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PA38 pilot encounters heavy rain en route to gww and executes nonstandard traffic to runway 23 to expedite his pattern.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 707417 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200608 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gww.airport |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1300 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : gsb.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-38 Tomahawk |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | approach : visual approach : traffic pattern arrival other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1050 flight time type : 20 |
| ASRS Report | 707417 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
I refueled at mt olive and departed back to goldsboro; was granted permission from seymour to transition their airspace. Visibility was more than 5 mi because we could see seymour when taking off from mt olive and the ceilings were high. There was light rain falling. As soon as we were over seymour we asked for a change to CTAF 122.7 and goldsboro traffic was informed we were about 5 1/2 mi south landing goldsboro on runway 5. A citation responded saying they were touching down on runway 23. Suddenly; without any warning the light rain became a downpour; and visibility was diminishing fast. I asked my instrument instructor to handle the radio. He talked back and forth with the citation assuring them we were no problem; still 3 mi out and the citation said the area around runway 23 was clear. We told the citation we were diverting to the west because it was clear out that way; that we were not landing and suddenly we broke out of the rain. We were west of the airport and I continued not knowing if the rain would be coming in over goldsboro and announced a right base to final runway 23; there was no other traffic and landed without incident. We went up to the citation pilot and thanked him for telling us about runway 23 being clear. I am submitting this report because we flew a r-hand pattern instead of a standard l-hand pattern.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA38 PLT ENCOUNTERS HVY RAIN ENRTE TO GWW AND EXECUTES NONSTANDARD TFC TO RWY 23 TO EXPEDITE HIS PATTERN.
Narrative: I REFUELED AT MT OLIVE AND DEPARTED BACK TO GOLDSBORO; WAS GRANTED PERMISSION FROM SEYMOUR TO TRANSITION THEIR AIRSPACE. VISIBILITY WAS MORE THAN 5 MI BECAUSE WE COULD SEE SEYMOUR WHEN TAKING OFF FROM MT OLIVE AND THE CEILINGS WERE HIGH. THERE WAS LIGHT RAIN FALLING. AS SOON AS WE WERE OVER SEYMOUR WE ASKED FOR A CHANGE TO CTAF 122.7 AND GOLDSBORO TFC WAS INFORMED WE WERE ABOUT 5 1/2 MI S LNDG GOLDSBORO ON RWY 5. A CITATION RESPONDED SAYING THEY WERE TOUCHING DOWN ON RWY 23. SUDDENLY; WITHOUT ANY WARNING THE LIGHT RAIN BECAME A DOWNPOUR; AND VISIBILITY WAS DIMINISHING FAST. I ASKED MY INST INSTRUCTOR TO HANDLE THE RADIO. HE TALKED BACK AND FORTH WITH THE CITATION ASSURING THEM WE WERE NO PROB; STILL 3 MI OUT AND THE CITATION SAID THE AREA AROUND RWY 23 WAS CLR. WE TOLD THE CITATION WE WERE DIVERTING TO THE W BECAUSE IT WAS CLR OUT THAT WAY; THAT WE WERE NOT LNDG AND SUDDENLY WE BROKE OUT OF THE RAIN. WE WERE W OF THE ARPT AND I CONTINUED NOT KNOWING IF THE RAIN WOULD BE COMING IN OVER GOLDSBORO AND ANNOUNCED A R BASE TO FINAL RWY 23; THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE WENT UP TO THE CITATION PLT AND THANKED HIM FOR TELLING US ABOUT RWY 23 BEING CLR. I AM SUBMITTING THIS RPT BECAUSE WE FLEW A R-HAND PATTERN INSTEAD OF A STANDARD L-HAND PATTERN.
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.