Narrative:

I took off from calhan; co (5v4) for trip to reno; nv. Cos; co; was clear -- vail; co; was raining and cloudy. My WX showed some broken clouds coming in from the south along my route to milford; ut; which milford was reporting clear skies and so was reno; nv. En route to pueblo; co; I saw a few clouds over monarch pass. I was at 10500 ft MSL and I was listening to denver ATC. I did not call ZDV. I went over monarch pass at 14500 ft MSL and I stayed at 14500 ft MSL. I went over gunnison; co; which had broken clouds. I was VFR on top. I set my GPS to milford; ut (mlf). At montrose; col; there were just a few clouds. I stayed at 14500 ft MSL. At moah; ut; the clouds below me were getting thicker and higher; so I climbed to 16500 ft MSL. I ended up at 17500 ft MSL east of hawksville. I checked on milford; ut; with FSS and it was reporting (by other aircraft) as clear. Milford is my stop for fuel. So with this information; I decided to continue on to milford on top. I still did not talk to ZLC. But I was listening to them. I didn't hear them talking to anyone in my area or altitude. At this time I needed to climb to stay out of the clouds. I knew that the mountains are high in this area; so I elected not to go down. So I started to climb. At FL185; ZLC called for an aircraft at my speed and altitude and climbing at hanksville with my direction of flight to call them; which I did call them. I gave them my intentions. They advised me of my violation and suggested I descend. He said denver and salt lake had been tracking me. There was a very large break in the clouds to my south; so I descended down to 10000 ft MSL. I turned north and went around the hill at burrville and monroe; ut; and landed at milford; ut. ZLC gave me a phone number to call. I had no phone service at milford. I fueled the plane and departed for reno. I stayed at 12500 ft MSL and listened to ATC into reno and I landed at reno. At my motel I called and talked to a nice man (either a controller or supervisor -- I didn't get his name). He explained my violation and said he didn't know if he was going to report this. I explained that I know I was wrong; but to be safe; I needed to stay out of the clouds and I did not want to be wandering around the hills trying to get to clear skies. I am reporting this to say: I made a mistake. I didn't call ZDV or ZLC for flight following. I will next time call. I was in class a airspace (for a short period of time) and this will never happen again. I am working on my IFR ticket. The next time I am at class a airspace I will have my IFR ticket and I will contact ATC. I needed to communicate better. Sorry. This is my first violation and I have been flying since the late 1960's (1967).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH NO FLT PLAN FILED AND NOT UTILIZING FLT FOLLOWING; NON-INSTRUMENT RATED SMT PLT DEPARTS ON 700+ NM CROSS COUNTRY ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND IS COMPELLED TO CLIMB ABOVE FL180 TO AVOID IMC. ATC ADVISES HIM OF HIS ERROR.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM CALHAN; CO (5V4) FOR TRIP TO RENO; NV. COS; CO; WAS CLR -- VAIL; CO; WAS RAINING AND CLOUDY. MY WX SHOWED SOME BROKEN CLOUDS COMING IN FROM THE S ALONG MY RTE TO MILFORD; UT; WHICH MILFORD WAS RPTING CLR SKIES AND SO WAS RENO; NV. ENRTE TO PUEBLO; CO; I SAW A FEW CLOUDS OVER MONARCH PASS. I WAS AT 10500 FT MSL AND I WAS LISTENING TO DENVER ATC. I DID NOT CALL ZDV. I WENT OVER MONARCH PASS AT 14500 FT MSL AND I STAYED AT 14500 FT MSL. I WENT OVER GUNNISON; CO; WHICH HAD BROKEN CLOUDS. I WAS VFR ON TOP. I SET MY GPS TO MILFORD; UT (MLF). AT MONTROSE; COL; THERE WERE JUST A FEW CLOUDS. I STAYED AT 14500 FT MSL. AT MOAH; UT; THE CLOUDS BELOW ME WERE GETTING THICKER AND HIGHER; SO I CLBED TO 16500 FT MSL. I ENDED UP AT 17500 FT MSL E OF HAWKSVILLE. I CHKED ON MILFORD; UT; WITH FSS AND IT WAS RPTING (BY OTHER ACFT) AS CLR. MILFORD IS MY STOP FOR FUEL. SO WITH THIS INFO; I DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO MILFORD ON TOP. I STILL DID NOT TALK TO ZLC. BUT I WAS LISTENING TO THEM. I DIDN'T HEAR THEM TALKING TO ANYONE IN MY AREA OR ALT. AT THIS TIME I NEEDED TO CLB TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I KNEW THAT THE MOUNTAINS ARE HIGH IN THIS AREA; SO I ELECTED NOT TO GO DOWN. SO I STARTED TO CLB. AT FL185; ZLC CALLED FOR AN ACFT AT MY SPD AND ALT AND CLBING AT HANKSVILLE WITH MY DIRECTION OF FLT TO CALL THEM; WHICH I DID CALL THEM. I GAVE THEM MY INTENTIONS. THEY ADVISED ME OF MY VIOLATION AND SUGGESTED I DSND. HE SAID DENVER AND SALT LAKE HAD BEEN TRACKING ME. THERE WAS A VERY LARGE BREAK IN THE CLOUDS TO MY S; SO I DSNDED DOWN TO 10000 FT MSL. I TURNED N AND WENT AROUND THE HILL AT BURRVILLE AND MONROE; UT; AND LANDED AT MILFORD; UT. ZLC GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. I HAD NO PHONE SVC AT MILFORD. I FUELED THE PLANE AND DEPARTED FOR RENO. I STAYED AT 12500 FT MSL AND LISTENED TO ATC INTO RENO AND I LANDED AT RENO. AT MY MOTEL I CALLED AND TALKED TO A NICE MAN (EITHER A CTLR OR SUPVR -- I DIDN'T GET HIS NAME). HE EXPLAINED MY VIOLATION AND SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW IF HE WAS GOING TO RPT THIS. I EXPLAINED THAT I KNOW I WAS WRONG; BUT TO BE SAFE; I NEEDED TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND I DID NOT WANT TO BE WANDERING AROUND THE HILLS TRYING TO GET TO CLR SKIES. I AM RPTING THIS TO SAY: I MADE A MISTAKE. I DIDN'T CALL ZDV OR ZLC FOR FLT FOLLOWING. I WILL NEXT TIME CALL. I WAS IN CLASS A AIRSPACE (FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME) AND THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM WORKING ON MY IFR TICKET. THE NEXT TIME I AM AT CLASS A AIRSPACE I WILL HAVE MY IFR TICKET AND I WILL CONTACT ATC. I NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE BETTER. SORRY. THIS IS MY FIRST VIOLATION AND I HAVE BEEN FLYING SINCE THE LATE 1960'S (1967).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.