GA pilot on VFR flight plan finds himself in deteriorating WX so climbs in class G airspace to recei...

Attributes
ACN	443982
Time
Date	199907
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 8000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR Combined VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	443982
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Facility

Narrative:

After arriving in a VFR flight plan to seward and staying there 30 mins, I started to fly back to merrill field (route: seward, follow the highway, northbound and back to merrill field). Even that the ceilings were at 3200 ft MSL and visibility 9 SM at seward, the ceilings in the mountains dropped, which would have prevented VFR flight back to mri. I determined it was better to fly south along the coast to hom-anc and to mri in VFR conditions. Later I changed it to an IFR flight plan. Contributing factors: between seward and homer there are more than 200 NM of coast line without WX report stations. Seward has an ASOS, but there is no WX stations forecast beyond 100 NM towards the east and south. The closest is soldotna 60 NM in straight line to the northwest. After we were about 30-40 NM southwest of seward, radio contact with FSS was impossible below 3000 ft. Navaids are not available in that area below 2000-3000 ft. How it was discovered/corrective actions: while flying in class G airspace, visibility kept dropping, so I determined it was better to turn south to avoid mountains in the north, climb and file IFR with FSS in class G airspace, which in the area goes up to 8000 ft MSL. I contacted zan and I was instructed to climb to 8000 ft and fly to homer VOR. Miscom with the controller occurred. Upon receiving the clearance zan believed I wanted to execute an instrument approach at hom when actually I wanted to fly to homer VORTAC, zan VOR and mri. In turn, center asked me twice if I was an instrument rated pilot (which I am and current). Corrective actions: more WX report stations are needed in this area. At least terminal aerodrome forecast should be available for seward. More navaids, radar and radio coverage are needed in this area. Human performance considerations: performance was affected because I changed my VFR flight plan to IFR.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT ON VFR FLT PLAN FINDS HIMSELF IN DETERIORATING WX SO CLBS IN CLASS G AIRSPACE TO RECEIVE AN IFR CLRNC. THERE WAS CONFUSION OVER RTE OF THE NEW CLRNC AND DEST AS WELL AS THE PLT'S INST CAPABILITY. ALL THIS OCCURRED IN ALASKA.

Narrative: AFTER ARRIVING IN A VFR FLT PLAN TO SEWARD AND STAYING THERE 30 MINS, I STARTED TO FLY BACK TO MERRILL FIELD (RTE: SEWARD, FOLLOW THE HWY, NBOUND AND BACK TO MERRILL FIELD). EVEN THAT THE CEILINGS WERE AT 3200 FT MSL AND VISIBILITY 9 SM AT SEWARD, THE CEILINGS IN THE MOUNTAINS DROPPED, WHICH WOULD HAVE PREVENTED VFR FLT BACK TO MRI. I DETERMINED IT WAS BETTER TO FLY S ALONG THE COAST TO HOM-ANC AND TO MRI IN VFR CONDITIONS. LATER I CHANGED IT TO AN IFR FLT PLAN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: BTWN SEWARD AND HOMER THERE ARE MORE THAN 200 NM OF COAST LINE WITHOUT WX RPT STATIONS. SEWARD HAS AN ASOS, BUT THERE IS NO WX STATIONS FORECAST BEYOND 100 NM TOWARDS THE E AND S. THE CLOSEST IS SOLDOTNA 60 NM IN STRAIGHT LINE TO THE NW. AFTER WE WERE ABOUT 30-40 NM SW OF SEWARD, RADIO CONTACT WITH FSS WAS IMPOSSIBLE BELOW 3000 FT. NAVAIDS ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN THAT AREA BELOW 2000-3000 FT. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED/CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: WHILE FLYING IN CLASS G AIRSPACE, VISIBILITY KEPT DROPPING, SO I DETERMINED IT WAS BETTER TO TURN S TO AVOID MOUNTAINS IN THE N, CLB AND FILE IFR WITH FSS IN CLASS G AIRSPACE, WHICH IN THE AREA GOES UP TO 8000 FT MSL. I CONTACTED ZAN AND I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 8000 FT AND FLY TO HOMER VOR. MISCOM WITH THE CTLR OCCURRED. UPON RECEIVING THE CLRNC ZAN BELIEVED I WANTED TO EXECUTE AN INST APCH AT HOM WHEN ACTUALLY I WANTED TO FLY TO HOMER VORTAC, ZAN VOR AND MRI. IN TURN, CTR ASKED ME TWICE IF I WAS AN INST RATED PLT (WHICH I AM AND CURRENT). CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: MORE WX RPT STATIONS ARE NEEDED IN THIS AREA. AT LEAST TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST SHOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR SEWARD. MORE NAVAIDS, RADAR AND RADIO COVERAGE ARE NEEDED IN THIS AREA. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: PERFORMANCE WAS AFFECTED BECAUSE I CHANGED MY VFR FLT PLAN TO IFR.

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.

GA pilot on VFR flight plan finds himself in deteriorating WX so climbs in class G airspace to receive an IFR clearance. There was confusion over route of the new clearance and destination as well as the pilot's instrument capability. All this occurred in alaska.