A SUKHOI-31 ATP PLT ENTERS THE ROSE HILL MOA; IMC IN VFR FLT; WHEN UNABLE TO CONTACT DHN APCH CTLR FOR CLRNC. RPTR CITES INSTABILITY OF THIS ACROBATIC ACFT AS REASON FOR BEING NORAC TFC.

Date: 1999-10 · Aircraft: Other

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

Synopsis

A SUKHOI-31 ATP PLT ENTERS THE ROSE HILL MOA; IMC IN VFR FLT; WHEN UNABLE TO CONTACT DHN APCH CTLR FOR CLRNC. RPTR CITES INSTABILITY OF THIS ACROBATIC ACFT AS REASON FOR BEING NORAC TFC.

Narrative

I DEPARTED SELMA; AL. THE WX WAS 1900 FT BROKEN; 6 MI OF VISIBILITY. FLYING A SUKHOI-31 TO SOUTH FLORIDA. TKOF WAS ABOUT AM40Z. AS I PROGRESSED TO 15 NM W OF TROY ARPT WX STARTED TO LOWER. DOTHAN'S LAST HOME RPT WAS 700 FT OVCST 2 MI VISIBILITY. AS I APCHED 290 DEG FROM DOTHAN ARPT THE WX DROPPED TO 400 FT AGL AND VISIBILITY TO 2 NM. THE OVCST SHOWED BREAKS ABOVE AND HAD BEEN TOPS AT 2000 FT IN SELMA. I WAS 5 NM E OF CARL FOLSOM ARPT WHEN I WENT IMC ON A 170 DEG TRACK TO CLB ON TOP. DUE TO THE COCKPIT WORKLOAD IN THIS TYPE OF ACFT I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT DOTHAN APCH. I MAINTAINED ABOUT A 160 DEG TRACK UNTIL I BROKE OUT ON TOP. I STAYED VMC AND CLBED UP TO APPROX 7000 FT TO GET AROUND SOME OF THE CLOUDS. THIS WAS APPROX 15 NM NW OF GENAVO; AL. AT 15-20 NM E OF GENAVO I WAS ABLE TO DSND THROUGH THE SCATTERED/BROKEN DECK TO CRUISE VMC BELOW THE DECK AT 2000 FT MSL WITH 6 MI VISIBILITY. DUE TO THE FACT I WAS IN AN UNSTABLE ACFT I WAS UNABLE TO USE THE RADIO AND CHANGE FREQS AND CONTACT DOTHAN APCH OR CTR. THE TIMES REFERRED TO ABOVE ARE APPROX. MODE C WAS ON AT ALL TIMES.

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