<< >> NASA ASRS Report 434749, April 1999

The pilot encountered IFR conditions on VFR flight and entered lse class D airspace without a radio due to bad headset.

Attributes
ACN	434749
Time
Date	199904
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lse.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl single value : 2100
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lse.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 436 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	434749
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I took off from a grass strip 15 NM from the la crosse airport under VFR conditions -- I thought. I am instrument rated and had my procedure charts ready if the WX were to change in that short distance. After a few mins of flying, I called ATIS. No response! I called la crosse tower and no response! I continued to call the tower, but thought all my radios were out and this included my VOR and ADF. I did not check them, but continued to la crosse airport under the clouds and I thought VFR. I received light signals and landed. Corrective actions: I will not use the automatic telephone WX service again and I will use only FSS for WX. I will also try my overhead speaker if my head phones go out again. Judgement: if I had known it was IFR, I would not have taken off from the grass strip as I am a new IFR pilot and do not want to fly to minimums.

Related reports:

• B737 crew encountered adverse WX conditions in ZMA airspace ...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT ENCOUNTERED IFR CONDITIONS ON VFR FLT AND ENTERED LSE CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT A RADIO DUE TO BAD HEADSET.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM A GRASS STRIP 15 NM FROM THE LA CROSSE ARPT UNDER VFR CONDITIONS -- I THOUGHT. I AM INST RATED AND HAD MY PROC CHARTS READY IF THE WX WERE TO CHANGE IN THAT SHORT DISTANCE. AFTER A FEW MINS OF FLYING, I CALLED ATIS. NO RESPONSE! I CALLED LA CROSSE TWR AND NO RESPONSE! I CONTINUED TO CALL THE TWR, BUT THOUGHT ALL MY RADIOS WERE OUT AND THIS INCLUDED MY VOR AND ADF. I DID NOT CHK THEM, BUT CONTINUED TO LA CROSSE ARPT UNDER THE CLOUDS AND I THOUGHT VFR. I RECEIVED LIGHT SIGNALS AND LANDED. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: I WILL NOT USE THE AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE WX SVC AGAIN AND I WILL USE ONLY FSS FOR WX. I WILL ALSO TRY MY OVERHEAD SPEAKER IF MY HEAD PHONES GO OUT AGAIN. JUDGEMENT: IF I HAD KNOWN IT WAS IFR, I WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN OFF FROM THE GRASS STRIP AS I AM A NEW IFR PLT AND DO NOT WANT TO FLY TO MINIMUMS.

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.