Student pilot on cross country inadvertently penetrated arsa after in-flight encounter with WX.

Attributes
ACN	223227
Time
Date	199210
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pdx
State Reference	OR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pdx
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 47 flight time total : 47 flight time type : 42
ASRS Report	223227
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 10000
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Reporter was on VFR cross country solo from bfi to sle via hqm. Flying just west of I-5 corridor by visual reference to ground on southerly heading at 5500 MSL. Reporter was abeam of longview when I-5 corridor disappeared under 3000 ft cloud layer. Reporter proceeded on same course west of corridor for several mins attempting to determine cloud cover extent. At same time, reporter, who had been in need of a lavatory for some time, determined he was unable to proceed to salem under WX conditions (ground obscured) and needed to land for personal reasons. Reporter then saw an opening 2 by 4 mi directly over columbia river and descended over the columbia. Once under the cloud layer, reporter searched for either woodland state (WA71) or scappoose (1s4), both of which landmarks on reporter's flight log. As reporter proceeded south along columbia river, he noticed rapidly increasing ground congestion, quickly followed by downtown portland landmarks which reporter recognized. At this time, reporter saw a major airport approximately 4 mi ahead adjacent to the river and realized he was in close proximity to pdx. Reporter immediately started turn 90 degrees to right (toward hills separating downtown portland and hillsboro) at which time he saw a heavy passenger turbine aircraft on final approach to pdx and at approximately same altitude (1600 MSL). Reporter continued on southerly heading, diving his aircraft to 1000 MSL while crossing downtown portland, followed by climb to clear hills southwest of downtown. Once across hills, reporter searched for nearest airport, locating hiq, and landed there. Following touchdown, reporter was advised by hiq tower to contact tower as soon as possible. Following securing of aircraft at tiedown, reporter visited hiq tower where he spoke directly to pdx ATC to explain above events. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that he checked the WX via 'duats' early the morning of the flight and did not have his flight instructor's endorsement for this cross country flight which was to be the 'long one' for the private pilot requirement. He also stated that he dove his aircraft out of the way of the 'big airliner.' he stated that he was not aware that he needed a separate CFI endorsement for each cross country and that his flight instructor advised him to make a cross country (long) to salem, or, when possible. The reporter was counseled in student pilot requirements and flight instructor supervision.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON XCOUNTRY INADVERTENTLY PENETRATED ARSA AFTER INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH WX.

Narrative: RPTR WAS ON VFR XCOUNTRY SOLO FROM BFI TO SLE VIA HQM. FLYING JUST W OF I-5 CORRIDOR BY VISUAL REF TO GND ON SOUTHERLY HDG AT 5500 MSL. RPTR WAS ABEAM OF LONGVIEW WHEN I-5 CORRIDOR DISAPPEARED UNDER 3000 FT CLOUD LAYER. RPTR PROCEEDED ON SAME COURSE W OF CORRIDOR FOR SEVERAL MINS ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE CLOUD COVER EXTENT. AT SAME TIME, RPTR, WHO HAD BEEN IN NEED OF A LAVATORY FOR SOME TIME, DETERMINED HE WAS UNABLE TO PROCEED TO SALEM UNDER WX CONDITIONS (GND OBSCURED) AND NEEDED TO LAND FOR PERSONAL REASONS. RPTR THEN SAW AN OPENING 2 BY 4 MI DIRECTLY OVER COLUMBIA RIVER AND DSNDED OVER THE COLUMBIA. ONCE UNDER THE CLOUD LAYER, RPTR SEARCHED FOR EITHER WOODLAND STATE (WA71) OR SCAPPOOSE (1S4), BOTH OF WHICH LANDMARKS ON RPTR'S FLT LOG. AS RPTR PROCEEDED S ALONG COLUMBIA RIVER, HE NOTICED RAPIDLY INCREASING GND CONGESTION, QUICKLY FOLLOWED BY DOWNTOWN PORTLAND LANDMARKS WHICH RPTR RECOGNIZED. AT THIS TIME, RPTR SAW A MAJOR ARPT APPROX 4 MI AHEAD ADJACENT TO THE RIVER AND REALIZED HE WAS IN CLOSE PROX TO PDX. RPTR IMMEDIATELY STARTED TURN 90 DEGS TO R (TOWARD HILLS SEPARATING DOWNTOWN PORTLAND AND HILLSBORO) AT WHICH TIME HE SAW A HVY PAX TURBINE ACFT ON FINAL APCH TO PDX AND AT APPROX SAME ALT (1600 MSL). RPTR CONTINUED ON SOUTHERLY HDG, DIVING HIS ACFT TO 1000 MSL WHILE XING DOWNTOWN PORTLAND, FOLLOWED BY CLB TO CLR HILLS SW OF DOWNTOWN. ONCE ACROSS HILLS, RPTR SEARCHED FOR NEAREST ARPT, LOCATING HIQ, AND LANDED THERE. FOLLOWING TOUCHDOWN, RPTR WAS ADVISED BY HIQ TWR TO CONTACT TWR ASAP. FOLLOWING SECURING OF ACFT AT TIEDOWN, RPTR VISITED HIQ TWR WHERE HE SPOKE DIRECTLY TO PDX ATC TO EXPLAIN ABOVE EVENTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED THAT HE CHKED THE WX VIA 'DUATS' EARLY THE MORNING OF THE FLT AND DID NOT HAVE HIS FLT INSTRUCTOR'S ENDORSEMENT FOR THIS XCOUNTRY FLT WHICH WAS TO BE THE 'LONG ONE' FOR THE PRIVATE PLT REQUIREMENT. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE DOVE HIS ACFT OUT OF THE WAY OF THE 'BIG AIRLINER.' HE STATED THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE THAT HE NEEDED A SEPARATE CFI ENDORSEMENT FOR EACH XCOUNTRY AND THAT HIS FLT INSTRUCTOR ADVISED HIM TO MAKE A XCOUNTRY (LONG) TO SALEM, OR, WHEN POSSIBLE. THE RPTR WAS COUNSELED IN STUDENT PLT REQUIREMENTS AND FLT INSTRUCTOR SUPERVISION.

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.