Narrative:

Departed cmh on a VFR flight to celina, oh, 300 degrees/75 mi. Columbus WX 1500 set 4500 broken visibility 6 mi wind 260 degrees/10. Celina WX was low clouds and poor visibility at xx am, but was now clear and unlimited visibility. Morning radar had scattered showers oriented on a new to southwest line along my flight path. The showers were reported as widely scattered. Human performance: I estimated that I could get over or under or between the scattered WX. Contributing factors: I was departing the cmh arsa 2500' heading 310 degrees. The WX I was expecting was ahead of me. I could try over or under. Over looked better. I told ATC I would need 3500' and got clearance to 3500'. When I got to 3500' I needed 4500' and got clearance to 4500'. When I got to 4500' I knew that my aircraft would not get over it. Ground contact was very sparse now. The WX improved to the south and southwest. I told ATC I was changing heading to 240 degrees. He told me to turn to 340 degrees. I told him unable due WX and my heading was now 210 degrees. He again issued instructions to turn right to 340 degrees and again I told him unable due WX and I would have to descent ot maintain VFR. He said I couldn't do that because I would be descending in his climb corridor. I estimated that I was either out of the arsa or near the western edge of the arsa. I asked the controller if I was still in the arsa because I would have to be changing headings and altitudes quickly in order to maintain VFR. He said nothing re: my position, but told me to maintain 4500'. I told him I was at 4500' and would inform him when I would start my descent. About 30 seconds later a clear area presented itself and I took it! I informed him that I was leaving 4500' descending to a VFR altitude (2500' or below). I had ground contact! I knew that I might have either been in the arsa or on the outer western edge of it and the air carrier's were departing cmh on runway 28. I also knew that I could not wait for the communications delay when the opportunity presented itself to descend to and maintain ground contact. After I made ground contact, I was out of the arsa and continued my flight beneath the WX. About 5 or 6 mins later the controller contacted me and gave me my position (approximately 25 mi northwest) 4500' and squawk 1200. I rogered my position and corrected the altitude 1500' and he said roger 4500'. I again corrected the altitude 1500'. At this point the controller got very upset and we had a short discussion re: altitudes, clrncs and instructions. FAA. I am an aviation safety inspector and the office accident prevention specialist. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he thought he would be out of the arsa before he would encounter the WX. It was moving faster than forecast. Felt he had to take action when conditions allowed him to. He was not about to turn into the WX as heading assigned by TRACON would have done. As aps he now has a personal experience to use in seminars.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT IN AREA OF FORECAST SCATTERED CONDITIONS WHICH DETERIORATED. DEPARTING FROM ARSA, IN CONTACT, GIVEN HEADING TOWARD SEVERE WX, SAID UNABLE. CTLR NOT HAPPY WITH CHANGE OF HEADING AND ALT NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN VFR.

Narrative: DEPARTED CMH ON A VFR FLT TO CELINA, OH, 300 DEGS/75 MI. COLUMBUS WX 1500 SET 4500 BROKEN VISIBILITY 6 MI WIND 260 DEGS/10. CELINA WX WAS LOW CLOUDS AND POOR VISIBILITY AT XX AM, BUT WAS NOW CLR AND UNLIMITED VISIBILITY. MORNING RADAR HAD SCATTERED SHOWERS ORIENTED ON A NEW TO SW LINE ALONG MY FLT PATH. THE SHOWERS WERE RPTED AS WIDELY SCATTERED. HUMAN PERFORMANCE: I ESTIMATED THAT I COULD GET OVER OR UNDER OR BTWN THE SCATTERED WX. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I WAS DEPARTING THE CMH ARSA 2500' HDG 310 DEGS. THE WX I WAS EXPECTING WAS AHEAD OF ME. I COULD TRY OVER OR UNDER. OVER LOOKED BETTER. I TOLD ATC I WOULD NEED 3500' AND GOT CLRNC TO 3500'. WHEN I GOT TO 3500' I NEEDED 4500' AND GOT CLRNC TO 4500'. WHEN I GOT TO 4500' I KNEW THAT MY ACFT WOULD NOT GET OVER IT. GND CONTACT WAS VERY SPARSE NOW. THE WX IMPROVED TO THE S AND SW. I TOLD ATC I WAS CHANGING HDG TO 240 DEGS. HE TOLD ME TO TURN TO 340 DEGS. I TOLD HIM UNABLE DUE WX AND MY HDG WAS NOW 210 DEGS. HE AGAIN ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN RIGHT TO 340 DEGS AND AGAIN I TOLD HIM UNABLE DUE WX AND I WOULD HAVE TO DSCNT OT MAINTAIN VFR. HE SAID I COULDN'T DO THAT BECAUSE I WOULD BE DSNDING IN HIS CLB CORRIDOR. I ESTIMATED THAT I WAS EITHER OUT OF THE ARSA OR NEAR THE WESTERN EDGE OF THE ARSA. I ASKED THE CTLR IF I WAS STILL IN THE ARSA BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO BE CHANGING HDGS AND ALTS QUICKLY IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR. HE SAID NOTHING RE: MY POS, BUT TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 4500'. I TOLD HIM I WAS AT 4500' AND WOULD INFORM HIM WHEN I WOULD START MY DSCNT. ABOUT 30 SECS LATER A CLEAR AREA PRESENTED ITSELF AND I TOOK IT! I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS LEAVING 4500' DSNDING TO A VFR ALT (2500' OR BELOW). I HAD GND CONTACT! I KNEW THAT I MIGHT HAVE EITHER BEEN IN THE ARSA OR ON THE OUTER WESTERN EDGE OF IT AND THE ACR'S WERE DEPARTING CMH ON RWY 28. I ALSO KNEW THAT I COULD NOT WAIT FOR THE COMS DELAY WHEN THE OPPORTUNITY PRESENTED ITSELF TO DSND TO AND MAINTAIN GND CONTACT. AFTER I MADE GND CONTACT, I WAS OUT OF THE ARSA AND CONTINUED MY FLT BENEATH THE WX. ABOUT 5 OR 6 MINS LATER THE CTLR CONTACTED ME AND GAVE ME MY POS (APPROX 25 MI NW) 4500' AND SQUAWK 1200. I ROGERED MY POS AND CORRECTED THE ALT 1500' AND HE SAID ROGER 4500'. I AGAIN CORRECTED THE ALT 1500'. AT THIS POINT THE CTLR GOT VERY UPSET AND WE HAD A SHORT DISCUSSION RE: ALTS, CLRNCS AND INSTRUCTIONS. FAA. I AM AN AVIATION SAFETY INSPECTOR AND THE OFFICE ACCIDENT PREVENTION SPECIALIST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE THOUGHT HE WOULD BE OUT OF THE ARSA BEFORE HE WOULD ENCOUNTER THE WX. IT WAS MOVING FASTER THAN FORECAST. FELT HE HAD TO TAKE ACTION WHEN CONDITIONS ALLOWED HIM TO. HE WAS NOT ABOUT TO TURN INTO THE WX AS HDG ASSIGNED BY TRACON WOULD HAVE DONE. AS APS HE NOW HAS A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE TO USE IN SEMINARS.

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.