Pilot climbing through sucker hole, up a canyon. Aircraft performance not what wanted. Over terrain ...

Attributes
ACN	190051
Time
Date	199109
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : slc airport : 36u
State Reference	UT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	controller military : 9 controller non radar : 1 controller radar : 10 controller supervisory : 2 flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 2700 flight time type : 3
ASRS Report	190051
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter other other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I'd never experienced a sucker-hole like this before. I was climbing out of heber city, high altitude airport in mountains, and spotted a canyon to climb through. It looked like I was higher, but as I got closer I had my doubts. I felt I could make it over but the small aircraft was climbing like a pig. I missed the ground by about 200 ft, then broke out over park city at about 500 ft over a city. I hoped I hadn't scared the mayor out of his seat. Lessons learned: watch out for canyons you can't turn around in, check your charts for altitudes, check the charts for what's on the other side of the canyon, be very careful with performance at high altitudes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT CLBING THROUGH SUCKER HOLE, UP A CANYON. ACFT PERFORMANCE NOT WHAT WANTED. OVER TERRAIN AT 200 FT.

Narrative: I'D NEVER EXPERIENCED A SUCKER-HOLE LIKE THIS BEFORE. I WAS CLBING OUT OF HEBER CITY, HIGH ALT ARPT IN MOUNTAINS, AND SPOTTED A CANYON TO CLB THROUGH. IT LOOKED LIKE I WAS HIGHER, BUT AS I GOT CLOSER I HAD MY DOUBTS. I FELT I COULD MAKE IT OVER BUT THE SMA WAS CLBING LIKE A PIG. I MISSED THE GND BY ABOUT 200 FT, THEN BROKE OUT OVER PARK CITY AT ABOUT 500 FT OVER A CITY. I HOPED I HADN'T SCARED THE MAYOR OUT OF HIS SEAT. LESSONS LEARNED: WATCH OUT FOR CANYONS YOU CAN'T TURN AROUND IN, CHK YOUR CHARTS FOR ALTS, CHK THE CHARTS FOR WHAT'S ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CANYON, BE VERY CAREFUL WITH PERFORMANCE AT HIGH ALTS.

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.

Pilot climbing through sucker hole, up a canyon. Aircraft performance not what wanted. Over terrain at 200 ft.