Narrative:

This statement is an explanation of my actions from approximately XA00Z-XB15Z while on an IFR flight plan from cherokee (ckw) VOR V26 to meeker VOR (ekr) V220 to rifle VOR (ril). Approximately 30 mins after crossing the cherokee VOR; I turned on the pitot heat and entered IMC at night at the required MEA of 10000 ft. From this point; to the end of the flight; I would on a regular basis (about every 5-10 mins); turn on the dome light switch that would shine a light on the tires; checking for icing conditions on my tires and wing struts. From the time I entered IMC to the point of my landing; at no time did I encounter icing conditions. Prior to reaching meeker VOR; the flight was uneventful. Ten - 15 mins after crossing the meeker VOR I found myself in a right descending turn. The sound of the engine RPM's increasing is what signaled me that something was not right. I immediately applied corrective wings level attitude and applied back pressure; saying to myself; watch the stall. Don't stall. The exact scenario happened 2 more times before reaching the rifle VOR. At one point; I asked for vectors to get back on course. Each time this happened; I lost no more than 600 ft. Although this is well above any terrain in that area; I was still worried about contact with the ground. After my third unusual attitude scenario; I was very scared and nervous as I am sure my radio xmissions will indicate. After my third unusual attitude recovery; ZDV threw a curve ball at me. ATC told me they needed me to climb to 13000 ft to join the V8 airway for vectors to the ILS 26 approach at rifle airport. My mind froze here. I told ATC I was unable to comply; as I had no oxygen on board. My primary concern here was the 12500 FPM 30 min requirement. During my IFR training; while practicing ILS approachs at gjt I would get vectors for the ILS 11 approach at altitudes lower than the initial altitude depicted on the approach plate. So; during this flight; I expected ATC to vector me to join the ILS 26 approach; as I was already at 12000 ft; the altitude depicted on the approach plate. Between 10 mi and 5 mi away; ATC gave me an updated ATIS WX report; which depicted better conditions than earlier. I accepted this and continued toward my destination. At about 4-5 mi out; because of the oxygen requirement already racing around in my nervous and scared state of mind; I began a slow descent from 12000 ft to approximately 9000 ft; sometimes getting as low as 8500 ft. The airport was not visible when I reached 9000 ft as I thought it should be based in the ATIS information ATC gave me; and what I listened to myself on the ATIS frequency. At this point; I began a frantic search for the airport. At one point; I was headed west; away from the airport. ATC advised me that I was well below their vectoring altitudes and that the airport was behind me; and that I should make a right 180 degree turn. I was unable to comply with this; as I looked to my left and saw a mountain approximately 1 mi away. I made a very carefully monitored right turn to the vectored heading. At this point; I saw the town of rifle and began to fly toward the town; as I knew there would be no terrain to be encountered over the town. This whole time; I knew how far away I was; as I had a garmin 300 with a waypoint of ril in the flight plan. My mind was so scared at this time -- all I could comprehend was the distance being displayed on the face of the GPS unit. My mind was not processing the heading information that was displayed on the GPS. I was very disoriented. ATC did vector me; and I was able to interpret the heading from the heading indicator; and fly the required vectored heading from the heading indicator. At one point; after reaching for the airport for about 20 mins (maybe less time than that; I'm not sure); I would attempt to turn on the pilot controled lighting on CTAF of 122.80; but I still could not see the airport where I expected it to be. At one point; I called CTAF and asked them to turn on the airport lights; as I thought I was not doing it right; or it was inoperative. The airport replied; 'they are on high.' after 1 last vector from ATC; I saw the REIL's flashing; and then the runway environment and the flashing green and white beacon. I advised ATC I had the airport in sight and they cleared me to switch frequencys and to call him (ATC) when I was on the ground. At this point; I turned on the landing and taxi and was shocked to see big flakes of snow. I had no idea I was in the middle of a snowstorm. I made the appropriate downwind; base; and final calls to rifle traffic on 122.80 and performed a soft-field landing; as the runway looked very wet. I did feel the plane slide a bit as I lightly applied brakes. Once I was clear of the active runway; I contacted ZDV and advised them I was safely on the ground and thanked him for all that he did for me. He replied with a roger and that he was closing my flight plan. After playing the entire flight through my mind; there are so many links in the accident chain that could have broken; IMC; nighttime conditions; known freezing; an engine failure; mountainous conditions; the descent to 9000 ft 5 mi away from the rifle VOR; possible ground contact. The list can go on. In closing; I am glad to have survived this flight! I have sufficiently scared myself and learned what my personal minimums now are.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ENCOUNTERS WX ENRTE AND HAS A TRACK HDG DEV AND ALTDEV.

