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A single pilot while flying VFR, encounters a thunderstorm at night and inadvertently enters IFR conditions while trying to avoid the thunderstorm.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 589203 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200307 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : owb.airport |
| State Reference | KY |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid.artcc tower : zzz.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 58.7 flight time total : 353.6 flight time type : 213.8 |
| ASRS Report | 589203 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
I filed a VFR flight plan from air driven generator (adrian, mi) direct to owb (owensboro, ky). I obtained WX information from a computer based system which provided me with all the following WX reports for my route: metars, taf, af, NOTAMS, airmets, sigmets and convective sigmets. I also called FSS for a standard WX briefing. Based on this information it appeared as though I would be able to make a VFR flight. My estimated time en route was 2 hours, 45 mins. I departed air driven generator and I obtained WX reports several times during my flight from ATIS, ASOS and from center. About 50 mi north of evansville, in, I asked louisville radar if they had a WX report for evansville, in. Evansville is the closest location (about 40 NM) to my destination airport, owb. As indicated in the preflight reports, evansville's automatic report said variable winds at 3 KTS and the ceiling was broken at 6000 ft. I assumed that owensboro (only 40 mi away) would also be VFR. When I got over owensboro the thunderstorm seemed to come out of nowhere. Since it was at night I didn't see any signs of a storm. All of a sudden there was thunder and rain and I saw some distant lightning. I immediately made a 180 degree turn and started to climb. At this point I went into clouds and had to fly on instruments. At first I was in an unusual attitude but was able to get wings level and maintain a 500 FPM climb. I made sure the plane was level and climbing. When I reached about 5000 ft I turned on my autoplt heading and altitude hold. I called ZID and asked for help to find the nearest airport in VFR conditions. They immediately started giving me vectors to huntingburg, in. I landed safely and called louisville FSS and asked them to call ZID to let them know I landed safely. Louisville FSS closed my VFR flight plan. My trip to air driven generator was for IFR training. I credit the IFR training I received and the help I got from ZID for saving my life.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A SINGLE PLT WHILE FLYING VFR, ENCOUNTERS A TSTM AT NIGHT AND INADVERTENTLY ENTERS IFR CONDITIONS WHILE TRYING TO AVOID THE TSTM.
Narrative: I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN FROM ADG (ADRIAN, MI) DIRECT TO OWB (OWENSBORO, KY). I OBTAINED WX INFO FROM A COMPUTER BASED SYS WHICH PROVIDED ME WITH ALL THE FOLLOWING WX RPTS FOR MY RTE: METARS, TAF, AF, NOTAMS, AIRMETS, SIGMETS AND CONVECTIVE SIGMETS. I ALSO CALLED FSS FOR A STANDARD WX BRIEFING. BASED ON THIS INFO IT APPEARED AS THOUGH I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A VFR FLT. MY ESTIMATED TIME EN RTE WAS 2 HRS, 45 MINS. I DEPARTED ADG AND I OBTAINED WX RPTS SEVERAL TIMES DURING MY FLT FROM ATIS, ASOS AND FROM CTR. ABOUT 50 MI N OF EVANSVILLE, IN, I ASKED LOUISVILLE RADAR IF THEY HAD A WX RPT FOR EVANSVILLE, IN. EVANSVILLE IS THE CLOSEST LOCATION (ABOUT 40 NM) TO MY DEST ARPT, OWB. AS INDICATED IN THE PREFLT RPTS, EVANSVILLE'S AUTOMATIC RPT SAID VARIABLE WINDS AT 3 KTS AND THE CEILING WAS BROKEN AT 6000 FT. I ASSUMED THAT OWENSBORO (ONLY 40 MI AWAY) WOULD ALSO BE VFR. WHEN I GOT OVER OWENSBORO THE TSTM SEEMED TO COME OUT OF NOWHERE. SINCE IT WAS AT NIGHT I DIDN'T SEE ANY SIGNS OF A STORM. ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE WAS THUNDER AND RAIN AND I SAW SOME DISTANT LIGHTNING. I IMMEDIATELY MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND STARTED TO CLB. AT THIS POINT I WENT INTO CLOUDS AND HAD TO FLY ON INSTS. AT FIRST I WAS IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE BUT WAS ABLE TO GET WINGS LEVEL AND MAINTAIN A 500 FPM CLB. I MADE SURE THE PLANE WAS LEVEL AND CLBING. WHEN I REACHED ABOUT 5000 FT I TURNED ON MY AUTOPLT HEADING AND ALT HOLD. I CALLED ZID AND ASKED FOR HELP TO FIND THE NEAREST ARPT IN VFR CONDITIONS. THEY IMMEDIATELY STARTED GIVING ME VECTORS TO HUNTINGBURG, IN. I LANDED SAFELY AND CALLED LOUISVILLE FSS AND ASKED THEM TO CALL ZID TO LET THEM KNOW I LANDED SAFELY. LOUISVILLE FSS CLOSED MY VFR FLT PLAN. MY TRIP TO ADG WAS FOR IFR TRAINING. I CREDIT THE IFR TRAINING I RECEIVED AND THE HELP I GOT FROM ZID FOR SAVING MY LIFE.
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.