SMA PLT ENTERS IMC. TUNES VOR AND HEADS TOWARD ARPT CONTACTING APCH CTL.
Synopsis
SMA PLT ENTERS IMC. TUNES VOR AND HEADS TOWARD ARPT CONTACTING APCH CTL.
Narrative
AFTER TKOF FROM RWY 11; AND A CLB TO 600 FT; I ANNOUNCED I WAS DEPARTING TO THE S. I TURNED TO 180 AND CONTINUED TO CLB. I RECEIVED AN ATIS RPT FROM ADW INDICATING WX WAS 5000 FT AND 5 MI VISIBILITY WITH HAZE. AT 2500 FT; I TURNED HDG 270 TO PROCEED ACROSS THE BAY; AND CONTINUED TO CLB TO 3000 FT. I SOON REALIZED I WAS IN IFR CONDITIONS; NO HORIZON NOR SIGHT OF THE GND; ALL WHITE. I DECIDED TO PROCEED DIRECT TO ADW. RATHER THAN RETURN TO W29 FOR SEVERAL REASONS. ADW HAS A VOR ON THE FIELD WHICH I WAS RECEIVING WELL; (THE ATIS RPT WAS RECEIVED ON THIS FREQ) MAKING IT EASY TO FIND UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. TO FIND ADW WHAT I NEEDED TO DO WAS MAINTAIN 3000 FT AND 270; KEEPING THE CDI ON MY VOR CENTERED. IN ORDER TO RETURN TO W29; I WOULD HAVE HAD TO MAKE A 180 AND DSND HOPING TO EVENTUALLY BREAK OUT OF IFR; HOWEVER; SINCE THERE WAS NO CLR LINE WHERE THE CLOUDS BEGAN I WAS NOT SURE WHAT ALT THIS WOULD BE. MY FIRST REACTION AFTER DECIDING TO CONTINUE TO ADW; WAS TO CALL RADAR AND INFORM THEM I WAS 'INADVERTENT IFR.' UPON RADAR'S REQUEST; I CONFIRMED IFR CONDITIONS; I WAS NOT IFR RATED; RPTED 3000 FT AND OFF THE 264 DEG RADIAL OF ADW VOR; NO DME ON BOARD; 2 SOB; 2 PLUS 30 HRS FUEL; AND SQUAWK 7700. I BELIEVE RADAR CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED 22 MI E OF ANDREWS. I WAS TOLD TO PROCEED DIRECT TO ANDREWS; AND AFTER SEVERAL MINS TO DSND TO VFR CONDITIONS. I DSNDED TO 1500 RPTING 500 FT INCREMENTS. I RPTED 10 MI E AT 1500; WAS CLRED INTO THE TCA; TOLD TO DSND TO 1000 AND RPT THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I WAS THEN TOLD TO RPT A R DOWNWIND FOR 01R. I INADVERTENTLY MADE A R TURN (AS IF TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR 19L); SO I QUICKLY TOLD TWR I ACCIDENTALLY TURNED THE WRONG WAY AND WANTED TO CONTINUE AROUND (270 DEGS) TO THE CORRECT DIRECTION. THEY SAID NO PROBLEM. THERE WAS A FIRE TRUCK WAITING FOR US ON THE GND.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.