VFR Pilot Encounters Instrument Meteorological Conditions Above Cloud Cover

A VFR pilot without an instrument rating became trapped in instrument meteorological conditions near the Washington-Idaho border and spent more than an hour relying on controllers to find a route back to visual conditions.

Into the Soup

Shane Daily was flying a two-seat Lancair 320 on April 6, 2019 when he encountered IMC. He was not IFR certified.

Daily reported that he was on autopilot, climbing and had no visibility. Seattle Center controller Joe Asmundson declared an emergency and began working the aircraft.

Finding a Way Out

Daily climbed to altitudes as high as 20,000 feet while trying to remain clear of the cloud tops. Asmundson split the workload with other controllers, obtained weather information and searched for an airport or opening where the aircraft could return to VMC.

The controller team eventually found a hole in the clouds about 50 miles south of the intended landing area near Lewiston, Idaho.

The Recovery

Daily described the opening as getting larger and suitable for the descent. The controller team continued supporting the flight until the aircraft could leave the IMC environment.

NATCA later recognized Asmundson and the other controllers involved with an Archie League Medal of Safety Award for the response.

The pilot was not instrument-rated, so the encounter with IMC immediately placed the flight outside the conditions for which he was qualified. Once the clouds surrounded the aircraft, the pilot reported having no visibility and tried to climb out while using the autopilot.

Seattle Center treated the situation as an emergency and began looking for a route back to visual conditions. The controller team split workload, gathered weather information and searched for suitable VFR openings rather than simply issuing a conventional IFR clearance to a pilot who was not qualified for one.

Daily reported that the opening was getting larger. Controllers continued assisting until he could descend through the gap and return to visual conditions. NATCA later recognized the controller team for the save.

The controllers did not simply tell the pilot to continue climbing indefinitely. They searched for a route back into VMC and divided the workload among several people, including weather and sector support.

The eventual opening in the clouds provided a visual escape route for a pilot who was not instrument-rated. The NATCA award record credits the controller team with working the aircraft for more than an hour before the pilot reached the opening.

Im on the autopilot, still trying to climb out of this, but unfortunately I am in the soup and have no visibility at all

The controller team spent more than an hour helping the pilot find a visual escape route. The recovery was therefore a sustained ATC intervention rather than a single vector or clearance.

The NATCA award record identifies Joe Asmundson and the other Seattle Center controllers who assisted. Their work included splitting sectors, gathering weather information and searching for a visual escape route, giving the pilot a practical way out of the IMC.

Accident Facts

Timeline

Sources