Narrative:

During a VFR flight from lafayette, GA (9a5), my destination was covington, GA (9a1). I was in contact with atl flight watch. I was 10-15 NM southeast of calhoun, GA (czl) when atl flight watch informed me that conditions were clear below 12000 ft with 10 mi visibility with haze. I told atl that scattered clouds appeared to be at 4500 ft. They thanked me for the information. As I continued the flight, the visibility dropped to around 6-7 mi due to haze. At approximately 20 NM from my destination, I was setting the communication frequency for the arrival when I encountered mild turbulence. I lot visual contact with the ground. I immediately went to my instruments and began a slow 180 degree turn to the left to get out of the soup and lost about 200-500 ft of altitude. I had 2 passenger, a man and a woman. The woman seated directly behind me became hysterical due to the loss of visibility with the ground and the rough air. Sometime during my turn, which must have been too sharp, the woman screamed, 'there is an airport!' and demanded that I land. For not wanting to lose visual contact with the airport, I immediately dropped at a lower altitude of about 1500 ft. By this time, in an effort to calm the woman down, I made the decision to land immediately. My first thoughts were not to lose visual reference and watch for traffic. With no traffic in the air or on the ground around me, immediately after landing and once I was off the runway, I communicated with the tower and apologized. However, I did not inform the tower that I had a hysterical woman on board because she was in my presence. The airport was gwinnett county, GA (lzu). Several lessons were learned from this event: 1) pay much more attention to WX conditions. 2) know my passenger better. 3) I need more instrument training (time and distance in turning). 4) in the training I received I was not prepared for a hysterical woman. I realize the decision to land without contacting the tower first was not a good decision. I have always been taught to fly the plan as safe as possible. In this case with all of the distrs (passenger, WX, visibility) the safest thing for me to do was land as soon as safe as possible in order to calm the hysterical woman down before she caused further disruption in the plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT FLEW VFR IN IMC THEN LWOC AT LZU.

Narrative: DURING A VFR FLT FROM LAFAYETTE, GA (9A5), MY DEST WAS COVINGTON, GA (9A1). I WAS IN CONTACT WITH ATL FLT WATCH. I WAS 10-15 NM SE OF CALHOUN, GA (CZL) WHEN ATL FLT WATCH INFORMED ME THAT CONDITIONS WERE CLR BELOW 12000 FT WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY WITH HAZE. I TOLD ATL THAT SCATTERED CLOUDS APPEARED TO BE AT 4500 FT. THEY THANKED ME FOR THE INFO. AS I CONTINUED THE FLT, THE VISIBILITY DROPPED TO AROUND 6-7 MI DUE TO HAZE. AT APPROX 20 NM FROM MY DEST, I WAS SETTING THE COM FREQ FOR THE ARR WHEN I ENCOUNTERED MILD TURB. I LOT VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO MY INSTS AND BEGAN A SLOW 180 DEG TURN TO THE L TO GET OUT OF THE SOUP AND LOST ABOUT 200-500 FT OF ALT. I HAD 2 PAX, A MAN AND A WOMAN. THE WOMAN SEATED DIRECTLY BEHIND ME BECAME HYSTERICAL DUE TO THE LOSS OF VISIBILITY WITH THE GND AND THE ROUGH AIR. SOMETIME DURING MY TURN, WHICH MUST HAVE BEEN TOO SHARP, THE WOMAN SCREAMED, 'THERE IS AN ARPT!' AND DEMANDED THAT I LAND. FOR NOT WANTING TO LOSE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT, I IMMEDIATELY DROPPED AT A LOWER ALT OF ABOUT 1500 FT. BY THIS TIME, IN AN EFFORT TO CALM THE WOMAN DOWN, I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND IMMEDIATELY. MY FIRST THOUGHTS WERE NOT TO LOSE VISUAL REF AND WATCH FOR TFC. WITH NO TFC IN THE AIR OR ON THE GND AROUND ME, IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG AND ONCE I WAS OFF THE RWY, I COMMUNICATED WITH THE TWR AND APOLOGIZED. HOWEVER, I DID NOT INFORM THE TWR THAT I HAD A HYSTERICAL WOMAN ON BOARD BECAUSE SHE WAS IN MY PRESENCE. THE ARPT WAS GWINNETT COUNTY, GA (LZU). SEVERAL LESSONS WERE LEARNED FROM THIS EVENT: 1) PAY MUCH MORE ATTN TO WX CONDITIONS. 2) KNOW MY PAX BETTER. 3) I NEED MORE INST TRAINING (TIME AND DISTANCE IN TURNING). 4) IN THE TRAINING I RECEIVED I WAS NOT PREPARED FOR A HYSTERICAL WOMAN. I REALIZE THE DECISION TO LAND WITHOUT CONTACTING THE TWR FIRST WAS NOT A GOOD DECISION. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TAUGHT TO FLY THE PLAN AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE. IN THIS CASE WITH ALL OF THE DISTRS (PAX, WX, VISIBILITY) THE SAFEST THING FOR ME TO DO WAS LAND AS SOON AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO CALM THE HYSTERICAL WOMAN DOWN BEFORE SHE CAUSED FURTHER DISRUPTION IN THE PLANE.

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.