Small aircraft pilot in poor WX gets disoriented and enters an air traffic area without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	181637
Time
Date	199106
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tys
State Reference	TN
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : tys tracon : wri
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 175 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	181637
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather 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:

I filed a VFR flight plan with the WX briefer in atlanta (fulton county brown). Friday 6 am-fog, 7 am-fog, 8 and 9 am-fog. The WX briefer said it's marginal VFR and ok to go. They said the fog and haze would burn off. We left approximately X:30 am with atl flight following. After about 30 mins flight time the controller said he could not pick us up on radar. We were too low. Squawk 1200 and have a good day. I tried knoxville 125.05, no answer. I called atlanta again 121.0. He said try 120.65 or 132.8 tys. We could not get any response. After 45 mins or so of avoiding blind spots at low altitude I knew I was east of my planned course in the mountains. The WX did not improve. I made a 360 degree turn 5 or 6 times with the intention of returning the route I came, but visibility was very poor, I kept going as low as I could. I passed over a dam and flew directly west for about 10 mins. Knoxville should have been off my right wing about 30-35 mi away. Haze; the turbulence was so rough I made a slow spiraling circle to descend to maintain visibility ground contact. I could see an airport approximately 3 mi northeast. It was knoxville tys. I was shocked to realize I was 30 mi northeast of where I thought I should be (inside the area). Only 1 VOR works and I had no accurate second method of triangulation. The ADF was not accurate anywhere near the mountains at low altitude. I called the tower 118.7, gave my tail #, apologized for the violation and asked permission to land. The tower requested a 360 degree turn and let 3 other aircraft land. When she gave me clearance to land I had to descend 200' more in the pattern to remain VFR. After landing, the tower asked me to call the supervisor. I did. I told him in brief what happened. He said his duty was to file a report. The solution is: an IFR rating to fly IFR. The reason for the pleasure trip to atl and back was to build time to start my IFR training (I would be high enough on an IFR flight plan).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT IN POOR WX GETS DISORIENTED AND ENTERS AN ATA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH THE WX BRIEFER IN ATLANTA (FULTON COUNTY BROWN). FRIDAY 6 AM-FOG, 7 AM-FOG, 8 AND 9 AM-FOG. THE WX BRIEFER SAID IT'S MARGINAL VFR AND OK TO GO. THEY SAID THE FOG AND HAZE WOULD BURN OFF. WE LEFT APPROX X:30 AM WITH ATL FLT FOLLOWING. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS FLT TIME THE CTLR SAID HE COULD NOT PICK US UP ON RADAR. WE WERE TOO LOW. SQUAWK 1200 AND HAVE A GOOD DAY. I TRIED KNOXVILLE 125.05, NO ANSWER. I CALLED ATLANTA AGAIN 121.0. HE SAID TRY 120.65 OR 132.8 TYS. WE COULD NOT GET ANY RESPONSE. AFTER 45 MINS OR SO OF AVOIDING BLIND SPOTS AT LOW ALT I KNEW I WAS E OF MY PLANNED COURSE IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE WX DID NOT IMPROVE. I MADE A 360 DEG TURN 5 OR 6 TIMES WITH THE INTENTION OF RETURNING THE RTE I CAME, BUT VISIBILITY WAS VERY POOR, I KEPT GOING AS LOW AS I COULD. I PASSED OVER A DAM AND FLEW DIRECTLY W FOR ABOUT 10 MINS. KNOXVILLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN OFF MY RIGHT WING ABOUT 30-35 MI AWAY. HAZE; THE TURB WAS SO ROUGH I MADE A SLOW SPIRALING CIRCLE TO DSND TO MAINTAIN VIS GND CONTACT. I COULD SEE AN ARPT APPROX 3 MI NE. IT WAS KNOXVILLE TYS. I WAS SHOCKED TO REALIZE I WAS 30 MI NE OF WHERE I THOUGHT I SHOULD BE (INSIDE THE AREA). ONLY 1 VOR WORKS AND I HAD NO ACCURATE SECOND METHOD OF TRIANGULATION. THE ADF WAS NOT ACCURATE ANYWHERE NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AT LOW ALT. I CALLED THE TWR 118.7, GAVE MY TAIL #, APOLOGIZED FOR THE VIOLATION AND ASKED PERMISSION TO LAND. THE TWR REQUESTED A 360 DEG TURN AND LET 3 OTHER ACFT LAND. WHEN SHE GAVE ME CLRNC TO LAND I HAD TO DSND 200' MORE IN THE PATTERN TO REMAIN VFR. AFTER LNDG, THE TWR ASKED ME TO CALL THE SUPVR. I DID. I TOLD HIM IN BRIEF WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID HIS DUTY WAS TO FILE A RPT. THE SOLUTION IS: AN IFR RATING TO FLY IFR. THE REASON FOR THE PLEASURE TRIP TO ATL AND BACK WAS TO BUILD TIME TO START MY IFR TRNING (I WOULD BE HIGH ENOUGH ON AN IFR FLT PLAN).

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.