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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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M20T pilot encounters adverse WX VFR en route, requests IFR clearance from ZDC, then climbs to avoid WX without controller notification.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 617755 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200405 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ekn.airport |
| State Reference | WV |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 16300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 77 flight time total : 2444 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 617755 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : stormscope other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued advisory controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : returned to assigned altitude |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was on an IFR flight plan to richmond, va (ric) and had been cleared (GPS direct) to richmond at 11000 ft MSL. I knew of thunderstorms across my route of flight and had contacted flight watch to learn the cell locations. At the recommendation of flight service briefer, I had modified my route to a more southerly heading in order to pass south of the convective activity. Nearing the line of storms, my stormscope showed no activity ahead and thought I could see a visual route between a large thunderhead to the north and a smaller cumulus cloud to the south. As I approached closer to the clouds, the stormscope indicated more activity and it became apparent that I would not be able to maintain visual conditions at my assigned altitude. The clouds appeared scary and I wanted to maintain visual conditions to avoid inadvertently flying into a thunderstorm cell. Before penetrating the cloud mass, I made a 90 degree right turn to a southwesterly heading at which I could fly parallel to the cloud mass. I immediately contacted ATC and requested a climb to 15000 ft in order to clear the clouds to the east. The controller said I should have requested a deviation earlier, but soon cleared me to 15000 ft. While climbing, I turned back on course and connected my oxygen nasal cannula. Unable to maintain VMC at 15000 ft and concerned about icing should I penetrate a cloud, I chose to continue climbing to top of clouds at about 16300 ft. This was quickly noted by the controller, and I advised them I would return to the assigned altitude as soon as I could. I was able to descend back to 15000 ft about 4 mins later. As I was 'handed off' to the next controller, I apologized for the deviation, and was subsequently chastised by the controller for my deviations. I completed the flight without further incident. In retrospect, I should have planned a more southerly course to fly well south of the area of possible severe WX. I could also have requested a 'block altitude' or 'VFR on-top' clearance, which would have allowed me to climb to the altitude I needed to get over the WX. By not knowing the lateral extent of these clouds and not fully appreciating their ht, I was forced to make last-min course and altitude changes, which irritated ATC. I was fortunate to have a turbo-charged airplane which enabled me to climb over the WX and remain 'visual,' where I could see the storms and or other aircraft. Of course, any other aircraft had wisely chosen to avoid that area of WX altogether.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: M20T PLT ENCOUNTERS ADVERSE WX VFR ENRTE, REQUESTS IFR CLRNC FROM ZDC, THEN CLBS TO AVOID WX WITHOUT CTLR NOTIFICATION.
Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO RICHMOND, VA (RIC) AND HAD BEEN CLRED (GPS DIRECT) TO RICHMOND AT 11000 FT MSL. I KNEW OF TSTMS ACROSS MY RTE OF FLT AND HAD CONTACTED FLT WATCH TO LEARN THE CELL LOCATIONS. AT THE RECOMMENDATION OF FLT SVC BRIEFER, I HAD MODIFIED MY RTE TO A MORE SOUTHERLY HDG IN ORDER TO PASS S OF THE CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. NEARING THE LINE OF STORMS, MY STORMSCOPE SHOWED NO ACTIVITY AHEAD AND THOUGHT I COULD SEE A VISUAL RTE BTWN A LARGE THUNDERHEAD TO THE N AND A SMALLER CUMULUS CLOUD TO THE S. AS I APCHED CLOSER TO THE CLOUDS, THE STORMSCOPE INDICATED MORE ACTIVITY AND IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONDITIONS AT MY ASSIGNED ALT. THE CLOUDS APPEARED SCARY AND I WANTED TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONDITIONS TO AVOID INADVERTENTLY FLYING INTO A TSTM CELL. BEFORE PENETRATING THE CLOUD MASS, I MADE A 90 DEG R TURN TO A SOUTHWESTERLY HDG AT WHICH I COULD FLY PARALLEL TO THE CLOUD MASS. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ATC AND REQUESTED A CLB TO 15000 FT IN ORDER TO CLR THE CLOUDS TO THE E. THE CTLR SAID I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED A DEV EARLIER, BUT SOON CLRED ME TO 15000 FT. WHILE CLBING, I TURNED BACK ON COURSE AND CONNECTED MY OXYGEN NASAL CANNULA. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VMC AT 15000 FT AND CONCERNED ABOUT ICING SHOULD I PENETRATE A CLOUD, I CHOSE TO CONTINUE CLBING TO TOP OF CLOUDS AT ABOUT 16300 FT. THIS WAS QUICKLY NOTED BY THE CTLR, AND I ADVISED THEM I WOULD RETURN TO THE ASSIGNED ALT AS SOON AS I COULD. I WAS ABLE TO DSND BACK TO 15000 FT ABOUT 4 MINS LATER. AS I WAS 'HANDED OFF' TO THE NEXT CTLR, I APOLOGIZED FOR THE DEV, AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY CHASTISED BY THE CTLR FOR MY DEVS. I COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE PLANNED A MORE SOUTHERLY COURSE TO FLY WELL S OF THE AREA OF POSSIBLE SEVERE WX. I COULD ALSO HAVE REQUESTED A 'BLOCK ALT' OR 'VFR ON-TOP' CLRNC, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TO CLB TO THE ALT I NEEDED TO GET OVER THE WX. BY NOT KNOWING THE LATERAL EXTENT OF THESE CLOUDS AND NOT FULLY APPRECIATING THEIR HT, I WAS FORCED TO MAKE LAST-MIN COURSE AND ALT CHANGES, WHICH IRRITATED ATC. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE A TURBO-CHARGED AIRPLANE WHICH ENABLED ME TO CLB OVER THE WX AND REMAIN 'VISUAL,' WHERE I COULD SEE THE STORMS AND OR OTHER ACFT. OF COURSE, ANY OTHER ACFT HAD WISELY CHOSEN TO AVOID THAT AREA OF WX ALTOGETHER.
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.