SMALL AIRCRAFT PILOT REPORTS RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WEATHER WHICH BLOCKS ATTEMPTS AT DIVERSION AND RESULTS IN SAFE LANDING ON STATE HIGHWAY.
Synopsis
SMALL AIRCRAFT PILOT REPORTS RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WEATHER WHICH BLOCKS ATTEMPTS AT DIVERSION AND RESULTS IN SAFE LANDING ON STATE HIGHWAY.
Narrative
I WAS ENRTE FROM THE SLC AREA TO DIJ. I EVALUATED THE WX OVER SODA SPRINGS; ID (U78) AND DECIDED THAT IT WAS VFR TO DRIGGS; ID (DIJ). WHILE ENRTE BTWN SODA SPRINGS AND DIJ; THE WX STARTED TO COME DOWN. AT ABOUT THE HALFWAY POINT; I DECIDED TO TURN 180 DEGS FOR AFO BY WAY OF SODA SPRINGS (U78). ONCE ENRTE FOR AFO AT THE TOP OF TIN CUP PASS; THE WX CAME DOWN MORE AND IT WAS NO LONGER VFR TO AFO. I TURNED 180 DEGS AGAIN BACK TOWARD SODA SPRINGS ONLY TO HAVE THE WX COMING DOWN THERE ALSO. OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 5 MINS; IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I WAS RUNNING OUT OF OPTIONS AND DECIDED TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG ON A STATE HWY. AT THAT POINT; THE CONDITIONS HAD COME DOWN TO ABOUT 1 MI; CEILING 500-750 FT. THE LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL WITH NO DAMAGE. I PULLED THE PLANE OFF THE HWY AND GOT A RIDE FROM A PASSING MOTORIST. EARLIER THAT DAY; I HAD GOTTEN A STANDARD WX BRIEF AND WAS AWARE THAT WX WAS MOVING IN BUT THAT BY MY CALCULATIONS I WOULD HAVE BEEN AHEAD OF IT. ADDITIONALLY; THE RADAR INFO ON MY GARMIN 496 CONFIRMED MY CONCLUSIONS. HAVING FLOWN IN THE MOUNTAINS FOR MORE THAN 1000 HRS; I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE WX COME DOWN LIKE A BLANKET THE WAY IT DID THAT DAY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: OVERCONFIDENCE IN KNOWING THE TERRAIN AND THE LCL WX. I WAS TIRED FROM FLYING ALL DAY. NEXT TIME I WILL NOT PUSH THE WX.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.