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Private pilot on a VFR flight continues climb over top of undercast until the only option is to descend through IMC to safely conclude the flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 779195 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200803 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : rdu.vor |
| State Reference | NC |
| Altitude | msl single value : 10000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc.artcc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 18 flight time total : 360 flight time type : 360 |
| ASRS Report | 779195 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited adverse environment |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I am a VFR-rated private pilot. On a VFR flight I made the decision to climb over a broken cloud layer. My expectation; based on forecast WX; was that the layer would remain broken; and that it would be scattered at my arrival at destination. As we traveled north; the cloud tops continuously rose. In addition; the cloud layer became a continuous undercast. I continued climbing above the clouds until the cloud tops reached above 10000 ft MSL. I realized I could no longer see the horizon. I immediately started flying by reference to instruments. I was receiving VFR advisories from ZDC and informed the controller that I was no longer able to maintain VFR and requested an instrument clearance to descend through the clouds. The controller granted my request and was very helpful to me until I was in VFR conditions. I recognize that there were several decision points that led to this situation. There were numerous times I could have let down through the cloud deck in VFR conditions before it became solid undercast. This was also a situation where an instrument rating would have made this a non event. Once I recognized the situation; I employed the techniques I learned in my limited instrument training to maintain aircraft control until I could resume VFR flight. I also utilized the resources at my disposal to assist me. In the future; I will be much more reluctant to climb above a cloud layer!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PVT PILOT ON A VFR FLT CONTINUES CLIMB OVER TOP OF UNDERCAST UNTIL THE ONLY OPTION IS TO DESCEND THROUGH IMC TO SAFELY CONCLUDE THE FLT.
Narrative: I AM A VFR-RATED PVT PLT. ON A VFR FLT I MADE THE DECISION TO CLB OVER A BROKEN CLOUD LAYER. MY EXPECTATION; BASED ON FORECAST WX; WAS THAT THE LAYER WOULD REMAIN BROKEN; AND THAT IT WOULD BE SCATTERED AT MY ARR AT DEST. AS WE TRAVELED N; THE CLOUD TOPS CONTINUOUSLY ROSE. IN ADDITION; THE CLOUD LAYER BECAME A CONTINUOUS UNDERCAST. I CONTINUED CLBING ABOVE THE CLOUDS UNTIL THE CLOUD TOPS REACHED ABOVE 10000 FT MSL. I REALIZED I COULD NO LONGER SEE THE HORIZON. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED FLYING BY REF TO INSTS. I WAS RECEIVING VFR ADVISORIES FROM ZDC AND INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AND REQUESTED AN INST CLRNC TO DSND THROUGH THE CLOUDS. THE CTLR GRANTED MY REQUEST AND WAS VERY HELPFUL TO ME UNTIL I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS. I RECOGNIZE THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL DECISION POINTS THAT LED TO THIS SITUATION. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TIMES I COULD HAVE LET DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUD DECK IN VFR CONDITIONS BEFORE IT BECAME SOLID UNDERCAST. THIS WAS ALSO A SITUATION WHERE AN INST RATING WOULD HAVE MADE THIS A NON EVENT. ONCE I RECOGNIZED THE SITUATION; I EMPLOYED THE TECHNIQUES I LEARNED IN MY LIMITED INST TRAINING TO MAINTAIN ACFT CTL UNTIL I COULD RESUME VFR FLT. I ALSO UTILIZED THE RESOURCES AT MY DISPOSAL TO ASSIST ME. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL BE MUCH MORE RELUCTANT TO CLB ABOVE A CLOUD LAYER!
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.