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A C150 private pilot runs into clouds on a VFR flight and uses his GPS to reorient himself 40 mi southeast of ddc, ks.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 488751 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200010 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : ddc.vortac |
| State Reference | KS |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zkc.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 150 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other other vortac |
| Route In Use | departure : vfr enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 12 flight time total : 280 flight time type : 275 |
| ASRS Report | 488751 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Embarked on a VFR flight from 7c00 to pwa. Stopped to refuel in gck and reviewed WX data. Satellite showed light clouds and rain along planned route, but all reporting stations reported good visibility and adequate ceilings. Decided to proceed in hopes conditions would remain stable. Started running into low clouds after departing gck. Turned to escape and lost visual reference to the ground. Became disoriented and was unable to determine direction to fly to escape. Used hand-held GPS to determine course to ddc and was able to escape in that direction. Cause of incident and decision to proceed based upon lack of data along flight route and favorable reports from nearest reporting station. More ground reporting stations along sparsely populated rtes would enable better decision making.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A C150 PVT PLT RUNS INTO CLOUDS ON A VFR FLT AND USES HIS GPS TO REORIENT HIMSELF 40 MI SE OF DDC, KS.
Narrative: EMBARKED ON A VFR FLT FROM 7C00 TO PWA. STOPPED TO REFUEL IN GCK AND REVIEWED WX DATA. SATELLITE SHOWED LIGHT CLOUDS AND RAIN ALONG PLANNED RTE, BUT ALL RPTING STATIONS RPTED GOOD VISIBILITY AND ADEQUATE CEILINGS. DECIDED TO PROCEED IN HOPES CONDITIONS WOULD REMAIN STABLE. STARTED RUNNING INTO LOW CLOUDS AFTER DEPARTING GCK. TURNED TO ESCAPE AND LOST VISUAL REF TO THE GND. BECAME DISORIENTED AND WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE DIRECTION TO FLY TO ESCAPE. USED HAND-HELD GPS TO DETERMINE COURSE TO DDC AND WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE IN THAT DIRECTION. CAUSE OF INCIDENT AND DECISION TO PROCEED BASED UPON LACK OF DATA ALONG FLT RTE AND FAVORABLE RPTS FROM NEAREST RPTING STATION. MORE GND RPTING STATIONS ALONG SPARSELY POPULATED RTES WOULD ENABLE BETTER DECISION MAKING.
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.