A few years ago, I got a late call a Saturday night from a friend of my family. They had missed the night train to the ski resort (cheap mistake, confusing times with the return ticket) where they were going to spend a week holiday. They asked if I could fly them up there. I was a young lad looking for cheap hours so even though I had to arrange a few things logistically, I said YES!
At the time I wasn't instrument rated so I did tell my passengers that it was wx dependent, but the outlook was fine. I prepared for a night flight, about 2.5 hrs, collecting all available wx resources, calling the Met office etc. All sources indicated clear skies both ways, except for an old gentleman on the flying club that asked "are you going to be back before the bad weather?" I didn't pay much attention to this, the "professionals" at the Met office said nothing about it.
Flight up was uneventful, except it was a battle against the time. My destination aerodrome was closing at mid night and there were no suitable alternates for my passengers. We made it just in time, my passengers got a taxi and 30 min later they arrived to the hotel just one day delayed. "Pewwhhh... I thought, mission accomplished, now it's going to be a nice flight home"
Refueled to depart with full tanks (PA28) and headed south into the dark skies. The route was mainly inland over large forest areas, so navigation was a bit tricky. I couldn't pinpoint my position on the map, but from dead reckoning I could tell my approximate position. Fortunately I had a GNS430 giving me an accurate magenta line. I was approaching the first town on my route expecting to see some lights as I was approaching 30 nm north, but the lights were barely visible and didn't look as sharp as I excepted. Fearing the worst, as I got right over the town indeed it was an overcast cloud layer separating me and mother earth.
Great I thought, if it's cloudy here I would assume my destination would be the same. Asked ATC for latest observation at destination and some possible alternates in the vicinity. My dest was the best option, with OVC 2400 ft. Here I experienced some press-on-itis, for I could always return to my dep. aerodrome. That would be very inconvenient though since I was working the following day (or later that morning) and didn't want to leave the flying clubs plane 250 nm away from home.
I pressed on, hoping I could find somewhere to re-enter under the clouds. Coming in over the next town on my route, with lots of lights, I started to descend to find a hole. I checked the minimum altitudes on my chart and did a steep spiral over a reference point I thought I saw through the clouds. It was disorientating, to say the least, for the first time in my live flying through clouds.. not to mention solo in a steep spiral dive!!!! I kept starring on my instruments though, and eventually broke out at a safe altitude. I could continue the flight underneath the clouds. From this point home, the flight was without further mishaps and thank god my friend in the TWR had not forgotten to leave the runway lights on.
After landing I sat in the aeroplane for 15 min, I couldn't move. I was still a bit terrified. You would imagine the adrenaline rush through my head when ATC was reading the latest METARs for all my alternates.
Funnily enough, I would probably have done the same decision today to depart from the beginning. The weather reports did say it was going to be fine!! It just, wasn't...
Last edited by 172_driver; 21st December 2009 at 05:11.