 and was encountering moderate turbulence. I noticed my indicated airspeed was in the yellow arc and I pulled back on the throttle as to not risk structural damage. One of my passenger was beginning to become cabin sick as well. I opened all vents and issued sick bags. It took approximately 3 hours to get to cullman, al, and upon landing, was encountering surface winds, I believe 16 KTS with gusts to 25 KTS down the runway. Upon refueling, I called for an updated WX briefing and informed the briefer about the first leg of my journey and questioned conditions of turbulence for the second leg of the trip. The briefer informed me that there had been an airmet issued for turbulence for moderate to severe below 12000 ft. He also mentioned that the second leg of the trip from cullman, al, to mobile, al, was not projected to be as bad. So, we departed 1 hour later after seeing that passenger were given dramamine (I took none). The flight was at or below 4500 ft for the rest of the trip, maintaining VFR in turbulence, not as bad but still at least moderate, with the aircraft rocking up and down. It was extremely difficult to review sectionals, fly, and even changing radio frequencys. It should be noted that during the entire trip I had a portable and panel mount GPS. About 70 mi from mobile, al, I noticed a broken cloud layer, I'm guessing about 2500 ft beneath me, with my altitude being 4500 ft. For the next 20 mi the air was completely smooth. I noticed the ceiling was changing from broken to solid beneath me. About that time ZHU handed me off to mobile, al, approach around 50 mi out. By now, I was 4 1/2 hours into the flight and becoming physically and mentally exhausted. As an after thought, I could have initiated a 180 degree turn and gone back and then another 180 degrees turn and gone under the layer, but I figured another 30-45 mins under the current physical and mental challenges were exhausting my abilities to land at mobile. I recalled when speaking to the WX briefer in cullman, ceilings were projected at 1600 ft and I don't recall whether he mentioned broken or solid layers. I had 1 passenger check the sectional for the highest elevation, which was 1000 ft AGL and I decided to descend through the layer in hopes it would be thin. The autoplt was engaged and course set with heading bug and wings level. I went immediately to instruments without looking out (VFR) for around 2-3 mins, cut the power to 2100 RPM and trimmed the plane for a descent of 500 FPM. I had 1 hand centered on the yoke, zero turning pressure or fore and aft pressure with feet on rudders, entered clouds at 2500 ft and constantly viewing vsi at 500 FPM descent and also watching the altimeter. I broke out of the clouds at around 1650 ft. I contacted mobile approach and was cleared to land on runway 18, overflew runway 18 on base and asked for vectors, bringing me around for a straight-in approach. The controller cleared me for landing on runway 14 at my 9 O'clock position. I turned to final with a 30 degree crosswind at 12 KTS and landed. I believe the physical and mental stress of encountering moderate to severe turbulence for 4-5 hours pushed my abilities to their limits, which effected my decision making in regards to limiting my abilities to spot upcoming problems, ie, VFR pilot caught on top of layered clouds. This could have been prevented by my having my instrument rating, which would have permitted more options to avoid turbulence, and thereby reducing fatigueand permitting entry into clouds if necessary. I am getting my instrument rating as soon as possible to avoid this type of incidence from happening again and I will definitely not take an extended trip VFR without further ratings.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT BY A PA28 LOW TIME PVT PLT ON A VFR FLT TO BFM, AL.

