Narrative:

A fast moving cold front, with a small amount of moisture, moved through east tennessee during the early morning hours of may/xx/97, leaving visibility of 4-10 mi, with scattered clouds of 2000 ft, broken clouds of 2000- 3000 ft and overcast layers of 6000-7000 ft AGL, being reported between 2 airports 18 mi apart. Both airports are VFR only with no instrument approachs. Between the 2 airports are 2 parallel mountain ridges. IFR flts to mountain city are allowed to descend to 6700 ft for terrain clearance. Company procedure allowed for VFR flts to the airports when reported AWOS WX was VFR. The procedure was to ask for an IFR descent to tri cities airport to an altitude of 3700 ft in order to get below the clouds and then, with good visibility, fly through a mountain pass over a lake to land at mountain city johnson county airport. Just prior to takeoff at XA10Z, the AWOS reported for mountain city 2700 ft scattered, 3200 ft broken, 4000 ft overcast, with 4 mi visibility. Elizabethton reported 1700 ft scattered, 2300 ft broken, 6000 ft overcast, with 10 mi visibility. Tri cities airport reported 1300 ft scattered, 3500 ft broken, 8000 ft overcast, with 7 mi visibility. How problem arose: I relied on AWOS reports from 2 airports 18 mi apart, but the actual conditions between the mountain ridges were different. The clouds between the mountains were lowering in the valley. Contributing factors: my first officer was new to the company and had never flown to mountain city. He had been a commuter pilot and was uncomfortable in these types of conditions. How it was discovered: ZTL cleared us to 6700 ft and told us to change to tri cities approach. I told first officer to ask for vectors to elizabethton, so that we could get below the overcast and get in VFR conditions. We would proceed to mountain city by way of elizabethton. Tri cities approach told us to do a 360 degree turn to the right and pick up a heading of 90 degrees and descend to 3700 ft. During the turn, I asked first officer again for elizabethton AWOS update. He was having difficulty finding the correct frequency. Coming out of the turn to 90 degrees, we broke out of the clouds at ABOUT4500 ft. We were flying toward holston mountain, level at 3700 ft in what were VFR conditions, so I told first officer to tell tri cities approach that we were in VFR conditions and could proceed to elizabethton. Tri cities approach cleared us to elizabethton. I turned right and paralleled holston mountain, on my left. I noticed that the overcast was broken, with layers of scattered to broken clouds. I could see johnson city ahead. Visibility was probably 10 mi or greater. At the southern base of holston mountain, I saw elizabethton airport with a good 4000-4500 ft broken bases. I instructed first officer to cancel IFR with tri cities approach. We would proceed to mountain city VFR. Tri cities approach told us a C172 had taken off from elizabethton, climbing out below us, heading west, and that it should be no factor to us. We were at 3500 ft, descending to 2500 ft. I told first officer that if the conditions were not favorable we would make a 180 degree turn and go back and land at elizabethton. He agreed that we climb if necessary. As we got closer, I saw that the clouds were lower than expected, too low to safely continue. Corrective actions: immediately I made a 180 degree turn and found myself in the clouds IMC. I was too low to talk to approach and had to climb to get back VFR on top and to regain radio communications. I called tri cities approach for an IFR clearance. They would not issue one because the C172 was positioned about 5400 ft. We were at 4000 ft and climbing. We broke out of the clouds at about 5000 ft. My first officer reported a visual sighting of the C172 above us at 2 O'clock and about 4 mi. I continued VFR at altitudes between 5500 ft and 6500 ft to stay out of the clouds. Tri cities gave us a heading of 20 degrees. I saw elizabethton in sight about 5 mi ahead. We flew over the airport, entered a left downwind pattern for runway 24, and landed without further incident. Perceptions, judgements, decisions: a change in company procedure has been instituted for mountain city so that lndgs can only be attempted under optimum conditions, 4500 ft AGL ceiling or higher (allowing IFR descent to 6700 ftmsl for terrain clearance), and visibility 5 mi or greater. This would alleviate having to fly between mountains. Knowing that another aircraft was in the vicinity, it was poor judgement to cancel IFR, thus eliminating communications and radar contact at all times, even though conditions seemed to indicate that this was the proper course. Proper prior familiarization with potential flight conditions for first officer is a necessity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GOV BE20 ENRTE TO 6A4, A VFR ONLY ARPT, CANCELED IFR INTENDING TO PROCEED VFR. ACFT ENTERED IMC AND AN IMMEDIATE 180 DEG TURN WAS MADE. BECAUSE OF TERRAIN, ACFT CLBED TO ON TOP. WHILE DOING SO, A C172 HAD DEPARTED 0A9 IFR CLBING TO 5400 FT. THERE WAS NO GUARANTEED SEPARATION DURING THE CLB TO ON TOP.

