FATIGUED AND COMPLACENT; A VFR TRAFFIC REPORTER PLT FLIES INTO AN OVERCAST WHILE SEARCHING FOR A WATER BOTTLE UNDER HIS SEAT.

2007-07 · NASA ASRS report 745488

Date: 2007-07 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-loss-of-aircraft-control|inflight-event-encounter-vfr-in-imc

Synopsis

FATIGUED AND COMPLACENT; A VFR TRAFFIC REPORTER PLT FLIES INTO AN OVERCAST WHILE SEARCHING FOR A WATER BOTTLE UNDER HIS SEAT.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING A TFC WATCH FLT IN THE SAN DIEGO AREA. THE NEAREST CTLED ARPT THAT WAS OPEN WAS MYF. MYF WAS RPTING 1100 FT OVCST. I DON'T REMEMBER THE VISIBILITY RPT. I WAS TRANSITIONING THROUGH SEE ARPT'S CLASS D SURFACE AREA. AFTER FLYING APPROX 1 HR; I REACHED UNDER THE R FRONT SEAT; THE SEAT THAT I FLY FROM; TO FIND A WATER BOTTLE THAT I KEEP UNDER THE SEAT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE THE WATER BOTTLE UNDER THE SEAT. SO I SLID THE SEAT BACK IN ORDER TO REACH FURTHER BACK ON THE FLOOR OF THE ACFT. THE RESULTING CTR OF GRAVITY SHIFT CAUSED THE ACFT TO PITCH UP SLIGHTLY AND BEGIN CLBING. I INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO THE BASE OF THE OVCST. AT THE TIME I REACHED UNDER SEAT; I WAS FLYING TOWARDS FORTUNA MOUNTAIN. I HAD NOTED A HDG THAT WOULD TAKE ME THROUGH PASS THAT WAS CLR AHEAD. HDG APPROX 255 DEGS MAGNETIC. AFTER DISCOVERING I WAS IN THE CLOUDS; I NOTICED THAT I WAS STILL ON HDG; SO I PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN AND DSNDED FROM THE BASE OF THE OVCST. AT THE TIME I CLRED THE CLOUDS; I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE SADDLE OF THE PASS AT LESS THAN 500 FT AGL. I KNEW I WAS APCHING RISING TERRAIN WITH A LOW CEILING ABOVE; WHEN I REACHED FOR THE WATER BOTTLE UNDER THE SEAT. MY DECISION TO DIVERT MY ATTN TO LOOK FOR THE BOTTLE WAS A MISTAKE; IN 20/20 HINDSIGHT. I WAS FATIGUED AT THE TIME OF THE FLT. I HAD A POOR NIGHT OF SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FLT. IN ADDITION; I HAVE BECOME COMPLACENT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I FLY THE SAME ACFT 6 HRS PER DAY; 5 DAYS PER WK; ALONG THE SAME FREEWAYS AND ROADS; DAY AFTER DAY. I ATTRIBUTE THIS EVENT TO FATIGUE AND COMPLACENCY AND CONSIDER THIS EVENT TO BE MY WAKE-UP CALL. I ALSO REALIZED (LATER); THAT I HAVE A TFC RPTR THAT IS ALSO A LICENSED PLT; SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME. I COULD HAVE GIVEN POSITIVE CTL OF THE ACFT BEFORE DIVERTING MY ATTN AWAY FROM THE FLT; EVEN FOR A MOMENT.

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

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