Narrative: ON 03/FRI/02, WE DEPARTED LEX VFR TO BFM, AFTER RECEIVING A STANDARD WX BRIEFING, WHICH APPEARED TO BE A GOOD DAY FOR VFR FLT WITH NO AIRMETS AND NO TFR'S ON MY RTE OF FLT. UPON CLBOUT, I RECEIVED VECTORS FROM LEX DEP WHICH PUT ME ON MY COURSE HEADING TO CULLMAN, AL (3A1), 251 MI WHERE I HAD A PLANNED FUEL STOP (MID POINT). APPROX 30 MINS INTO THE FLT I NOTICED THE AIR BECOMING EXTREMELY BUMPY. THE AUTOPLT WAS SET (HDG BUG) AND PLANE TRIMMED TO HOLD THE ALT AS BEST AS POSSIBLE. I REQUESTED ALT CHANGES, HIGHER AND LOWER IN HOPES OF FINDING SMOOTHER AIR, WHICH DID NOT SEEM TO HELP AS THE TURB JUST SEEMED TO WORSEN. AT THAT POINT, I CALLED CTR AND NOTIFIED THEM THAT I WAS A PA28 AND WAS ENCOUNTERING MODERATE TURB. I NOTICED MY INDICATED AIRSPD WAS IN THE YELLOW ARC AND I PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE AS TO NOT RISK STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. ONE OF MY PAX WAS BEGINNING TO BECOME CABIN SICK AS WELL. I OPENED ALL VENTS AND ISSUED SICK BAGS. IT TOOK APPROX 3 HRS TO GET TO CULLMAN, AL, AND UPON LNDG, WAS ENCOUNTERING SURFACE WINDS, I BELIEVE 16 KTS WITH GUSTS TO 25 KTS DOWN THE RWY. UPON REFUELING, I CALLED FOR AN UPDATED WX BRIEFING AND INFORMED THE BRIEFER ABOUT THE FIRST LEG OF MY JOURNEY AND QUESTIONED CONDITIONS OF TURB FOR THE SECOND LEG OF THE TRIP. THE BRIEFER INFORMED ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN AIRMET ISSUED FOR TURB FOR MODERATE TO SEVERE BELOW 12000 FT. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE SECOND LEG OF THE TRIP FROM CULLMAN, AL, TO MOBILE, AL, WAS NOT PROJECTED TO BE AS BAD. SO, WE DEPARTED 1 HR LATER AFTER SEEING THAT PAX WERE GIVEN DRAMAMINE (I TOOK NONE). THE FLT WAS AT OR BELOW 4500 FT FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP, MAINTAINING VFR IN TURB, NOT AS BAD BUT STILL AT LEAST MODERATE, WITH THE ACFT ROCKING UP AND DOWN. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO REVIEW SECTIONALS, FLY, AND EVEN CHANGING RADIO FREQS. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT DURING THE ENTIRE TRIP I HAD A PORTABLE AND PANEL MOUNT GPS. ABOUT 70 MI FROM MOBILE, AL, I NOTICED A BROKEN CLOUD LAYER, I'M GUESSING ABOUT 2500 FT BENEATH ME, WITH MY ALT BEING 4500 FT. FOR THE NEXT 20 MI THE AIR WAS COMPLETELY SMOOTH. I NOTICED THE CEILING WAS CHANGING FROM BROKEN TO SOLID BENEATH ME. ABOUT THAT TIME ZHU HANDED ME OFF TO MOBILE, AL, APCH AROUND 50 MI OUT. BY NOW, I WAS 4 1/2 HRS INTO THE FLT AND BECOMING PHYSICALLY AND MENTALLY EXHAUSTED. AS AN AFTER THOUGHT, I COULD HAVE INITIATED A 180 DEG TURN AND GONE BACK AND THEN ANOTHER 180 DEGS TURN AND GONE UNDER THE LAYER, BUT I FIGURED ANOTHER 30-45 MINS UNDER THE CURRENT PHYSICAL AND MENTAL CHALLENGES WERE EXHAUSTING MY ABILITIES TO LAND AT MOBILE. I RECALLED WHEN SPEAKING TO THE WX BRIEFER IN CULLMAN, CEILINGS WERE PROJECTED AT 1600 FT AND I DON'T RECALL WHETHER HE MENTIONED BROKEN OR SOLID LAYERS. I HAD 1 PAX CHK THE SECTIONAL FOR THE HIGHEST ELEVATION, WHICH WAS 1000 FT AGL AND I DECIDED TO DSND THROUGH THE LAYER IN HOPES IT WOULD BE THIN. THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AND COURSE SET WITH HDG BUG AND WINGS LEVEL. I WENT IMMEDIATELY TO INSTS WITHOUT LOOKING OUT (VFR) FOR AROUND 2-3 MINS, CUT THE PWR TO 2100 RPM AND TRIMMED THE PLANE FOR A DSCNT OF 500 FPM. I HAD 1 HAND CTRED ON THE YOKE, ZERO TURNING PRESSURE OR FORE AND AFT PRESSURE WITH FEET ON RUDDERS, ENTERED CLOUDS AT 2500 FT AND CONSTANTLY VIEWING VSI AT 500 FPM DSCNT AND ALSO WATCHING THE ALTIMETER. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT AROUND 1650 FT. I CONTACTED MOBILE APCH AND WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 18, OVERFLEW RWY 18 ON BASE AND ASKED FOR VECTORS, BRINGING ME AROUND FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR LNDG ON RWY 14 AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS. I TURNED TO FINAL WITH A 30 DEG XWIND AT 12 KTS AND LANDED. I BELIEVE THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL STRESS OF ENCOUNTERING MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB FOR 4-5 HRS PUSHED MY ABILITIES TO THEIR LIMITS, WHICH EFFECTED MY DECISION MAKING IN REGARDS TO LIMITING MY ABILITIES TO SPOT UPCOMING PROBS, IE, VFR PLT CAUGHT ON TOP OF LAYERED CLOUDS. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY MY HAVING MY INST RATING, WHICH WOULD HAVE PERMITTED MORE OPTIONS TO AVOID TURB, AND THEREBY REDUCING FATIGUEAND PERMITTING ENTRY INTO CLOUDS IF NECESSARY. I AM GETTING MY INST RATING ASAP TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF INCIDENCE FROM HAPPENING AGAIN AND I WILL DEFINITELY NOT TAKE AN EXTENDED TRIP VFR WITHOUT FURTHER RATINGS.

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.