Narrative:

As I prepared for the instrument training flight I checked the WX on the internet and concluded that it was safe for the flight to occur in VMC. High winds were reported all day so I called WX-brief and requested a standard WX briefing for the route of see-sdm-myf-see 'round robin.' airmet was still in effect for the southern california area and I was provided the metars for the named airports. Wind aloft was 30 KTS at 3000 ft; but believed to be constant and gust were not reported for my route. I noted being told that no PIREPS were reported for the area. The FSS and I agreed that it would be windy and bumpy; but nothing to be concerned about. I filed a VFR flight plan knowing that half of the flight would not be IFR operations. I started the aircraft; took off out of see and opened my flight plan with san diego radio on 122.4. I again was told there were no PIREPS affecting my route of flight. I then contacted socal approach control (124.35) and picked up an IFR clearance for practice approachs; received a squawk code and vectors to final. The controller issued the typical modified missed approach instructions (turn northeast over pgy to remain clear of san class B). We flew the approach; executed the missed approach as instructed and contacted socal on 124.35. I was given a vector to head 060 degrees and climb to 3000 ft. I requested a different heading and was denied. As we started climbing we noted light to moderate chop and we were headed into the wind. At approximately 2500 ft the helicopter began to climb exceeding the set climb power configns. We confirmed that we were in an updraft by lowering the power to descent confign and the helicopter continued to climb. I advised socal that we were in an updraft and unable to stop climbing at 3000 ft. We were cleared to 3500 ft and despite the clearance we were still unable to stop the climb. We then were cleared to 4000 ft only to keep climbing past 4000 ft. We again advised the controller and he cleared us to 4500 ft and not above. He then turned us to a heading of 360 degrees and informed a B757 on final to san that he is restr to 5000 ft and no lower due to a helicopter at 12 O'clock position; that could not maintain altitude. As we continued to climb at 500 FPM we passed right through 4500 ft and the airliner was diverted south of my position (south of the approach course) as we climbed up into the san localizer approach path. At approximately 5000 ft I was able to get the helicopter to descend and we canceled further IFR request and were cleared direct see with a class B clearance. It took us 20 mins to get the helicopter from 5000 ft to 1500 ft over see. Socal requested me to file a PIREP once clear of his airspace. I contacted san diego radio to file the PIREP and they informed me that a PIREP was received just after I opened my flight plan by a B757 from jli VORTAC to the FAF of san for moderate turbulence. I file the PIREP and closed my flight plan. We returned to see and suspended all flight operations for the rest of the night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROBINSON PLT ENCOUNTERS SEVERE UPDRAFTS AND TURB AND IS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT.

Narrative: AS I PREPARED FOR THE INST TRAINING FLT I CHKED THE WX ON THE INTERNET AND CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS SAFE FOR THE FLT TO OCCUR IN VMC. HIGH WINDS WERE RPTED ALL DAY SO I CALLED WX-BRIEF AND REQUESTED A STANDARD WX BRIEFING FOR THE RTE OF SEE-SDM-MYF-SEE 'ROUND ROBIN.' AIRMET WAS STILL IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA AND I WAS PROVIDED THE METARS FOR THE NAMED ARPTS. WIND ALOFT WAS 30 KTS AT 3000 FT; BUT BELIEVED TO BE CONSTANT AND GUST WERE NOT RPTED FOR MY RTE. I NOTED BEING TOLD THAT NO PIREPS WERE RPTED FOR THE AREA. THE FSS AND I AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE WINDY AND BUMPY; BUT NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN KNOWING THAT HALF OF THE FLT WOULD NOT BE IFR OPS. I STARTED THE ACFT; TOOK OFF OUT OF SEE AND OPENED MY FLT PLAN WITH SAN DIEGO RADIO ON 122.4. I AGAIN WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO PIREPS AFFECTING MY RTE OF FLT. I THEN CONTACTED SOCAL APCH CTL (124.35) AND PICKED UP AN IFR CLRNC FOR PRACTICE APCHS; RECEIVED A SQUAWK CODE AND VECTORS TO FINAL. THE CTLR ISSUED THE TYPICAL MODIFIED MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS (TURN NE OVER PGY TO REMAIN CLR OF SAN CLASS B). WE FLEW THE APCH; EXECUTED THE MISSED APCH AS INSTRUCTED AND CONTACTED SOCAL ON 124.35. I WAS GIVEN A VECTOR TO HEAD 060 DEGS AND CLB TO 3000 FT. I REQUESTED A DIFFERENT HDG AND WAS DENIED. AS WE STARTED CLBING WE NOTED LIGHT TO MODERATE CHOP AND WE WERE HEADED INTO THE WIND. AT APPROX 2500 FT THE HELI BEGAN TO CLB EXCEEDING THE SET CLB PWR CONFIGNS. WE CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE IN AN UPDRAFT BY LOWERING THE PWR TO DSCNT CONFIGN AND THE HELI CONTINUED TO CLB. I ADVISED SOCAL THAT WE WERE IN AN UPDRAFT AND UNABLE TO STOP CLBING AT 3000 FT. WE WERE CLRED TO 3500 FT AND DESPITE THE CLRNC WE WERE STILL UNABLE TO STOP THE CLB. WE THEN WERE CLRED TO 4000 FT ONLY TO KEEP CLBING PAST 4000 FT. WE AGAIN ADVISED THE CTLR AND HE CLRED US TO 4500 FT AND NOT ABOVE. HE THEN TURNED US TO A HDG OF 360 DEGS AND INFORMED A B757 ON FINAL TO SAN THAT HE IS RESTR TO 5000 FT AND NO LOWER DUE TO A HELI AT 12 O'CLOCK POS; THAT COULD NOT MAINTAIN ALT. AS WE CONTINUED TO CLB AT 500 FPM WE PASSED RIGHT THROUGH 4500 FT AND THE AIRLINER WAS DIVERTED S OF MY POS (S OF THE APCH COURSE) AS WE CLBED UP INTO THE SAN LOC APCH PATH. AT APPROX 5000 FT I WAS ABLE TO GET THE HELI TO DSND AND WE CANCELED FURTHER IFR REQUEST AND WERE CLRED DIRECT SEE WITH A CLASS B CLRNC. IT TOOK US 20 MINS TO GET THE HELI FROM 5000 FT TO 1500 FT OVER SEE. SOCAL REQUESTED ME TO FILE A PIREP ONCE CLR OF HIS AIRSPACE. I CONTACTED SAN DIEGO RADIO TO FILE THE PIREP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT A PIREP WAS RECEIVED JUST AFTER I OPENED MY FLT PLAN BY A B757 FROM JLI VORTAC TO THE FAF OF SAN FOR MODERATE TURB. I FILE THE PIREP AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN. WE RETURNED TO SEE AND SUSPENDED ALL FLT OPS FOR THE REST OF THE NIGHT.

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.