Narrative: THIS STATEMENT IS AN EXPLANATION OF MY ACTIONS FROM APPROX XA00Z-XB15Z WHILE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM CHEROKEE (CKW) VOR V26 TO MEEKER VOR (EKR) V220 TO RIFLE VOR (RIL). APPROX 30 MINS AFTER XING THE CHEROKEE VOR; I TURNED ON THE PITOT HEAT AND ENTERED IMC AT NIGHT AT THE REQUIRED MEA OF 10000 FT. FROM THIS POINT; TO THE END OF THE FLT; I WOULD ON A REGULAR BASIS (ABOUT EVERY 5-10 MINS); TURN ON THE DOME LIGHT SWITCH THAT WOULD SHINE A LIGHT ON THE TIRES; CHKING FOR ICING CONDITIONS ON MY TIRES AND WING STRUTS. FROM THE TIME I ENTERED IMC TO THE POINT OF MY LNDG; AT NO TIME DID I ENCOUNTER ICING CONDITIONS. PRIOR TO REACHING MEEKER VOR; THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. TEN - 15 MINS AFTER CROSSING THE MEEKER VOR I FOUND MYSELF IN A R DSNDING TURN. THE SOUND OF THE ENG RPM'S INCREASING IS WHAT SIGNALED ME THAT SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. I IMMEDIATELY APPLIED CORRECTIVE WINGS LEVEL ATTITUDE AND APPLIED BACK PRESSURE; SAYING TO MYSELF; WATCH THE STALL. DON'T STALL. THE EXACT SCENARIO HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES BEFORE REACHING THE RIFLE VOR. AT ONE POINT; I ASKED FOR VECTORS TO GET BACK ON COURSE. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED; I LOST NO MORE THAN 600 FT. ALTHOUGH THIS IS WELL ABOVE ANY TERRAIN IN THAT AREA; I WAS STILL WORRIED ABOUT CONTACT WITH THE GND. AFTER MY THIRD UNUSUAL ATTITUDE SCENARIO; I WAS VERY SCARED AND NERVOUS AS I AM SURE MY RADIO XMISSIONS WILL INDICATE. AFTER MY THIRD UNUSUAL ATTITUDE RECOVERY; ZDV THREW A CURVE BALL AT ME. ATC TOLD ME THEY NEEDED ME TO CLB TO 13000 FT TO JOIN THE V8 AIRWAY FOR VECTORS TO THE ILS 26 APCH AT RIFLE ARPT. MY MIND FROZE HERE. I TOLD ATC I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY; AS I HAD NO OXYGEN ON BOARD. MY PRIMARY CONCERN HERE WAS THE 12500 FPM 30 MIN REQUIREMENT. DURING MY IFR TRAINING; WHILE PRACTICING ILS APCHS AT GJT I WOULD GET VECTORS FOR THE ILS 11 APCH AT ALTS LOWER THAN THE INITIAL ALT DEPICTED ON THE APCH PLATE. SO; DURING THIS FLT; I EXPECTED ATC TO VECTOR ME TO JOIN THE ILS 26 APCH; AS I WAS ALREADY AT 12000 FT; THE ALT DEPICTED ON THE APCH PLATE. BTWN 10 MI AND 5 MI AWAY; ATC GAVE ME AN UPDATED ATIS WX RPT; WHICH DEPICTED BETTER CONDITIONS THAN EARLIER. I ACCEPTED THIS AND CONTINUED TOWARD MY DEST. AT ABOUT 4-5 MI OUT; BECAUSE OF THE OXYGEN REQUIREMENT ALREADY RACING AROUND IN MY NERVOUS AND SCARED STATE OF MIND; I BEGAN A SLOW DSCNT FROM 12000 FT TO APPROX 9000 FT; SOMETIMES GETTING AS LOW AS 8500 FT. THE ARPT WAS NOT VISIBLE WHEN I REACHED 9000 FT AS I THOUGHT IT SHOULD BE BASED IN THE ATIS INFO ATC GAVE ME; AND WHAT I LISTENED TO MYSELF ON THE ATIS FREQ. AT THIS POINT; I