Narrative: A FAST MOVING COLD FRONT, WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF MOISTURE, MOVED THROUGH EAST TENNESSEE DURING THE EARLY MORNING HRS OF MAY/XX/97, LEAVING VISIBILITY OF 4-10 MI, WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS OF 2000 FT, BROKEN CLOUDS OF 2000- 3000 FT AND OVCST LAYERS OF 6000-7000 FT AGL, BEING RPTED BTWN 2 ARPTS 18 MI APART. BOTH ARPTS ARE VFR ONLY WITH NO INST APCHS. BTWN THE 2 ARPTS ARE 2 PARALLEL MOUNTAIN RIDGES. IFR FLTS TO MOUNTAIN CITY ARE ALLOWED TO DSND TO 6700 FT FOR TERRAIN CLRNC. COMPANY PROC ALLOWED FOR VFR FLTS TO THE ARPTS WHEN RPTED AWOS WX WAS VFR. THE PROC WAS TO ASK FOR AN IFR DSCNT TO TRI CITIES ARPT TO AN ALT OF 3700 FT IN ORDER TO GET BELOW THE CLOUDS AND THEN, WITH GOOD VISIBILITY, FLY THROUGH A MOUNTAIN PASS OVER A LAKE TO LAND AT MOUNTAIN CITY JOHNSON COUNTY ARPT. JUST PRIOR TO TKOF AT XA10Z, THE AWOS RPTED FOR MOUNTAIN CITY 2700 FT SCATTERED, 3200 FT BROKEN, 4000 FT OVCST, WITH 4 MI VISIBILITY. ELIZABETHTON RPTED 1700 FT SCATTERED, 2300 FT BROKEN, 6000 FT OVCST, WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY. TRI CITIES ARPT RPTED 1300 FT SCATTERED, 3500 FT BROKEN, 8000 FT OVCST, WITH 7 MI VISIBILITY. HOW PROB AROSE: I RELIED ON AWOS RPTS FROM 2 ARPTS 18 MI APART, BUT THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS BTWN THE MOUNTAIN RIDGES WERE DIFFERENT. THE CLOUDS BTWN THE MOUNTAINS WERE LOWERING IN THE VALLEY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MY FO WAS NEW TO THE COMPANY AND HAD NEVER FLOWN TO MOUNTAIN CITY. HE HAD BEEN A COMMUTER PLT AND WAS UNCOMFORTABLE IN THESE TYPES OF CONDITIONS. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: ZTL CLRED US TO 6700 FT AND TOLD US TO CHANGE TO TRI CITIES APCH. I TOLD FO TO ASK FOR VECTORS TO ELIZABETHTON, SO THAT WE COULD GET BELOW THE OVCST AND GET IN VFR CONDITIONS. WE WOULD PROCEED TO MOUNTAIN CITY BY WAY OF ELIZABETHTON. TRI CITIES APCH TOLD US TO DO A 360 DEG TURN TO THE R AND PICK UP A HDG OF 90 DEGS AND DSND TO 3700 FT. DURING THE TURN, I ASKED FO AGAIN FOR ELIZABETHTON AWOS UPDATE. HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING THE CORRECT FREQ. COMING OUT OF THE TURN TO 90 DEGS, WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT4500 FT. WE WERE FLYING TOWARD HOLSTON MOUNTAIN, LEVEL AT 3700 FT IN WHAT WERE VFR CONDITIONS, SO I TOLD FO TO TELL TRI CITIES APCH THAT WE WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS AND COULD PROCEED TO ELIZABETHTON. TRI