INSTRUCTOR PLT RPT OF STUDENT PLT GOING IMC IN VFR FLT DURING SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Date: 1996-11 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

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

Synopsis

INSTRUCTOR PLT RPT OF STUDENT PLT GOING IMC IN VFR FLT DURING SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative

A STUDENT PLT OF MINE PLANNED A XCOUNTRY SOLO FLT AT APPROX AB00 AM. WE BOTH CHKED WITH MACON FSS AND RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING. I CHKED HIS XCOUNTRY PLANNING AND FOUND HIS PLANNING AND THE ACTUAL WX AND FORECAST FOR HIS FLT TIME ALL TO BE OK FOR THE FLT. I WAS ATTENDING A FLT INSTRUCTOR RE-EVAL CLINIC AND WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN HE DEPARTED. HE ENCOUNTERED AN UNFORECAST AND UNEXPECTED CLOUD COVER AT APPROX 800 FT AGL AND WENT INTO IMC. HE CONTACTED ATL APCH AFTER GETTING ON TOP AT 2100 FT MSL; ON 121.5 AND THEY VECTORED HIM TO MONROE ARPT WHICH WAS VFR. ATL APCH; MCN FSS; AND OF COURSE BOTH OF US WERE SURPRISED AT THE LOW CLOUD COVER THAT WAS COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED. THE LOWEST CLOUDS FORECAST WERE FOR 3000 FT EARLY AND IMPROVING AFTER SUNRISE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 354350: AT APPROX 800 FT AGL ON TKOF; I ENTERED INTO A CLOUD. I ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE MY POS TO EXIT THE CLOUD BUT WAS UNABLE TO. I QUICKLY PROCEEDED TO CLB IN AN EFFORT TO GO ABOVE THE CEILING. WHILE CLBING TO GO ABOVE THE CLOUDS I TUNED INTO 121.5 AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS A STUDENT PLT DEPARTING 4A0 AND HAD GOTTEN INTO CLOUD COVER. I WAS DIRECTED TO CHANGE FREQ. ONCE I CHANGED FREQ I WAS VECTORED TO MONROE (D73) AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THE FAA ONCE ON THE GND. ONCE ON THE GND; I CONTACTED THE FAA TO LET THEM KNOW I REACHED MY ALTERNATE DEST. ADDITIONALLY I CONTACTED THE ANDERSON FSS AND GAVE THEM A PLT BRIEFING.

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