Narrative:

On a routine flight back from petersburg to juneau; I encountered an area of reduced visibility about 25 mi from the airport; the flight up stevens passage consisted of low ceilings but good visibility. When I rounded the corner at point arden I encountered a heavy snow storm. Realizing; that for the safety of the flight; I should not continue; I turned around. In my turn; the visibility went below VFR conditions. I flew back to an area of known VFR conditions and flew across the channel to try the east side before I would return to petersburg. The east side didn't prove any better; so; for the safety of the flight I decided to return to petersburg. On the return down stevens passage; the storm had moved in behind us and had to execute another turn to VFR conditions. On this turn my GPS went out and I became disoriented; rolling out of the turn at a point that I thought was 180 degrees. The GPS came back on to show I had over turned and was heading straight for a mountain side. I made a turn in the opposite direction and picked up the shoreline on the other side. At this point I didn't think we had enough fuel to get to petersburg; and for the safety of the flight decided to reduce my altitude; keep my wings level and fly through the snow. When we got to where the storm had been; the visibility was good enough to get back to juneau. The WX conditions of the flight had me below basic VFR WX minimums only to assure a safe outlook of the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR PIPER CHEROKEE PLT APPROACHING JNU ENCOUNTERED A SNOW STORM; AND ENTERED IMC WHILE ATTEMPTING TO AVOID THE WX AND EXECUTE A DIVERSION. ULTIMATELY HE CONTINUED TO JNU VFR.

Narrative: ON A ROUTINE FLT BACK FROM PETERSBURG TO JUNEAU; I ENCOUNTERED AN AREA OF REDUCED VISIBILITY ABOUT 25 MI FROM THE ARPT; THE FLT UP STEVENS PASSAGE CONSISTED OF LOW CEILINGS BUT GOOD VISIBILITY. WHEN I ROUNDED THE CORNER AT POINT ARDEN I ENCOUNTERED A HEAVY SNOW STORM. REALIZING; THAT FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLIGHT; I SHOULD NOT CONTINUE; I TURNED AROUND. IN MY TURN; THE VISIBILITY WENT BELOW VFR CONDITIONS. I FLEW BACK TO AN AREA OF KNOWN VFR CONDITIONS AND FLEW ACROSS THE CHANNEL TO TRY THE EAST SIDE BEFORE I WOULD RETURN TO PETERSBURG. THE EAST SIDE DIDN'T PROVE ANY BETTER; SO; FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT I DECIDED TO RETURN TO PETERSBURG. ON THE RETURN DOWN STEVENS PASSAGE; THE STORM HAD MOVED IN BEHIND US AND HAD TO EXECUTE ANOTHER TURN TO VFR CONDITIONS. ON THIS TURN MY GPS WENT OUT AND I BECAME DISORIENTED; ROLLING OUT OF THE TURN AT A POINT THAT I THOUGHT WAS 180 DEGREES. THE GPS CAME BACK ON TO SHOW I HAD OVER TURNED AND WAS HEADING STRAIGHT FOR A MOUNTAIN SIDE. I MADE A TURN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AND PICKED UP THE SHORELINE ON THE OTHER SIDE. AT THIS POINT I DIDN'T THINK WE HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO GET TO PETERSBURG; AND FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLT DECIDED TO REDUCE MY ALT; KEEP MY WINGS LEVEL AND FLY THROUGH THE SNOW. WHEN WE GOT TO WHERE THE STORM HAD BEEN; THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO GET BACK TO JUNEAU. THE WX CONDITIONS OF THE FLT HAD ME BELOW BASIC VFR WX MINIMUMS ONLY TO ASSURE A SAFE OUTLOOK OF THE FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.