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Pilot with flight following by N90 controller had cancelled IFR and was VFR with assigned altitude of 2500' when he encountered clouds.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 163261 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199011 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : jfk airport : frg |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 163261 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified cockpit |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
IFR fdk to frg just behind cold front. Had previously requested 9000' account of trace of rime ice at 7000' over balance. Were VMC above solid deck en route. At acy became clear and 30 mi visibility. Requested VFR (cxl IFR) at low level (1300') and route up the coast to stay below clouds and just off shore. Approved, same transponder code, then amended to 2500' direct jfk. This took me over water on dark moonless night approaching jfk in total dark we went IMC in tops of scattered post frontal clouds. Reported IMC and requested climb to VFR or 4500'. At 3000' became VMC again and was assigned 3500'. Frg ATIS reported clear at this point and flight was concluded. No further incident. Controller chastized me for not telling him we were IMC before it happened. It is hard to know how to avoid this, other than not flying on dark nights, or not cancelling IFR plan in VMC. We had a hard altitude and a specific route even though on a VFR clearance due to kennedy arrs. Obviously in daylight, or even a less dark night this would not have happened.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT WITH FLT FOLLOWING BY N90 CTLR HAD CANCELLED IFR AND WAS VFR WITH ASSIGNED ALT OF 2500' WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS.
Narrative: IFR FDK TO FRG JUST BEHIND COLD FRONT. HAD PREVIOUSLY REQUESTED 9000' ACCOUNT OF TRACE OF RIME ICE AT 7000' OVER BAL. WERE VMC ABOVE SOLID DECK ENRTE. AT ACY BECAME CLR AND 30 MI VISIBILITY. REQUESTED VFR (CXL IFR) AT LOW LEVEL (1300') AND RTE UP THE COAST TO STAY BELOW CLOUDS AND JUST OFF SHORE. APPROVED, SAME XPONDER CODE, THEN AMENDED TO 2500' DIRECT JFK. THIS TOOK ME OVER WATER ON DARK MOONLESS NIGHT APCHING JFK IN TOTAL DARK WE WENT IMC IN TOPS OF SCATTERED POST FRONTAL CLOUDS. RPTED IMC AND REQUESTED CLB TO VFR OR 4500'. AT 3000' BECAME VMC AGAIN AND WAS ASSIGNED 3500'. FRG ATIS RPTED CLR AT THIS POINT AND FLT WAS CONCLUDED. NO FURTHER INCIDENT. CTLR CHASTIZED ME FOR NOT TELLING HIM WE WERE IMC BEFORE IT HAPPENED. IT IS HARD TO KNOW HOW TO AVOID THIS, OTHER THAN NOT FLYING ON DARK NIGHTS, OR NOT CANCELLING IFR PLAN IN VMC. WE HAD A HARD ALT AND A SPECIFIC RTE EVEN THOUGH ON A VFR CLRNC DUE TO KENNEDY ARRS. OBVIOUSLY IN DAYLIGHT, OR EVEN A LESS DARK NIGHT THIS WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.
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.