Narrative:

A cold front was slowly approaching the airfield that I had flown to on a wkend cross country flight. Flight service reported areas of IFR and marginal VFR on route back home, but suggested there may be paths through the WX. After 2 gas stops and WX calls, the 'clear sky' was 50 mi ahead. The ceiling raised at the location of the second stop (pryor) the rain, which was sporadically light to medium, stopped and the decision was made to follow a highway under the clouds to reach the clear WX area. This poor judgement was driven by 'get home fever' and the successful second leg which was flown along a highway under the clouds. I knew that I would be stuck out for several days if I stayed put, due to the frontal speed and distance required to travel. In retrospect, the decision to continue was the stupidest thing I've ever done. The plan was to 'scud run' to the next acceptable airport, land, and rechk the WX. My aircraft loses lift and increases drag in the rain and is pwred by a 2-CYCLE engine that has a quirk of not 'coming on the pipe' and gaining full power until 95-100 mph. It will fly in rain, land in rain, but not takeoff in rain. The next airport (smith) was engulfed in medium rain upon arrival so the decision was made to continue, following the road. A turn to south was made at springdale, ar, where the control zone was not in effect. I did not notice drake airport on the map, probably due to the workload of flying. The lights of drake airport was my first clue that it was there. I was crossing the approach end of the runway at 200 ft approximately. I looked to check that final was clear and proceeded down the road to the south. The road turned into a mountain pass! I don't know why I chose to continue past smith airport, or why I did not turn south there and avoid the mountainous terrain and controled airspace. The pilot gets caught up in what he is doing, task saturated in just flying I suppose. The carrot of clear WX just ahead was the driving force to continue, and the fact that 'this is working' (the plane is flying ok in the rain, the engine is running, the cloud base is above me, no turbulence, visibility is ok, etc) clouded my judgement. A feeling that I could not turn back was also in my mind. Thinking back on that leg of the flight I am amazed that I did not encounter a situation which would have killed me and/or someone on the ground. I would not duplicate that flight for anything -- it really wasn't worth 2-3 days in a hotel and off of work. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was stupid. (Analyst concurs.) felt if he stopped earlier he would be there 3 or 4 days. He has such short range he had to stop after reaching clear WX anyway. Ran out of daylight, so stayed overnight. Aircraft has no radio, no electrical at all. Thought about stopping but encouraged by lcls to go on as clear WX ahead. Claims rain so severe it took 1/4 inch off the wooden propeller tips. He is deathly afraid FAA will track him down because he is so identifiable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOMEBUILT, LOW PWR ACFT CROSSES APCH LIGHTS AT CTLED ARPT AT 200 FT AGL WITH NO CONTACT CLRNC.

Narrative: A COLD FRONT WAS SLOWLY APCHING THE AIRFIELD THAT I HAD FLOWN TO ON A WKEND XCOUNTRY FLT. FLT SVC RPTED AREAS OF IFR AND MARGINAL VFR ON RTE BACK HOME, BUT SUGGESTED THERE MAY BE PATHS THROUGH THE WX. AFTER 2 GAS STOPS AND WX CALLS, THE 'CLR SKY' WAS 50 MI AHEAD. THE CEILING RAISED AT THE LOCATION OF THE SECOND STOP (PRYOR) THE RAIN, WHICH WAS SPORADICALLY LIGHT TO MEDIUM, STOPPED AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO FOLLOW A HIGHWAY UNDER THE CLOUDS TO REACH THE CLR WX AREA. THIS POOR JUDGEMENT WAS DRIVEN BY 'GET HOME FEVER' AND THE SUCCESSFUL SECOND LEG WHICH WAS FLOWN ALONG A HIGHWAY UNDER THE CLOUDS. I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE STUCK OUT FOR SEVERAL DAYS IF I STAYED PUT, DUE TO THE FRONTAL SPD AND DISTANCE REQUIRED TO TRAVEL. IN RETROSPECT, THE DECISION TO CONTINUE WAS THE STUPIDEST THING I'VE EVER DONE. THE PLAN WAS TO 'SCUD RUN' TO THE NEXT ACCEPTABLE ARPT, LAND, AND RECHK THE WX. MY ACFT LOSES LIFT AND INCREASES DRAG IN THE RAIN AND IS PWRED BY A 2-CYCLE ENG THAT HAS A QUIRK OF NOT 'COMING ON THE PIPE' AND GAINING FULL PWR UNTIL 95-100 MPH. IT WILL FLY IN RAIN, LAND IN RAIN, BUT NOT TKOF IN RAIN. THE NEXT ARPT (SMITH) WAS ENGULFED IN MEDIUM RAIN UPON ARR SO THE DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE, FOLLOWING THE ROAD. A TURN TO S WAS MADE AT SPRINGDALE, AR, WHERE THE CTL ZONE WAS NOT IN EFFECT. I DID NOT NOTICE DRAKE ARPT ON THE MAP, PROBABLY DUE TO THE WORKLOAD OF FLYING. THE LIGHTS OF DRAKE ARPT WAS MY FIRST CLUE THAT IT WAS THERE. I WAS XING THE APCH END OF THE RWY AT 200 FT APPROX. I LOOKED TO CHK THAT FINAL WAS CLR AND PROCEEDED DOWN THE ROAD TO THE S. THE ROAD TURNED INTO A MOUNTAIN PASS! I DON'T KNOW WHY I CHOSE TO CONTINUE PAST SMITH ARPT, OR WHY I DID NOT TURN S THERE AND AVOID THE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AND CTLED AIRSPACE. THE PLT GETS CAUGHT UP IN WHAT HE IS DOING, TASK SATURATED IN JUST FLYING I SUPPOSE. THE CARROT OF CLR WX JUST AHEAD WAS THE DRIVING FORCE TO CONTINUE, AND THE FACT THAT 'THIS IS WORKING' (THE PLANE IS FLYING OK IN THE RAIN, THE ENG IS RUNNING, THE CLOUD BASE IS ABOVE ME, NO TURB, VISIBILITY IS OK, ETC) CLOUDED MY JUDGEMENT. A FEELING THAT I COULD NOT TURN BACK WAS ALSO IN MY MIND. THINKING BACK ON THAT LEG OF THE FLT I AM AMAZED THAT I DID NOT ENCOUNTER A SITUATION WHICH WOULD HAVE KILLED ME AND/OR SOMEONE ON THE GND. I WOULD NOT DUPLICATE THAT FLT FOR ANYTHING -- IT REALLY WASN'T WORTH 2-3 DAYS IN A HOTEL AND OFF OF WORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS STUPID. (ANALYST CONCURS.) FELT IF HE STOPPED EARLIER HE WOULD BE THERE 3 OR 4 DAYS. HE HAS SUCH SHORT RANGE HE HAD TO STOP AFTER REACHING CLR WX ANYWAY. RAN OUT OF DAYLIGHT, SO STAYED OVERNIGHT. ACFT HAS NO RADIO, NO ELECTRICAL AT ALL. THOUGHT ABOUT STOPPING BUT ENCOURAGED BY LCLS TO GO ON AS CLR WX AHEAD. CLAIMS RAIN SO SEVERE IT TOOK 1/4 INCH OFF THE WOODEN PROP TIPS. HE IS DEATHLY AFRAID FAA WILL TRACK HIM DOWN BECAUSE HE IS SO IDENTIFIABLE.

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.