PLT OF SMA ON VFR X-COUNTRY FLT BECAME CAUGHT ON TOP AND NIGHT. RADAR ASSISTED TO SELFRIDGE AIR BASE BROKEN TO SCATTERED CLOUDS FOR VFR DSCNT AND LNDG AT SELFRIDGE.
Synopsis
PLT OF SMA ON VFR X-COUNTRY FLT BECAME CAUGHT ON TOP AND NIGHT. RADAR ASSISTED TO SELFRIDGE AIR BASE BROKEN TO SCATTERED CLOUDS FOR VFR DSCNT AND LNDG AT SELFRIDGE.
Narrative
I L NW INDIANA; VFR; FOR SMALL ARPT E OF FLINT; MI. THE WX FORECAST WAS GOOD FOR THE FIRST THIRD OF THE RTE BUT LOW CEILINGS AT FLINT. IT WAS FORECAST BETTER ON EXTREME E SIDE OF SOUTHEASTERN; MI. I HAD 5 HRS FUEL FOR LESS THAN A 2 HR FLT SO I THOUGHT IF I COULDN'T COME DOWN IN VFR E OF FLINT I COULD ALWAYS RETURN TO THE GOOD WX. IT WAS SMOOTH WITH GREAT VISIBILITY BTWN CLOUD DECKS FROM SW MICHIGAN TO MY DEST BUT I COULDN'T GET DOWN THROUGH THE OVCST. I WENT E TO CROSWELL WHERE THE CLOUDS WERE BROKEN BUT THEY WERE CLOSER TO THE GND THAN I THOUGHT AND I COULDN'T SPOT AN ARPT THROUGH THE HOLES. BY THEN IT WAS DARK EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NIGHT EXPERIENCE; AND WAS NIGHT CURRENT; I WASN'T PREPARED FOR VFR NIGHT FLT BTWN CLOUDS DECKS WITH NO LIGHTS BELOW AND NO STARS ABOVE. I CALLED SAGINAW APCH FOR HELP. THE ONLY VFR IN SE MICHIGAN WAS SELFRIDGE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE. SAGINAW; THEN FLINT APCH; THEN SELFRIDGE VECTORED ME TO SELFRIDGE WHERE IT WAS 3000 FT SCATTERED AND 5 MI VISIBILITY. I LANDED OK AND THEN WENT THROUGH THE RECEPTION YOU GET WHEN A CIVILIAN LANDS AT A MIL BASE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.