Narrative:

I chose a day of forecast VMC WX for my first solo cross country in a new aircraft while under an instrument flight plan. Although the WX was clear; I thought the experience would help me develop the skill set required to participate in the communications; terminology; variables and environment of the real system. Upon reaching the final hour of flight; ATC advised me of a route change and I attempted to copy the change while rapidly entering IMC. The IMC was not forecast and consisted of a layer of cumulus at 4000 ft with rain and visibility of less than 1/4 mi. It was clear below 2000 ft. In an attempt to enter new routing; obey vectors and dscnts; I was unable to maintain course headings within the prescribed values and regularly flew either above or below the assigned altitude. During final vectors to the final approach course I was ultimately saturated mentally that I flew through the approach course and had to be vectored back for a second attempt. I believe I was prepared for less of an introductory flight; and would have performed well if the descent had been a simple straight in through the layer. My inability to find the intxns on the chart quickly; correcting for altitude and heading excursions and constantly reassuring ATC that I was aware of my errors and not fully ignorant quickly put me behind the aircraft. This was again compounded by the little time I've had to master the equipment on board and properly develop a sophisticated CRM program. I feel additional time on training; chart study; CRM and equipment familiarity will soon provide the ease and understanding required to avoid the situation from recurring.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BELLANCA PLT ENTERS UNFORECAST IMC; BECOMES OVERWHELMED AND DISORIENTED.

Narrative: I CHOSE A DAY OF FORECAST VMC WX FOR MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY IN A NEW ACFT WHILE UNDER AN INST FLT PLAN. ALTHOUGH THE WX WAS CLR; I THOUGHT THE EXPERIENCE WOULD HELP ME DEVELOP THE SKILL SET REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COMS; TERMINOLOGY; VARIABLES AND ENVIRONMENT OF THE REAL SYS. UPON REACHING THE FINAL HR OF FLT; ATC ADVISED ME OF A RTE CHANGE AND I ATTEMPTED TO COPY THE CHANGE WHILE RAPIDLY ENTERING IMC. THE IMC WAS NOT FORECAST AND CONSISTED OF A LAYER OF CUMULUS AT 4000 FT WITH RAIN AND VISIBILITY OF LESS THAN 1/4 MI. IT WAS CLR BELOW 2000 FT. IN AN ATTEMPT TO ENTER NEW ROUTING; OBEY VECTORS AND DSCNTS; I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN COURSE HDGS WITHIN THE PRESCRIBED VALUES AND REGULARLY FLEW EITHER ABOVE OR BELOW THE ASSIGNED ALT. DURING FINAL VECTORS TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE I WAS ULTIMATELY SATURATED MENTALLY THAT I FLEW THROUGH THE APCH COURSE AND HAD TO BE VECTORED BACK FOR A SECOND ATTEMPT. I BELIEVE I WAS PREPARED FOR LESS OF AN INTRODUCTORY FLT; AND WOULD HAVE PERFORMED WELL IF THE DSCNT HAD BEEN A SIMPLE STRAIGHT IN THROUGH THE LAYER. MY INABILITY TO FIND THE INTXNS ON THE CHART QUICKLY; CORRECTING FOR ALT AND HDG EXCURSIONS AND CONSTANTLY REASSURING ATC THAT I WAS AWARE OF MY ERRORS AND NOT FULLY IGNORANT QUICKLY PUT ME BEHIND THE ACFT. THIS WAS AGAIN COMPOUNDED BY THE LITTLE TIME I'VE HAD TO MASTER THE EQUIP ON BOARD AND PROPERLY DEVELOP A SOPHISTICATED CRM PROGRAM. I FEEL ADDITIONAL TIME ON TRAINING; CHART STUDY; CRM AND EQUIP FAMILIARITY WILL SOON PROVIDE THE EASE AND UNDERSTANDING REQUIRED TO AVOID THE SITUATION FROM RECURRING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.