ASRS 2073178
ACN 2073178 · 2024-01 · Small UAS (At or above 0.55 lbs and less than 55 lbs)
Recreational / Hobbyist UAS pilot reported flying in marginal VFR conditions and did not follow the cloud clearance requirements.
Pilot narrative
Verbatim, de-identified by NASA. Placeholders: ZZZ,
X, Y.
When preparing for my flight, the Dronecast app indicated clouds, but not cloud ceiling. I misjudged the height of the cloud base and when ascending to 390 ft. AGL began to experience reduced visibility. I reduced altitude to remain clear of the clouds, forgetting that I had to remain 500 ft. below. Aircraft was about 600 meters away. I flew back and landed without incident. Total flight time was 11 minutes. After landing I checked Air Control app which did provide ceiling height. It was then that I realized that I should not have taken off in the first place. I also noticed very slight icing on the prop leading edges. This was a learning experience. I now know not to try to judge cloud height visually and to confirm cloud height before takeoff to ensure I can maintain 500 ft. vertical distance from cloud base.
NASA classification · Anomalies
- Airspace Violation
- Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural
- Inflight Event / Encounter
NASA classification · Assessments
- Contributing Factors / Situations
- Human Factors · Weather
- Primary Problem
- Ambiguous
ASRS reports are voluntary, de-identified by NASA, and represent the reporter's perspective; they are not investigated and cannot be used to infer prevalence. Authoritative source: asrs.arc.nasa.gov ↗