Narrative:

This was my first solo student x-country flight. I have 3.2 hours dual navigation and made 2 dual flts from mena, ar, to texarkana, ar, before this flight. On the day of this event, I checked WX at about ab:30 am CDT with jonesboro/little rock flight service and was told WX would be 2000 to 4000 scattered to broken with occasional light rainshowers. In addition, my instrument used the duat system and received the same information in written form. He met me at AC:00 CDT, checked my flight log, reviewed the WX and airport layout. He completed the endorsement of my flight log for this flight, and observed my servicing and other preflight activities. I departed mena at AC:02 am CDT. The flight to texarkana was uneventful. I departed texarkana at about clearance delivery:00 am CDT for the return trip to mena. About clearance delivery:30 am CDT near the texarkana 352/30, I encounter WX at approximately 5000', and turned to avoid the clouds. I told jonesboro/little rock of my problems and started descending back to texarkana. I got beneath the clouds and landed at texarkana. I waited on the ground until de:30 CDT, when the WX appeared to improve. The forecasts had not changed (2000' to 4000' scattered to broken). At approximately ef:00 CDT at approximately the same location, I again encountered WX and diverted back to texarkana. I communicated my plight to jonesboro who told me to set my transponder to 7700 and contact fort worth center. I did this, and with their help got back to VFR conditions. I told them my headings and altitudes until I was VFR. I landed at texarkana unnerved by the events, so that when I returned home later that day I inadvertently left my transponder set on 7700, where it had been set on landing. Fort worth center, needless to say was upset with this development. I used poor judgement evaluating the in-flight WX, but all my dual instruction was received in much better WX conditions, not be design, but because those conditions occurred during the time that was available for my training. Both the center and flight service deserve praise for helping me back down. I owe my life to the help they gave and I regret any stress and inconvenience I may have imposed on them. I had been told to stay out of clouds, but that if I got into clouds, where it couldn't be avoided, I should not hesitate to let those people know I was in trouble. While I deserve criticism for my poor judgement in ths event, I fail to see why I need to be disciplined for an event that inadvertently occurred as part of my learning experience where I was trying to correct the effect of my poor judgement by following instructions as I understood them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI GETS IN TROUBLE WITH CLOUD BUILDUPS AND AFTER 2 ATTEMPTS TO GET THROUGH WX AREA GETS A FLT ASSIST FROM ZFW. ON RETURN TO BASE HE FORGETS TO CHANGE TRANSPONDER CODE FROM 7700 TO 1200 WHICH BOTHERED THE CENTER SOMEWHAT.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO STUDENT X-COUNTRY FLT. I HAVE 3.2 HRS DUAL NAV AND MADE 2 DUAL FLTS FROM MENA, AR, TO TEXARKANA, AR, BEFORE THIS FLT. ON THE DAY OF THIS EVENT, I CHKED WX AT ABOUT AB:30 AM CDT WITH JONESBORO/LITTLE ROCK FLT SVC AND WAS TOLD WX WOULD BE 2000 TO 4000 SCATTERED TO BROKEN WITH OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAINSHOWERS. IN ADDITION, MY INSTR USED THE DUAT SYS AND RECEIVED THE SAME INFO IN WRITTEN FORM. HE MET ME AT AC:00 CDT, CHKED MY FLT LOG, REVIEWED THE WX AND ARPT LAYOUT. HE COMPLETED THE ENDORSEMENT OF MY FLT LOG FOR THIS FLT, AND OBSERVED MY SVCING AND OTHER PREFLT ACTIVITIES. I DEPARTED MENA AT AC:02 AM CDT. THE FLT TO TEXARKANA WAS UNEVENTFUL. I DEPARTED TEXARKANA AT ABOUT CD:00 AM CDT FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO MENA. ABOUT CD:30 AM CDT NEAR THE TEXARKANA 352/30, I ENCOUNTER WX AT APPROX 5000', AND TURNED TO AVOID THE CLOUDS. I TOLD JONESBORO/LITTLE ROCK OF MY PROBS AND STARTED DSNDING BACK TO TEXARKANA. I GOT BENEATH THE CLOUDS AND LANDED AT TEXARKANA. I WAITED ON THE GND UNTIL DE:30 CDT, WHEN THE WX APPEARED TO IMPROVE. THE FORECASTS HAD NOT CHANGED (2000' TO 4000' SCATTERED TO BROKEN). AT APPROX EF:00 CDT AT APPROX THE SAME LOCATION, I AGAIN ENCOUNTERED WX AND DIVERTED BACK TO TEXARKANA. I COMMUNICATED MY PLIGHT TO JONESBORO WHO TOLD ME TO SET MY XPONDER TO 7700 AND CONTACT FORT WORTH CTR. I DID THIS, AND WITH THEIR HELP GOT BACK TO VFR CONDITIONS. I TOLD THEM MY HDGS AND ALTS UNTIL I WAS VFR. I LANDED AT TEXARKANA UNNERVED BY THE EVENTS, SO THAT WHEN I RETURNED HOME LATER THAT DAY I INADVERTENTLY LEFT MY XPONDER SET ON 7700, WHERE IT HAD BEEN SET ON LNDG. FORT WORTH CTR, NEEDLESS TO SAY WAS UPSET WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT. I USED POOR JUDGEMENT EVALUATING THE INFLT WX, BUT ALL MY DUAL INSTRUCTION WAS RECEIVED IN MUCH BETTER WX CONDITIONS, NOT BE DESIGN, BUT BECAUSE THOSE CONDITIONS OCCURRED DURING THE TIME THAT WAS AVAILABLE FOR MY TRNING. BOTH THE CTR AND FLT SVC DESERVE PRAISE FOR HELPING ME BACK DOWN. I OWE MY LIFE TO THE HELP THEY GAVE AND I REGRET ANY STRESS AND INCONVENIENCE I MAY HAVE IMPOSED ON THEM. I HAD BEEN TOLD TO STAY OUT OF CLOUDS, BUT THAT IF I GOT INTO CLOUDS, WHERE IT COULDN'T BE AVOIDED, I SHOULD NOT HESITATE TO LET THOSE PEOPLE KNOW I WAS IN TROUBLE. WHILE I DESERVE CRITICISM FOR MY POOR JUDGEMENT IN THS EVENT, I FAIL TO SEE WHY I NEED TO BE DISCIPLINED FOR AN EVENT THAT INADVERTENTLY OCCURRED AS PART OF MY LEARNING EXPERIENCE WHERE I WAS TRYING TO CORRECT THE EFFECT OF MY POOR JUDGEMENT BY FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS AS I UNDERSTOOD THEM.

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.