BEGAN A FRANTIC SEARCH FOR THE ARPT. AT ONE POINT; I WAS HEADED W; AWAY FROM THE ARPT. ATC ADVISED ME THAT I WAS WELL BELOW THEIR VECTORING ALTS AND THAT THE ARPT WAS BEHIND ME; AND THAT I SHOULD MAKE A R 180 DEG TURN. I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH THIS; AS I LOOKED TO MY L AND SAW A MOUNTAIN APPROX 1 MI AWAY. I MADE A VERY CAREFULLY MONITORED R TURN TO THE VECTORED HDG. AT THIS POINT; I SAW THE TOWN OF RIFLE AND BEGAN TO FLY TOWARD THE TOWN; AS I KNEW THERE WOULD BE NO TERRAIN TO BE ENCOUNTERED OVER THE TOWN. THIS WHOLE TIME; I KNEW HOW FAR AWAY I WAS; AS I HAD A GARMIN 300 WITH A WAYPOINT OF RIL IN THE FLT PLAN. MY MIND WAS SO SCARED AT THIS TIME -- ALL I COULD COMPREHEND WAS THE DISTANCE BEING DISPLAYED ON THE FACE OF THE GPS UNIT. MY MIND WAS NOT PROCESSING THE HDG INFO THAT WAS DISPLAYED ON THE GPS. I WAS VERY DISORIENTED. ATC DID VECTOR ME; AND I WAS ABLE TO INTERPRET THE HDG FROM THE HDG INDICATOR; AND FLY THE REQUIRED VECTORED HDG FROM THE HDG INDICATOR. AT ONE POINT; AFTER REACHING FOR THE ARPT FOR ABOUT 20 MINS (MAYBE LESS TIME THAN THAT; I'M NOT SURE); I WOULD ATTEMPT TO TURN ON THE PLT CTLED LIGHTING ON CTAF OF 122.80; BUT I STILL COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT WHERE I EXPECTED IT TO BE. AT ONE POINT; I CALLED CTAF AND ASKED THEM TO TURN ON THE ARPT LIGHTS; AS I THOUGHT I WAS NOT DOING IT RIGHT; OR IT WAS INOP. THE ARPT REPLIED; 'THEY ARE ON HIGH.' AFTER 1 LAST VECTOR FROM ATC; I SAW THE REIL'S FLASHING; AND THEN THE RWY ENVIRONMENT AND THE FLASHING GREEN AND WHITE BEACON. I ADVISED ATC I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND THEY CLRED ME TO SWITCH FREQS AND TO CALL HIM (ATC) WHEN I WAS ON THE GND. AT THIS POINT; I TURNED ON THE LNDG AND TAXI AND WAS SHOCKED TO SEE BIG FLAKES OF SNOW. I HAD NO IDEA I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOWSTORM. I MADE THE APPROPRIATE DOWNWIND; BASE; AND FINAL CALLS TO RIFLE TFC ON 122.80 AND PERFORMED A SOFT-FIELD LNDG; AS THE RWY LOOKED VERY WET. I DID FEEL THE PLANE SLIDE A BIT AS I LIGHTLY APPLIED BRAKES. ONCE I WAS CLR OF THE ACTIVE RWY; I CONTACTED ZDV AND ADVISED THEM I WAS SAFELY ON THE GND AND THANKED HIM FOR ALL THAT HE DID FOR ME. HE REPLIED WITH A ROGER AND THAT HE WAS CLOSING MY FLT PLAN. AFTER PLAYING THE ENTIRE FLT THROUGH MY MIND; THERE ARE SO MANY LINKS IN THE ACCIDENT CHAIN THAT COULD HAVE BROKEN; IMC; NIGHTTIME CONDITIONS; KNOWN FREEZING; AN ENG FAILURE; MOUNTAINOUS CONDITIONS; THE DSCNT TO 9000 FT 5 MI AWAY FROM THE RIFLE VOR; POSSIBLE GND CONTACT. THE LIST CAN GO ON. IN CLOSING; I AM GLAD TO HAVE SURVIVED THIS FLT! I HAVE SUFFICIENTLY SCARED MYSELF AND LEARNED WHAT MY PERSONAL MINIMUMS NOW ARE.

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.