C172 pilot chose to fly on top of a cloud deck, and ran low of fuel. The radar controller was able to get the pilot into a military field before the pilot ran out of fuel.

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Attributes
ACN	579014
Time
Date	200304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ztl.artcc
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl.artcc
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3 flight time total : 220 flight time type : 220
ASRS Report	579014
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was in jacksonville, fl, for my son's college orientation weekend. We were stuck in the area because of a low pressure system hovering over GA and tn. We had planned to leave on apr/mon/03. By apr/thu/03, we had made it to st mary's, GA. I was not very familiar with speaking to a WX briefer. I was used to traveling within my state (mi) by listening to recorded briefings. I called WX brief from my cell phone and got lansing. So, I got my information from the WX channel. A pilot entered the airport and said that he flew VFR on top from knoxville, tn. There were large openings in the clouds and I knew that I could get to knoxville, so I went above the clouds. I had obtained flight following. After flying for 3 hours, I told the ATC that I was not IFR rated and concerned about fuel. He brought me down to robins AFB. I have taken this matter very seriously. I understand the importance of getting a formal briefing and filing a flight plan. I intend to get an IFR rating and have learned a great deal from this experience.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT CHOSE TO FLY ON TOP OF A CLOUD DECK, AND RAN LOW OF FUEL. THE RADAR CTLR WAS ABLE TO GET THE PLT INTO A MIL FIELD BEFORE THE PLT RAN OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative: I WAS IN JACKSONVILLE, FL, FOR MY SON'S COLLEGE ORIENTATION WEEKEND. WE WERE STUCK IN THE AREA BECAUSE OF A LOW PRESSURE SYS HOVERING OVER GA AND TN. WE HAD PLANNED TO LEAVE ON APR/MON/03. BY APR/THU/03, WE HAD MADE IT TO ST MARY'S, GA. I WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH SPEAKING TO A WX BRIEFER. I WAS USED TO TRAVELING WITHIN MY STATE (MI) BY LISTENING TO RECORDED BRIEFINGS. I CALLED WX BRIEF FROM MY CELL PHONE AND GOT LANSING. SO, I GOT MY INFO FROM THE WX CHANNEL. A PLT ENTERED THE ARPT AND SAID THAT HE FLEW VFR ON TOP FROM KNOXVILLE, TN. THERE WERE LARGE OPENINGS IN THE CLOUDS AND I KNEW THAT I COULD GET TO KNOXVILLE, SO I WENT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. I HAD OBTAINED FLT FOLLOWING. AFTER FLYING FOR 3 HRS, I TOLD THE ATC THAT I WAS NOT IFR RATED AND CONCERNED ABOUT FUEL. HE BROUGHT ME DOWN TO ROBINS AFB. I HAVE TAKEN THIS MATTER VERY SERIOUSLY. I UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF GETTING A FORMAL BRIEFING AND FILING A FLT PLAN. I INTEND TO GET AN IFR RATING AND HAVE LEARNED A GREAT DEAL FROM THIS EXPERIENCE.

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.