Narrative:

Chain of events: telluride airport is 9000 ft with 14300 ft mountains to the north, east, and south. The WX to the west (direction of takeoff) was on the ground. No tower there. We took off VFR with an IFR clearance at 16000 ft. Because of the ceiling to the west, we climbed downwind to the east trying to climb to 16000 ft for radar identify, but WX closed in on us and we couldn't maintain VFR at 16000 ft. I tuned in the wrong radio frequency for den approach delaying contact with them. At 16000 ft den approach couldn't radar identify me for 2-3 mins. They finally received my transponder but by then we were IMC. There was no problem with my transponder so the late radar contact was the major problem. Trying to maintain VFR, we went through our assigned altitude of 16000 ft because of severe up and downdrafts caused by the mountains. There was a convective SIGMET issued for the telluride area about 45 mins before departure. What can be done to prevent this: I should have done the published departure instead of taking off VFR in marginal WX (actions). I should have waited for the WX to get better (judgement). Because of the VFR departure, my clearance time was only 10 mins and I rushed my takeoff, forgetting to set my radio to den approach (human performance). Several up and downdrafts because of the mountains made it so I had a difficult time controling the plane. Taking off to the east was directly into the mountains and I don't have extensive experience in mountain flying. I will take a mountain flying course as soon as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA46 DEPARTING A MOUNTAINOUS ARPT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VMC WHILE CLBING TO AN ATC RADAR ACQUISITION ALT.

Narrative: CHAIN OF EVENTS: TELLURIDE ARPT IS 9000 FT WITH 14300 FT MOUNTAINS TO THE N, E, AND S. THE WX TO THE W (DIRECTION OF TKOF) WAS ON THE GND. NO TWR THERE. WE TOOK OFF VFR WITH AN IFR CLRNC AT 16000 FT. BECAUSE OF THE CEILING TO THE W, WE CLBED DOWNWIND TO THE E TRYING TO CLB TO 16000 FT FOR RADAR IDENT, BUT WX CLOSED IN ON US AND WE COULDN'T MAINTAIN VFR AT 16000 FT. I TUNED IN THE WRONG RADIO FREQ FOR DEN APCH DELAYING CONTACT WITH THEM. AT 16000 FT DEN APCH COULDN'T RADAR IDENT ME FOR 2-3 MINS. THEY FINALLY RECEIVED MY XPONDER BUT BY THEN WE WERE IMC. THERE WAS NO PROB WITH MY XPONDER SO THE LATE RADAR CONTACT WAS THE MAJOR PROB. TRYING TO MAINTAIN VFR, WE WENT THROUGH OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 16000 FT BECAUSE OF SEVERE UP AND DOWNDRAFTS CAUSED BY THE MOUNTAINS. THERE WAS A CONVECTIVE SIGMET ISSUED FOR THE TELLURIDE AREA ABOUT 45 MINS BEFORE DEP. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS: I SHOULD HAVE DONE THE PUBLISHED DEP INSTEAD OF TAKING OFF VFR IN MARGINAL WX (ACTIONS). I SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR THE WX TO GET BETTER (JUDGEMENT). BECAUSE OF THE VFR DEP, MY CLRNC TIME WAS ONLY 10 MINS AND I RUSHED MY TKOF, FORGETTING TO SET MY RADIO TO DEN APCH (HUMAN PERFORMANCE). SEVERAL UP AND DOWNDRAFTS BECAUSE OF THE MOUNTAINS MADE IT SO I HAD A DIFFICULT TIME CTLING THE PLANE. TAKING OFF TO THE E WAS DIRECTLY INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND I DON'T HAVE EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN MOUNTAIN FLYING. I WILL TAKE A MOUNTAIN FLYING COURSE ASAP.

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.