Narrative:

I'm a VFR pilot. My wife and I were on vacation in destination, fl, and intended to leave 2/xx/89. We talked with FSS throughout the day but WX conditions did not permit us to leave. On 2/sun/89, I again called FSS throughout the morning. I had been told huntsville and north alabama were VFR. I only had to wait for destination to reach VFR conditions. At XA15 pm we were informed that destination was VFR and north alabama was also VFR. There was also a scattered layer of clouds over panama city. We filed our VFR flight plan for 2000' to panama city, then 6500' to cullman, al. We asked for and received special VFR for departure from destination to panama city, due to some low clouds still in the area. Upon reaching panama city we made our climb to 6500'. We were in contact with tyndall approach. We flew to montgomery VOR and then started to birmingham, vulcan VOR.. We had been handed off to montgomery approach. I called FSS and asked for a WX update. I discovered at this point that there was no break in the cloud cover. At this point FSS and montgomery approach began trying to locate an opening. I was handed off to birmingham and they too continued to try and locate an opening. A pilot reported there might be a possibility of getting through over tuscaloosa. We flew toward tuscaloosa, but found no opening. We then turned toward cullman. Birmingham notified us that the closest place we could get down VFR was paducah, ky. We informed them that we didn't have enough fuel on board to go that far and we would continue to cullman and try to get down. They notified us 13 mi south of cullman that they were about to hand us to huntsville. I had them check for any IFR or VFR traffic in the area. There was none. I was handed of to huntsville. I then had huntsville check for any IFR or VFR traffic and again it was reported there was none. We had tried every available means with the help of FSS, montgomery, birmingham and huntsville to get down VFR, but were unable to do so. After careful consideration I decided the safest operation would be to declare an emergency and descend. This I did through huntsville. I set up a 100 KT 700 FPM descent. We were in the clouds approximately 3 mins. At 2700' MSL we spotted the airport and continued our descent to tpa 2000'. We entered the traffic pattern and landed. The cloud tops were at 4700' MSL.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IFR ON VFR FLT PLAN, EMERGENCY DECLARED TO DESCEND.

Narrative: I'M A VFR PLT. MY WIFE AND I WERE ON VACATION IN DEST, FL, AND INTENDED TO LEAVE 2/XX/89. WE TALKED WITH FSS THROUGHOUT THE DAY BUT WX CONDITIONS DID NOT PERMIT US TO LEAVE. ON 2/SUN/89, I AGAIN CALLED FSS THROUGHOUT THE MORNING. I HAD BEEN TOLD HUNTSVILLE AND NORTH ALABAMA WERE VFR. I ONLY HAD TO WAIT FOR DEST TO REACH VFR CONDITIONS. AT XA15 PM WE WERE INFORMED THAT DEST WAS VFR AND NORTH ALABAMA WAS ALSO VFR. THERE WAS ALSO A SCATTERED LAYER OF CLOUDS OVER PANAMA CITY. WE FILED OUR VFR FLT PLAN FOR 2000' TO PANAMA CITY, THEN 6500' TO CULLMAN, AL. WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED SPECIAL VFR FOR DEP FROM DEST TO PANAMA CITY, DUE TO SOME LOW CLOUDS STILL IN THE AREA. UPON REACHING PANAMA CITY WE MADE OUR CLB TO 6500'. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH TYNDALL APCH. WE FLEW TO MONTGOMERY VOR AND THEN STARTED TO BIRMINGHAM, VULCAN VOR.. WE HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO MONTGOMERY APCH. I CALLED FSS AND ASKED FOR A WX UPDATE. I DISCOVERED AT THIS POINT THAT THERE WAS NO BREAK IN THE CLOUD COVER. AT THIS POINT FSS AND MONTGOMERY APCH BEGAN TRYING TO LOCATE AN OPENING. I WAS HANDED OFF TO BIRMINGHAM AND THEY TOO CONTINUED TO TRY AND LOCATE AN OPENING. A PLT RPTED THERE MIGHT BE A POSSIBILITY OF GETTING THROUGH OVER TUSCALOOSA. WE FLEW TOWARD TUSCALOOSA, BUT FOUND NO OPENING. WE THEN TURNED TOWARD CULLMAN. BIRMINGHAM NOTIFIED US THAT THE CLOSEST PLACE WE COULD GET DOWN VFR WAS PADUCAH, KY. WE INFORMED THEM THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL ON BOARD TO GO THAT FAR AND WE WOULD CONTINUE TO CULLMAN AND TRY TO GET DOWN. THEY NOTIFIED US 13 MI S OF CULLMAN THAT THEY WERE ABOUT TO HAND US TO HUNTSVILLE. I HAD THEM CHK FOR ANY IFR OR VFR TFC IN THE AREA. THERE WAS NONE. I WAS HANDED OF TO HUNTSVILLE. I THEN HAD HUNTSVILLE CHK FOR ANY IFR OR VFR TFC AND AGAIN IT WAS RPTED THERE WAS NONE. WE HAD TRIED EVERY AVAILABLE MEANS WITH THE HELP OF FSS, MONTGOMERY, BIRMINGHAM AND HUNTSVILLE TO GET DOWN VFR, BUT WERE UNABLE TO DO SO. AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION I DECIDED THE SAFEST OPERATION WOULD BE TO DECLARE AN EMER AND DSND. THIS I DID THROUGH HUNTSVILLE. I SET UP A 100 KT 700 FPM DSCNT. WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS APPROX 3 MINS. AT 2700' MSL WE SPOTTED THE ARPT AND CONTINUED OUR DSCNT TO TPA 2000'. WE ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AND LANDED. THE CLOUD TOPS WERE AT 4700' MSL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.