A single pilot requested a pop-up clearance from ZDV, during a flight from 7v2 to bjc, during which ...

Attributes
ACN	631322
Time
Date	200409
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdv.artcc
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Turbulence
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc tower : jac.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 21 flight time total : 2350 flight time type : 2100
ASRS Report	631322
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other controllerb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a flight from north fork valley airport (7v2) to jeffco airport (bjc), it was clear below 14000 ft with a cloud deck at about 16000 ft over the mountains. After climbing to 17500 ft and seeing that the tops were still above my altitude, I called ZDV and asked for a pop-up IFR clearance to bjc. The controller gave me a clearance then asked me to call denver radio to file a flight plan, which was confusing to me, which started my problem and by now, I had climbed to FL185 to stay out of the clouds. After filing with denver radio, I returned to center frequency and they instructed me to descend to 17000 ft, fly to powdr intersection, and follow the powdr 5 arrival into jeffco. I told center I did not have the powdr 5 arrival information at hand and then I remembered I had not told center when I asked for the pop-up 'no stars no sids,' and told that to center so they would amend my clearance for landing at jeffco. In descending to the instructed altitude and talking to center, I was having a hard time communicating and was feeling lightheaded. My wife was in the right seat and told me my oxygen line was chinked and started helping me get the oxygen flowing properly. From then on during descent and landing at jeffco, everything seemed ok. However, before leaving center frequency, they asked me to call when I got on the ground. Then I switched to den approach who brought me to jeffco where I canceled the IFR, reporting jeffco in sight, then talked to jeffco tower and landed. Jeffco ground control directed me to parking and before I parked, ground asked me to call den approach when I got tied down. So, after I shut down and tied down, I went to a phone and made both calls, explaining what had gone on during my flight. I was told by both parties that they were just checking to be sure I had landed ok and that I was alright. I thanked them and thus ends this report.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SINGLE PLT REQUESTED A POP-UP CLRNC FROM ZDV, DURING A FLT FROM 7V2 TO BJC, DURING WHICH HE OVERSHOT HIS ASSIGNED ALT AND THEN LATER EXPERIENCED HYPOXIA UNTIL HE STRAIGHTENED OUT HIS OXYGEN LINE WITH THE HELP OF HIS PAX.

Narrative: DURING A FLT FROM NORTH FORK VALLEY ARPT (7V2) TO JEFFCO ARPT (BJC), IT WAS CLR BELOW 14000 FT WITH A CLOUD DECK AT ABOUT 16000 FT OVER THE MOUNTAINS. AFTER CLBING TO 17500 FT AND SEEING THAT THE TOPS WERE STILL ABOVE MY ALT, I CALLED ZDV AND ASKED FOR A POP-UP IFR CLRNC TO BJC. THE CTLR GAVE ME A CLRNC THEN ASKED ME TO CALL DENVER RADIO TO FILE A FLT PLAN, WHICH WAS CONFUSING TO ME, WHICH STARTED MY PROB AND BY NOW, I HAD CLBED TO FL185 TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS. AFTER FILING WITH DENVER RADIO, I RETURNED TO CTR FREQ AND THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO DSND TO 17000 FT, FLY TO POWDR INTXN, AND FOLLOW THE POWDR 5 ARR INTO JEFFCO. I TOLD CTR I DID NOT HAVE THE POWDR 5 ARR INFO AT HAND AND THEN I REMEMBERED I HAD NOT TOLD CTR WHEN I ASKED FOR THE POP-UP 'NO STARS NO SIDS,' AND TOLD THAT TO CTR SO THEY WOULD AMEND MY CLRNC FOR LNDG AT JEFFCO. IN DSNDING TO THE INSTRUCTED ALT AND TALKING TO CTR, I WAS HAVING A HARD TIME COMMUNICATING AND WAS FEELING LIGHTHEADED. MY WIFE WAS IN THE R SEAT AND TOLD ME MY OXYGEN LINE WAS CHINKED AND STARTED HELPING ME GET THE OXYGEN FLOWING PROPERLY. FROM THEN ON DURING DSCNT AND LNDG AT JEFFCO, EVERYTHING SEEMED OK. HOWEVER, BEFORE LEAVING CTR FREQ, THEY ASKED ME TO CALL WHEN I GOT ON THE GND. THEN I SWITCHED TO DEN APCH WHO BROUGHT ME TO JEFFCO WHERE I CANCELED THE IFR, RPTING JEFFCO IN SIGHT, THEN TALKED TO JEFFCO TWR AND LANDED. JEFFCO GND CTL DIRECTED ME TO PARKING AND BEFORE I PARKED, GND ASKED ME TO CALL DEN APCH WHEN I GOT TIED DOWN. SO, AFTER I SHUT DOWN AND TIED DOWN, I WENT TO A PHONE AND MADE BOTH CALLS, EXPLAINING WHAT HAD GONE ON DURING MY FLT. I WAS TOLD BY BOTH PARTIES THAT THEY WERE JUST CHKING TO BE SURE I HAD LANDED OK AND THAT I WAS ALRIGHT. I THANKED THEM AND THUS ENDS THIS RPT.

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.

A single pilot requested a pop-up clearance from ZDV, during a flight from 7v2 to bjc, during which he overshot his assigned altitude and then later experienced hypoxia until he straightened out his oxygen line with the help of his passenger.