CITIES APCH CLRED US TO ELIZABETHTON. I TURNED R AND PARALLELED HOLSTON MOUNTAIN, ON MY L. I NOTICED THAT THE OVCST WAS BROKEN, WITH LAYERS OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS. I COULD SEE JOHNSON CITY AHEAD. VISIBILITY WAS PROBABLY 10 MI OR GREATER. AT THE SOUTHERN BASE OF HOLSTON MOUNTAIN, I SAW ELIZABETHTON ARPT WITH A GOOD 4000-4500 FT BROKEN BASES. I INSTRUCTED FO TO CANCEL IFR WITH TRI CITIES APCH. WE WOULD PROCEED TO MOUNTAIN CITY VFR. TRI CITIES APCH TOLD US A C172 HAD TAKEN OFF FROM ELIZABETHTON, CLBING OUT BELOW US, HDG W, AND THAT IT SHOULD BE NO FACTOR TO US. WE WERE AT 3500 FT, DSNDING TO 2500 FT. I TOLD FO THAT IF THE CONDITIONS WERE NOT FAVORABLE WE WOULD MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND GO BACK AND LAND AT ELIZABETHTON. HE AGREED THAT WE CLB IF NECESSARY. AS WE GOT CLOSER, I SAW THAT THE CLOUDS WERE LOWER THAN EXPECTED, TOO LOW TO SAFELY CONTINUE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: IMMEDIATELY I MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND FOUND MYSELF IN THE CLOUDS IMC. I WAS TOO LOW TO TALK TO APCH AND HAD TO CLB TO GET BACK VFR ON TOP AND TO REGAIN RADIO COMS. I CALLED TRI CITIES APCH FOR AN IFR CLRNC. THEY WOULD NOT ISSUE ONE BECAUSE THE C172 WAS POSITIONED ABOUT 5400 FT. WE WERE AT 4000 FT AND CLBING. WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 5000 FT. MY FO RPTED A VISUAL SIGHTING OF THE C172 ABOVE US AT 2 O'CLOCK AND ABOUT 4 MI. I CONTINUED VFR AT ALTS BTWN 5500 FT AND 6500 FT TO STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS. TRI CITIES GAVE US A HDG OF 20 DEGS. I SAW ELIZABETHTON IN SIGHT ABOUT 5 MI AHEAD. WE FLEW OVER THE ARPT, ENTERED A L DOWNWIND PATTERN FOR RWY 24, AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. PERCEPTIONS, JUDGEMENTS, DECISIONS: A CHANGE IN COMPANY PROC HAS BEEN INSTITUTED FOR MOUNTAIN CITY SO THAT LNDGS CAN ONLY BE ATTEMPTED UNDER OPTIMUM CONDITIONS, 4500 FT AGL CEILING OR HIGHER (ALLOWING IFR DSCNT TO 6700 FTMSL FOR TERRAIN CLRNC), AND VISIBILITY 5 MI OR GREATER. THIS WOULD ALLEVIATE HAVING TO FLY BTWN MOUNTAINS. KNOWING THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS IN THE VICINITY, IT WAS POOR JUDGEMENT TO CANCEL IFR, THUS ELIMINATING COMS AND RADAR CONTACT AT ALL TIMES, EVEN THOUGH CONDITIONS SEEMED TO INDICATE THAT THIS WAS THE PROPER COURSE. PROPER PRIOR FAMILIARIZATION WITH POTENTIAL FLT CONDITIONS FOR FO IS A NECESSITY.

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.