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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Filed VFR plan for 17500'. Encountered WX and climbed to FL210 while attempting to contact center. Finally received IFR clearance FL210. Phone conversation with supervisor.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 168716 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199101 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : tnp |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 17500 msl bound upper : 21000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zla |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 168716 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| 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:
Flight left lgb, climbed to 17500' VFR direct to abq on a heading of 072 degrees. Near psp it was noted that we would not be able to stay VFR at 17500'. A call was made to ZLA 128.6 with no response. After waiting for about 1 min or more I called ZLA again and was told to stand by and we waited again for a few mins. At this point it was becoming clear I could not stay at 17500' and remain VFR in any direction, as the clouds continued to build. We changed frequencys to ZLA on 128.15 and received an immediate response and we informed ATC that we had gone above 18000' in order to maintain VFR and we were on a VFR flight plan direct to abq and were requesting IFR to abq. This was granted and we were cleared to abq at 21000'. As the flight progressed we had a good tailwind and amended our flight plan direct to oma. After landing I called ZLA and was told to call back 1/tue/91. I did so and talked to a mr. Xx, who referred me to mr. Y. Looking back now, we should have filed IFR from the beginning, which would have avoided this problem. At the time I was faced with a decision either to remain at 17500' and enter the clouds or go above 18000' west/O a clearance and stay VFR and clear of clouds on top. Also, we were not on any arwy. It is obvious to me that we made the only safe decision for all concerned at the time. If I had a different WX report or a faster response from center on 128.6, things would have been different.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FILED VFR PLAN FOR 17500'. ENCOUNTERED WX AND CLIMBED TO FL210 WHILE ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT CENTER. FINALLY RECEIVED IFR CLRNC FL210. PHONE CONVERSATION WITH SUPVR.
Narrative: FLT LEFT LGB, CLBED TO 17500' VFR DIRECT TO ABQ ON A HDG OF 072 DEGS. NEAR PSP IT WAS NOTED THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO STAY VFR AT 17500'. A CALL WAS MADE TO ZLA 128.6 WITH NO RESPONSE. AFTER WAITING FOR ABOUT 1 MIN OR MORE I CALLED ZLA AGAIN AND WAS TOLD TO STAND BY AND WE WAITED AGAIN FOR A FEW MINS. AT THIS POINT IT WAS BECOMING CLR I COULD NOT STAY AT 17500' AND REMAIN VFR IN ANY DIRECTION, AS THE CLOUDS CONTINUED TO BUILD. WE CHANGED FREQS TO ZLA ON 128.15 AND RECEIVED AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND WE INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD GONE ABOVE 18000' IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR AND WE WERE ON A VFR FLT PLAN DIRECT TO ABQ AND WERE REQUESTING IFR TO ABQ. THIS WAS GRANTED AND WE WERE CLRED TO ABQ AT 21000'. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED WE HAD A GOOD TAILWIND AND AMENDED OUR FLT PLAN DIRECT TO OMA. AFTER LNDG I CALLED ZLA AND WAS TOLD TO CALL BACK 1/TUE/91. I DID SO AND TALKED TO A MR. XX, WHO REFERRED ME TO MR. Y. LOOKING BACK NOW, WE SHOULD HAVE FILED IFR FROM THE BEGINNING, WHICH WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS PROB. AT THE TIME I WAS FACED WITH A DECISION EITHER TO REMAIN AT 17500' AND ENTER THE CLOUDS OR GO ABOVE 18000' W/O A CLRNC AND STAY VFR AND CLR OF CLOUDS ON TOP. ALSO, WE WERE NOT ON ANY ARWY. IT IS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT WE MADE THE ONLY SAFE DECISION FOR ALL CONCERNED AT THE TIME. IF I HAD A DIFFERENT WX RPT OR A FASTER RESPONSE FROM CENTER ON 128.6, THINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT.
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.