SMA PLT ENTERS IMC. TUNES VOR AND HEADS TOWARD ARPT CONTACTING APCH CTL.

Date: 1992-10 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-vfr-in-imc|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence

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.