<< >> NASA ASRS Report 524987, September 2001

Piper PA28 instrument rated private pilot flew into clouds during VFR flight in an attempt to fly under the overcast while crossing a mountain ridge.

Attributes
ACN	524987
Time
Date	200109
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : mol.vortac
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl single value : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Piper Single Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 7.7 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 18.7
ASRS Report	524987
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flying from luray averni (W45), va, to richmond, va (ric). Good VFR at departure. Briefing called for 4000 ft scattered, scattered showers. Flew southwest to lower terrain to cross ridges to east. Ceiling lowered, between ridges, into clouds. Immediately initiated maximum performance climb and declared emergency with richmond approach. Immediately got IFR clearance to ric. Flew east for approximately 40 NM into VFR. Canceled IFR. Continued to ric. Should have turned around and landed at shenandoah valley in good VFR. Should not have continued into valley with higher ridges to north and south. Felt pressure to get home today.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER PA28 INST RATED PVT PLT FLEW INTO CLOUDS DURING VFR FLT IN AN ATTEMPT TO FLY UNDER THE OVCST WHILE XING A MOUNTAIN RIDGE.

Narrative: FLYING FROM LURAY AVERNI (W45), VA, TO RICHMOND, VA (RIC). GOOD VFR AT DEP. BRIEFING CALLED FOR 4000 FT SCATTERED, SCATTERED SHOWERS. FLEW SW TO LOWER TERRAIN TO CROSS RIDGES TO E. CEILING LOWERED, BTWN RIDGES, INTO CLOUDS. IMMEDIATELY INITIATED MAX PERFORMANCE CLB AND DECLARED EMER WITH RICHMOND APCH. IMMEDIATELY GOT IFR CLRNC TO RIC. FLEW E FOR APPROX 40 NM INTO VFR. CANCELED IFR. CONTINUED TO RIC. SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND AND LANDED AT SHENANDOAH VALLEY IN GOOD VFR. SHOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED INTO VALLEY WITH HIGHER RIDGES TO N AND S. FELT PRESSURE TO GET HOME TODAY.

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.