Narrative:

On thursday I had planned a trip to tpa from F45. I first looked up the WX on web site. It called for VFR and I also watched the WX channel. No significant WX. At about XA18, 1 hour later, I called FSS and the WX briefer told me that the WX was VFR. He also told me that for the route of flight I was taking that between 5000-6000 ft I would pick up a tailwind of about 10 KTS. I took off from the airport (F45) 1 hour later and started the climb up to 6500 ft towards tampa. At 6500 ft the sky was clear, no clouds, until I crossed over lake okeechobee west, close to lake chance airport. I then started my turn to the northwest and noticed clouds to the south still clear to the north. At this time I started to prepare for my arrival into tpa airport going over the charts, my first trip into class B airspace. I was making my scans to the side and front of the place. After 10 mins, I looked down and there was a solid blanket of clouds except for a 2+ mi opening at about 4000 ft. I thought that this would be the only opening to get down so I started the descent down. Before I could get through the clouds, WX factors sealed the opening. I then started the climb up at the maximum rate of climb but the clouds covered me at this point. I squawked 7700, 7600 and called FSS 122.00 and declared an emergency, but my radio was not working correctly. There was a lot of static. I could make out some of the transmission in calling ZMA, but every channel I tried I could not get through. I have had about 10 hours of instrument training and have gone to the district training classes. So I kept the wings level and slowed my speed to about 65 KTS. I kept pressing the identify on the transponder with 7600 in it so ZMA could keep any planes away from my plane. At this point, I had to get down with no help. I was at about 5500 ft and decided to descend 500 ft at a time and watch my instruments carefully. At about 3500+ ft I broke through the clouds and then squawked 1200 and tried to contact FSS, but no answer. I then tried to contact tpa approach but no answer to let them know I was alright. I was about 35 mi out and I contacted tpa approach. The controller there told me that if I landed in his airspace that I would not be able to leave until the radio was fixed. The FSS man also told me that in the area of west okeechobee there are no WX reporting stations. So there is no real way to track the WX. The corrective action would be to put a reporting station at or around labelle or arcadia area. I also found out that the push-to-talk switch went bad.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOST COM, IMC IN VFR FLT AND UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS B AIRSPACE BY A LOW TIME C152 PLT NEAR TPA, FL.

Narrative: ON THURSDAY I HAD PLANNED A TRIP TO TPA FROM F45. I FIRST LOOKED UP THE WX ON WEB SITE. IT CALLED FOR VFR AND I ALSO WATCHED THE WX CHANNEL. NO SIGNIFICANT WX. AT ABOUT XA18, 1 HR LATER, I CALLED FSS AND THE WX BRIEFER TOLD ME THAT THE WX WAS VFR. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT FOR THE RTE OF FLT I WAS TAKING THAT BTWN 5000-6000 FT I WOULD PICK UP A TAILWIND OF ABOUT 10 KTS. I TOOK OFF FROM THE ARPT (F45) 1 HR LATER AND STARTED THE CLB UP TO 6500 FT TOWARDS TAMPA. AT 6500 FT THE SKY WAS CLR, NO CLOUDS, UNTIL I CROSSED OVER LAKE OKEECHOBEE WEST, CLOSE TO LAKE CHANCE ARPT. I THEN STARTED MY TURN TO THE NW AND NOTICED CLOUDS TO THE S STILL CLR TO THE N. AT THIS TIME I STARTED TO PREPARE FOR MY ARR INTO TPA ARPT GOING OVER THE CHARTS, MY FIRST TRIP INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. I WAS MAKING MY SCANS TO THE SIDE AND FRONT OF THE PLACE. AFTER 10 MINS, I LOOKED DOWN AND THERE WAS A SOLID BLANKET OF CLOUDS EXCEPT FOR A 2+ MI OPENING AT ABOUT 4000 FT. I THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD BE THE ONLY OPENING TO GET DOWN SO I STARTED THE DSCNT DOWN. BEFORE I COULD GET THROUGH THE CLOUDS, WX FACTORS SEALED THE OPENING. I THEN STARTED THE CLB UP AT THE MAX RATE OF CLB BUT THE CLOUDS COVERED ME AT THIS POINT. I SQUAWKED 7700, 7600 AND CALLED FSS 122.00 AND DECLARED AN EMER, BUT MY RADIO WAS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. THERE WAS A LOT OF STATIC. I COULD MAKE OUT SOME OF THE XMISSION IN CALLING ZMA, BUT EVERY CHANNEL I TRIED I COULD NOT GET THROUGH. I HAVE HAD ABOUT 10 HRS OF INST TRAINING AND HAVE GONE TO THE DISTRICT TRAINING CLASSES. SO I KEPT THE WINGS LEVEL AND SLOWED MY SPD TO ABOUT 65 KTS. I KEPT PRESSING THE IDENT ON THE XPONDER WITH 7600 IN IT SO ZMA COULD KEEP ANY PLANES AWAY FROM MY PLANE. AT THIS POINT, I HAD TO GET DOWN WITH NO HELP. I WAS AT ABOUT 5500 FT AND DECIDED TO DSND 500 FT AT A TIME AND WATCH MY INSTS CAREFULLY. AT ABOUT 3500+ FT I BROKE THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND THEN SQUAWKED 1200 AND TRIED TO CONTACT FSS, BUT NO ANSWER. I THEN TRIED TO CONTACT TPA APCH BUT NO ANSWER TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS ALRIGHT. I WAS ABOUT 35 MI OUT AND I CONTACTED TPA APCH. THE CTLR THERE TOLD ME THAT IF I LANDED IN HIS AIRSPACE THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LEAVE UNTIL THE RADIO WAS FIXED. THE FSS MAN ALSO TOLD ME THAT IN THE AREA OF WEST OKEECHOBEE THERE ARE NO WX RPTING STATIONS. SO THERE IS NO REAL WAY TO TRACK THE WX. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE TO PUT A RPTING STATION AT OR AROUND LABELLE OR ARCADIA AREA. I ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THE PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH WENT BAD.

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.