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C172 student pilot and instructor on a training flight encounter IMC conditions, initiate a climb through WX to find a VFR airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 612526 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200403 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ict.airport |
| State Reference | KS |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ict.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 140 |
| ASRS Report | 612526 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : landed as precaution |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During cruise to benton, ks, the WX was originally a 3800 ft ceiling at salina and 3300 ft AGL in wichita, very close to benton. My instructor's and my decision was to fly at 3500 ft MSL to be below the clouds. At approximately newton, the haze really restr visibility to the front and left. Soon after, we found ourselves in light wispy clouds in a stratus layer. We decided to climb to find a hole to come back down into. Neither of us had current en route charts, so we found a hole, landed in newton and purchased a chart. Filed IFR from benton back to our point of departure. We took off and flew the 20 NM's to benton in class G airspace. Landed, picked up our clearance and flew home. As soon as we found ourselves in the clouds, we used our instrument training to climb until we broke out 200-300 ft above our initial cruise altitude. The visibility was the key. We thought the clouds were farther away until it was too late.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C172 STUDENT PLT AND INSTRUCTOR ON A TRAINING FLT ENCOUNTER IMC CONDITIONS, INITIATE A CLB THROUGH WX TO FIND A VFR ARPT.
Narrative: DURING CRUISE TO BENTON, KS, THE WX WAS ORIGINALLY A 3800 FT CEILING AT SALINA AND 3300 FT AGL IN WICHITA, VERY CLOSE TO BENTON. MY INSTRUCTOR'S AND MY DECISION WAS TO FLY AT 3500 FT MSL TO BE BELOW THE CLOUDS. AT APPROX NEWTON, THE HAZE REALLY RESTR VISIBILITY TO THE FRONT AND L. SOON AFTER, WE FOUND OURSELVES IN LIGHT WISPY CLOUDS IN A STRATUS LAYER. WE DECIDED TO CLB TO FIND A HOLE TO COME BACK DOWN INTO. NEITHER OF US HAD CURRENT ENRTE CHARTS, SO WE FOUND A HOLE, LANDED IN NEWTON AND PURCHASED A CHART. FILED IFR FROM BENTON BACK TO OUR POINT OF DEP. WE TOOK OFF AND FLEW THE 20 NM'S TO BENTON IN CLASS G AIRSPACE. LANDED, PICKED UP OUR CLRNC AND FLEW HOME. AS SOON AS WE FOUND OURSELVES IN THE CLOUDS, WE USED OUR INST TRAINING TO CLB UNTIL WE BROKE OUT 200-300 FT ABOVE OUR INITIAL CRUISE ALT. THE VISIBILITY WAS THE KEY. WE THOUGHT THE CLOUDS WERE FARTHER AWAY UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE.
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.