PLT OF AN SMA SEL DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED ALT AND FAILED TO RPT OVER ASSIGNED RPTING FIX.

Date: 1995-06 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

Anomalies: deviation-altitude-excursion-from-assigned-altitude|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-unspecified

Synopsis

PLT OF AN SMA SEL DSNDED BELOW ASSIGNED ALT AND FAILED TO RPT OVER ASSIGNED RPTING FIX.

Narrative

DENVER WX WAS IFR BUT NO FORECAST FOR ICING. WYOMING WX WAS IFR; WITH THE CEILING TO BE 13000 FT AND LAYERED BTWN 9000 FT AND 13000 FT. THERE WAS A CHANCE OF ICING IN THE CLOUDS; BUT I FIGURED WE COULD GET IN BTWN THE LAYERS OR EVEN BELOW THE BASES VFR IF WE RAN INTO TROUBLE. MODERATE MIXED ICING OCCURRED BTWN 10000 FT AND 12000 FT MSL JUST N OF MEDICINE BOW AND APPROX 20 MI S OF CASPER. AT THIS POINT WE WERE GETTING A LARGE BUILD UP OF ICE AND WE COULD NO LONGER CLB OUT OF IT AND IF WE DSNDED WE WOULD GO BELOW THE MEA. WE WERE ABLE TO DIVERT TO THE W AND GET IN BTWN LAYERS. IN ORDER TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME WE HAD TO DSND TO 10500 FT WHICH WAS APPROX 500 FT BELOW OUR ASSIGNED ALT OF 11000 FT. 2 MINS LATER WE WERE ASSIGNED 10800 FT AND THEN ANOTHER 2 MINS WE WERE ASSIGNED 10500 FT; WHICH WE HAD ALREADY BEEN AT FOR SOME TIME. APPROX 10 MI S OF CASPER WE WERE AT THE BASE OF THE CLOUD LAYER AND BEGINNING TO SHED SOME OF OUR ICE. AT THIS POINT WE WERE ASKED OF OUR INTENTIONS. I DECIDED TO KEEP GOING TO SHERIDAN FEELING THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL. AT THIS POINT WE WERE ASKED TO RPT XING CRAZY WOMAN VOR. AT THE TIME WE PASSED OVER THE VOR ANOTHER ACFT BEING CTLED BY CTR HAD LOST AN ENG AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE COMMUNICATING THEIR INTENTIONS. THE CTLR ASKED THAT ALL ACFT STANDBY. SO WITH ALL THE CONFUSION WE WERE UNABLE TO RPT CRAZY WOMAN AND WE PROCEEDED NOW THINKING ABOUT OUR FUEL SIT AND MAKING THE DECISION TO CUT OUR TRIP SHORT AND LAND AT JOHNSON ARPT APPROX 30 MI S OF SHERIDAN. AT THIS POINT I WAS INTENT ON FINDING THE LITTLE ONE RWY ARPT; I FORGOT TO RPT XING CRAZY WOMAN. BEFORE SENDING US OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR WE WERE ASKED IF WE HAD MADE THE RPT. LOOKING BACK NOW I HAVE THOUGHT OF SEVERAL THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE BETTER. I SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT CASPER; REFUELED AND MADE A FRESH START TOWARDS SHERIDAN. SECONDLY I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT ACFT JUST A LITTLE BETTER THAN I DID.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.