Narrative:

I was returning from a flight to the brooks range VFR to fai. A forest fire was burning 30 southwest of fai. Had been cruising between 5500 and 7000 ft MSL; based on ceilings above. At about 50 NM from fai; smoke began to get thick; but still had good visibility 15+ east; lower west; but could make out hills ahead. As smoke thickened; I descended to maintain ground contact. I have been in radio with fai approach control; but not radar contact; since 50 mi north. As I descended to stay VFR; approach was unable to pick me up on radar. By 30 mi out; I had descended below 3000 ft to maintain ground contact; and realized that I had terrain higher than that between me and fai. At that point; visibility went down to zero; so I asked fai approach for a pop-up IFR clearance to fai. Initially they were unable to issue me one; as they did not yet have me on radar. They advised me of terrain heights in the area; based on my position report; and told me they could give me a clearance at 5000 ft. I climbed to 5000 ft and took a radar vector for the ILS into fai. A few mins later; I broke out of the smoke into 30 mi plus visibility; and proceeded to fai to land. While I was aware of the fire; there were no PIREPS indicating a problem with smoke. The rco north of fai was out of service that day. I listened on another FSS frequency and heard several aircraft opening flight plans headed my direction. At about 60 mi out I attempted to raise one of those aircraft on the FSS frequency to ask for a PIREP; as they were coming through the smoke; but was unable to contact them. I field a PIREP as soon as I landed; as there were two aircraft behind me also returning; which I wanted to warn. After the fact I spoke with one of those pilots who had stayed high; about 7000 ft; and been able to stay VFR through the smoke. I was definitely hampered by the rco outage. In retrospect; I would work harder on obtaining a PIREP; from the outbound aircraft; however it appears in this case there were areas of dense smoke; and other areas where the smoke was less dense. Will need to learn more about the dynamics of smoke plumes; as we have forest fires with increasing frequency the past three seasons in interior ak. Fai approach control was as helpful as they could be under the circumstances; but that left me having to make an IFR climb before I could pick up a clearance. Radar coverage is very limited in ak. As there were other GA aircraft operating in the area; PIREPS seem likely they should have been the best source of information. With the murphy dome rco out of service; there was no obvious frequency to contact the VFR aircraft (I have two radios; one was on fai approach; the other on the FSS frequency). I note that the canadians have a system when after leaving an airport area covered by a CTAF; they all use a common en route frequency. If the us had a similar policy; I might have been successful at contacting one of the northbound VFR aircraft and obtaining a PIREP to know where/how they made it through the smoke.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C185 PLT ENTERS SMOKE FROM FOREST FIRE RESULTING IN VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING FROM A FLT TO THE BROOKS RANGE VFR TO FAI. A FOREST FIRE WAS BURNING 30 SW OF FAI. HAD BEEN CRUISING BETWEEN 5500 AND 7000 FT MSL; BASED ON CEILINGS ABOVE. AT ABOUT 50 NM FROM FAI; SMOKE BEGAN TO GET THICK; BUT STILL HAD GOOD VISIBILITY 15+ E; LOWER W; BUT COULD MAKE OUT HILLS AHEAD. AS SMOKE THICKENED; I DESCENDED TO MAINTAIN GND CONTACT. I HAVE BEEN IN RADIO WITH FAI APCH CTL; BUT NOT RADAR CONTACT; SINCE 50 MI N. AS I DESCENDED TO STAY VFR; APCH WAS UNABLE TO PICK ME UP ON RADAR. BY 30 MI OUT; I HAD DESCENDED BELOW 3000 FT TO MAINTAIN GND CONTACT; AND REALIZED THAT I HAD TERRAIN HIGHER THAN THAT BETWEEN ME AND FAI. AT THAT POINT; VISIBILITY WENT DOWN TO ZERO; SO I ASKED FAI APCH FOR A POP-UP IFR CLRNC TO FAI. INITIALLY THEY WERE UNABLE TO ISSUE ME ONE; AS THEY DID NOT YET HAVE ME ON RADAR. THEY ADVISED ME OF TERRAIN HEIGHTS IN THE AREA; BASED ON MY POS RPT; AND TOLD ME THEY COULD GIVE ME A CLRNC AT 5000 FT. I CLBED TO 5000 FT AND TOOK A RADAR VECTOR FOR THE ILS INTO FAI. A FEW MINS LATER; I BROKE OUT OF THE SMOKE INTO 30 MI PLUS VISIBILITY; AND PROCEEDED TO FAI TO LAND. WHILE I WAS AWARE OF THE FIRE; THERE WERE NO PIREPS INDICATING A PROB WITH SMOKE. THE RCO N OF FAI WAS OUT OF SVC THAT DAY. I LISTENED ON ANOTHER FSS FREQ AND HEARD SEVERAL ACFT OPENING FLT PLANS HEADED MY DIRECTION. AT ABOUT 60 MI OUT I ATTEMPTED TO RAISE ONE OF THOSE ACFT ON THE FSS FREQ TO ASK FOR A PIREP; AS THEY WERE COMING THROUGH THE SMOKE; BUT WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM. I FIELD A PIREP AS SOON AS I LANDED; AS THERE WERE TWO ACFT BEHIND ME ALSO RETURNING; WHICH I WANTED TO WARN. AFTER THE FACT I SPOKE WITH ONE OF THOSE PLTS WHO HAD STAYED HIGH; ABOUT 7000 FT; AND BEEN ABLE TO STAY VFR THROUGH THE SMOKE. I WAS DEFINITELY HAMPERED BY THE RCO OUTAGE. IN RETROSPECT; I WOULD WORK HARDER ON OBTAINING A PIREP; FROM THE OUTBOUND ACFT; HOWEVER IT APPEARS IN THIS CASE THERE WERE AREAS OF DENSE SMOKE; AND OTHER AREAS WHERE THE SMOKE WAS LESS DENSE. WILL NEED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DYNAMICS OF SMOKE PLUMES; AS WE HAVE FOREST FIRES WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY THE PAST THREE SEASONS IN INTERIOR AK. FAI APCH CTL WAS AS HELPFUL AS THEY COULD BE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES; BUT THAT LEFT ME HAVING TO MAKE AN IFR CLB BEFORE I COULD PICK UP A CLRNC. RADAR COVERAGE IS VERY LIMITED IN AK. AS THERE WERE OTHER GA ACFT OPERATING IN THE AREA; PIREPS SEEM LIKELY THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEST SOURCE OF INFO. WITH THE MURPHY DOME RCO OUT OF SERVICE; THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS FREQ TO CONTACT THE VFR ACFT (I HAVE TWO RADIOS; ONE WAS ON FAI APCH; THE OTHER ON THE FSS FREQ). I NOTE THAT THE CANADIANS HAVE A SYS WHEN AFTER LEAVING AN ARPT AREA COVERED BY A CTAF; THEY ALL USE A COMMON ENRTE FREQ. IF THE US HAD A SIMILAR POLICY; I MIGHT HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT CONTACTING ONE OF THE NORTHBOUND VFR ACFT AND OBTAINING A PIREP TO KNOW WHERE/HOW THEY MADE IT THROUGH THE SMOKE.

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.