A C150 TRAINING FLT BECOMES LOST AND DISORIENTED DUE TO HAZE IN THE IAH AREA. PLT IS A STUDENT PLT.
Synopsis
A C150 TRAINING FLT BECOMES LOST AND DISORIENTED DUE TO HAZE IN THE IAH AREA. PLT IS A STUDENT PLT.
Narrative
ON JAN/XX/97; AT ABOUT ZZ30 PM I ARRIVE AT CLEVELAND ARPT AND DID NORMAL INSPECTION AND PREFLT. VISIBILITY WAS UNLIMITED; SCATTERED CLOUDS; 60 DEG TEMP AND LOW HUMIDITY. I WAS FLYING A RENTED C150. I AM A STUDENT PLT WITH APPROX 27 HRS. I WAS FLYING TO PRACTICE SKILLS AND BUILD TIME. I FLEW N OF THE ARPT NEVER LOSING SIGHT OF THE ARPT. AFTER ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS I NOTICE HAZE MOVING IN FROM THE S. I WAS ABOUT 10 MI NW OF THE ARPT AND COULD SEE BUSINESSES AROUND THE ARPT AND 3 SURROUNDING TOWNS; APPROX 20+ MI VISIBILITY. I DECIDED TO FLY SOUTHEASTERLY DOWN A COMMON HWY TO CLEVELAND AND THEN ACROSS TO THE ARPT THINKING THAT IF ANYTHING HAPPENED I COULD TURN AROUND AND FLY BACK DOWN THE HWY TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT. SHORTLY AFTER I ARRIVED AT CLEVELAND I LOST SIGHT OF THE ARPT. I ATTEMPTED A 180 DEG TURN AND BECAUSE I COULD NOT SEE CLRLY I BECAME DISORIENTED AND LOST MY HEADING. AND AFTER STUDYING ABOUT DISORIENTATION AND FLICKER VERTIGO I DIDN'T TRUST ANY OF MY SENSES. I WASN'T CLR THAT I COULD DETERMINE DISTANCE AND WAS UNSURE OF MY HEADING. I CONTACTED FLT SVCS FOR FEAR OF GETTING INTO A CLASS B AIRSPACE. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL INTERCONTINENTAL ARPT WHICH HELPED ME RESET MY HEADING AND I CONTINUED ON AND LANDED AT LIVINGSTON ARPT. I APPRECIATE FLT SVCS' HELP AND UNDERSTAND THEIR IMPORTANCE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.