Pilot of an small aircraft sel was forced to land off airport on a road due to deteriorating WX caus...

Attributes
ACN	351231
Time
Date	199610
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lzz airport : ile
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 0 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	351231
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : assigned or threatened penalties
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On apr/xx/96, my a&P mechanic license was revoked. The FAA claimed that I sold a part with a bad yellow tag. Also my pilot license was taken too. When I tried to appeal to the FAA, they told me that I was late and they will not allow more time. They told me that I only had 10 days to appeal. Since then, I lost my job. I depended on my a&P for work. This is the only work I know. However, on oct/thu/96, I was needing to pick up my airplane at big spring airport, tx. The airplane had been in the paint shop for approximately 3 months and was needing to be picked up at this time. I was hoping to sell this airplane and provide a little income for my family. I looked for a pilot to transport the airplane but the money was a big factor. I left killeen airport at about XA00 am oct/thu/96, to big spring with a friend in his airplane. At big spring the WX was clear. My friend and I planned to takeoff at XE30 pm. We obtained WX and it was forecasted to be abilene 3500 overcast, san angelo 2500 overcast, and killeen (my final destination) 1500 overcast. I departed VFR but about 8 mi from lampasas VOR the WX started to deteriorate. I started to follow the roads but the ceiling started to drop below 200 ft AGL. At about 6 mi from lampasas airport, I was flying over a long road and notice the road ascended up a hill and the road disappeared in the fog. At this time my family came to mind, I have children. They were at school at this time. The aircraft had just 1 radio and a VOR (not IFR capable) so I told the friend of mine that was with me at the time that I was not going to continue on in this WX and kill myself and possibly others, so I landed on this road safely and with no damage whatsoever. But the bad thing about this is that I was flying illegally and I knew it. This has been a learning experience for me and I know that I will never attempt to do something like this again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL WAS FORCED TO LAND OFF ARPT ON A ROAD DUE TO DETERIORATING WX CAUSED BY LOWERING CEILING DURING A VFR FLT. VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: ON APR/XX/96, MY A&P MECH LICENSE WAS REVOKED. THE FAA CLAIMED THAT I SOLD A PART WITH A BAD YELLOW TAG. ALSO MY PLT LICENSE WAS TAKEN TOO. WHEN I TRIED TO APPEAL TO THE FAA, THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS LATE AND THEY WILL NOT ALLOW MORE TIME. THEY TOLD ME THAT I ONLY HAD 10 DAYS TO APPEAL. SINCE THEN, I LOST MY JOB. I DEPENDED ON MY A&P FOR WORK. THIS IS THE ONLY WORK I KNOW. HOWEVER, ON OCT/THU/96, I WAS NEEDING TO PICK UP MY AIRPLANE AT BIG SPRING ARPT, TX. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN IN THE PAINT SHOP FOR APPROX 3 MONTHS AND WAS NEEDING TO BE PICKED UP AT THIS TIME. I WAS HOPING TO SELL THIS AIRPLANE AND PROVIDE A LITTLE INCOME FOR MY FAMILY. I LOOKED FOR A PLT TO TRANSPORT THE AIRPLANE BUT THE MONEY WAS A BIG FACTOR. I LEFT KILLEEN ARPT AT ABOUT XA00 AM OCT/THU/96, TO BIG SPRING WITH A FRIEND IN HIS AIRPLANE. AT BIG SPRING THE WX WAS CLR. MY FRIEND AND I PLANNED TO TKOF AT XE30 PM. WE OBTAINED WX AND IT WAS FORECASTED TO BE ABILENE 3500 OVCST, SAN ANGELO 2500 OVCST, AND KILLEEN (MY FINAL DEST) 1500 OVCST. I DEPARTED VFR BUT ABOUT 8 MI FROM LAMPASAS VOR THE WX STARTED TO DETERIORATE. I STARTED TO FOLLOW THE ROADS BUT THE CEILING STARTED TO DROP BELOW 200 FT AGL. AT ABOUT 6 MI FROM LAMPASAS ARPT, I WAS FLYING OVER A LONG ROAD AND NOTICE THE ROAD ASCENDED UP A HILL AND THE ROAD DISAPPEARED IN THE FOG. AT THIS TIME MY FAMILY CAME TO MIND, I HAVE CHILDREN. THEY WERE AT SCHOOL AT THIS TIME. THE ACFT HAD JUST 1 RADIO AND A VOR (NOT IFR CAPABLE) SO I TOLD THE FRIEND OF MINE THAT WAS WITH ME AT THE TIME THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO CONTINUE ON IN THIS WX AND KILL MYSELF AND POSSIBLY OTHERS, SO I LANDED ON THIS ROAD SAFELY AND WITH NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. BUT THE BAD THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT I WAS FLYING ILLEGALLY AND I KNEW IT. THIS HAS BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND I KNOW THAT I WILL NEVER ATTEMPT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN.

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 of an small aircraft sel was forced to land off airport on a road due to deteriorating WX caused by lowering ceiling during a VFR flight. VFR in IMC.