Narrative:

I was flying VFR with flight following from ryan field, az, to reno, nv, on nov/xx/97 to attend a conference. I called for WX and had 4 hour window where clouds over reno were supposed to be 4000-8000 ft scattered/broken. I was at 14500 ft when large cloud mass was encountered south of reno. I requested to leave 14500 ft for 15500 ft and later 15500 ft to 16500 ft to stay out of clouds. When 150-250 mi (approximately) from reno, I was over solid clouds and requested a SVFR to descend through clouds from ZOA. Traffic controller asked for and pilot (I) repeated request, stating that I was stuck above clouds. ATC granted permission to descend. Later, ZOA turned pilot over to reno, and pilot asked for continued SVFR. Reno asked pilot to climb and pilot temporarily lost control of plane in IMC conditions. Pilot thought he was following rules. Apparently SVFR was wrong phrase/request. Pilot should have been better aware of how to ask for help and ATC should have wondered what pilot was asking for before clearance was/is granted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BONANZA 36 PVT PLT NON INST RATED ENCOUNTERED SOLID UNDERCAST AND BUILDING CLOUDS. RPTR REQUESTED SVFR DSCNT AND CTLR GRANTED REQUEST, BUT RPTR BECAME IMC AND LOST CTL OF THE ACFT TEMPORARILY.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR WITH FLT FOLLOWING FROM RYAN FIELD, AZ, TO RENO, NV, ON NOV/XX/97 TO ATTEND A CONFERENCE. I CALLED FOR WX AND HAD 4 HR WINDOW WHERE CLOUDS OVER RENO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE 4000-8000 FT SCATTERED/BROKEN. I WAS AT 14500 FT WHEN LARGE CLOUD MASS WAS ENCOUNTERED S OF RENO. I REQUESTED TO LEAVE 14500 FT FOR 15500 FT AND LATER 15500 FT TO 16500 FT TO STAY OUT OF CLOUDS. WHEN 150-250 MI (APPROX) FROM RENO, I WAS OVER SOLID CLOUDS AND REQUESTED A SVFR TO DSND THROUGH CLOUDS FROM ZOA. TFC CTLR ASKED FOR AND PLT (I) REPEATED REQUEST, STATING THAT I WAS STUCK ABOVE CLOUDS. ATC GRANTED PERMISSION TO DSND. LATER, ZOA TURNED PLT OVER TO RENO, AND PLT ASKED FOR CONTINUED SVFR. RENO ASKED PLT TO CLB AND PLT TEMPORARILY LOST CTL OF PLANE IN IMC CONDITIONS. PLT THOUGHT HE WAS FOLLOWING RULES. APPARENTLY SVFR WAS WRONG PHRASE/REQUEST. PLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER AWARE OF HOW TO ASK FOR HELP AND ATC SHOULD HAVE WONDERED WHAT PLT WAS ASKING FOR BEFORE CLRNC WAS/IS GRANTED.

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.