Narrative:

Morning 5/sat/89, planned to fly to 46A to pick up my wife and return home to 6a4. I called bna at approximately 9 am for WX report prior to takeoff and was told that it was marginal VFR and flight over the mountains was not recommended. I told the briefer that I planned to fly down the valley past knoxville and decide after passing knoxville whether I could proceed to 46A. He said that such a VFR flight seemed feasible and that WX was improving. By xa am local the WX at 6a4 had improved to 15 mi visibility and ceiling of 1000-2000' above the ridges near 6a4. It was clearly VFR and I took off at XA15 am. The mountain ridges prevent communication with tri approach until one has reached elizabethton. Upon reaching elizabethton, while flying at 3000-3500' MSL, I contacted tri approach on 118.4 to request flight following. I told them I was at 3000+' and headed for knoxville. I was flying a heading of 240 degrees magnetic and conditions remained VFR. They told me that it was IFR at tri with 2.5 mi visibility and a ceiling of 1000-1200'. Inasmuch as tri was at some distance off my right wing tip and considering that I was not intending to fly in their direction, I continued on my present heading of 240-250 degrees and they provided flight following. After passing johnson city, and while conditions remained VFR (visibility at least 5 mi and ceiling above 1500' AGL) it seemed to me that it was getting a little darker up ahead. Tri told me it continued to be IFR at tri. I was now flying at 2800' MSL and told approach I would put down at gcy and wait until conditions improved. I requested confirmation of my heading to gcy and was told that it was at 12 O'clock and 12 mi. A light drizzle now began and I swung over the 4-LAND highway near limestone, tn, and proceeded to within 8 mi of gcy. I was at 2700' MSL and conditions were deteriorating rapidly. I decided not to press my luck and did the proverbial 180 degree turn. I informed approach that I was returning to OA4 and requested and was provided a vector to OA4. The WX continued to deteriorate and I descended to 2400' MSL at a time when I was just south of jonesborough, tn, and about 10 mi from OA4. The WX continued to deteriorate and I decided the safe and practical thing to do was to request a surveillance approach to tri. This I proceeded to do. Please note that my small aircraft is completely equipped (it has 2 navigation communications, complete with G/south, an ADF, a DME, and an transponder with mode C altitude reporting). It has recently been certified for IFR flight and has been annualed only 2 weeks ago. I, in turn, was a link trainer instrument in wwii, and have personally acquired approximately 1000 hours under the hood. My buddy, sgt, and I would take turns instructing each other whenever were not busy teaching pilots. It is true that I do not possess an instrument ticket and my wife has often asked why I don't acquire one. My answer has always been that having such a ticket would only encourage us to fly in WX that we are better off staying away from. However, please note that I am very comfortable on the gauges and 'X' at tri can testify to my accuracy in maintaining headings and altitudes. When I requested the surveillance approach I was asked whether I was IFR rated and I told them no, I wasn't, but I was competent and confident. It was then suggested I should declare an emergency. I didn't feel that it was any real emergency but I took the suggestion and so declared. Please note I had about 65 gals of fuel on board. Approach vectored me to the field at 3700' MSL and the trip and landing were uneventful. Even though I feel confident to fly in IFR WX, it is my earnest endeavor never to do so. In the instant case I followed the book to the letter and made the recommended 180 degree turn while still in VFR conditions and uncontrolled airspace. However a rapid deterioration in the WX impelled me to seek a safe and sane way our rather than continue in a situation that could become hazardous not only to myself but also to people on the ground. The problem was caused by a rapid and unpredicted deterioration in the WX. I believe nothing can be done about it until weare able to predict WX changes with greater accuracy. This will require better computer equipment and dedication of greater resources.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN FLT ENCOUNTER WITH WX. EMERGENCY DECLARED. PLT NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.

Narrative: MORNING 5/SAT/89, PLANNED TO FLY TO 46A TO PICK UP MY WIFE AND RETURN HOME TO 6A4. I CALLED BNA AT APPROX 9 AM FOR WX RPT PRIOR TO TKOF AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS MARGINAL VFR AND FLT OVER THE MOUNTAINS WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. I TOLD THE BRIEFER THAT I PLANNED TO FLY DOWN THE VALLEY PAST KNOXVILLE AND DECIDE AFTER PASSING KNOXVILLE WHETHER I COULD PROCEED TO 46A. HE SAID THAT SUCH A VFR FLT SEEMED FEASIBLE AND THAT WX WAS IMPROVING. BY XA AM LCL THE WX AT 6A4 HAD IMPROVED TO 15 MI VISIBILITY AND CEILING OF 1000-2000' ABOVE THE RIDGES NEAR 6A4. IT WAS CLEARLY VFR AND I TOOK OFF AT XA15 AM. THE MOUNTAIN RIDGES PREVENT COM WITH TRI APCH UNTIL ONE HAS REACHED ELIZABETHTON. UPON REACHING ELIZABETHTON, WHILE FLYING AT 3000-3500' MSL, I CONTACTED TRI APCH ON 118.4 TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING. I TOLD THEM I WAS AT 3000+' AND HEADED FOR KNOXVILLE. I WAS FLYING A HDG OF 240 DEGS MAGNETIC AND CONDITIONS REMAINED VFR. THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS IFR AT TRI WITH 2.5 MI VISIBILITY AND A CEILING OF 1000-1200'. INASMUCH AS TRI WAS AT SOME DISTANCE OFF MY RIGHT WING TIP AND CONSIDERING THAT I WAS NOT INTENDING TO FLY IN THEIR DIRECTION, I CONTINUED ON MY PRESENT HDG OF 240-250 DEGS AND THEY PROVIDED FLT FOLLOWING. AFTER PASSING JOHNSON CITY, AND WHILE CONDITIONS REMAINED VFR (VISIBILITY AT LEAST 5 MI AND CEILING ABOVE 1500' AGL) IT SEEMED TO ME THAT IT WAS GETTING A LITTLE DARKER UP AHEAD. TRI TOLD ME IT CONTINUED TO BE IFR AT TRI. I WAS NOW FLYING AT 2800' MSL AND TOLD APCH I WOULD PUT DOWN AT GCY AND WAIT UNTIL CONDITIONS IMPROVED. I REQUESTED CONFIRMATION OF MY HDG TO GCY AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 12 MI. A LIGHT DRIZZLE NOW BEGAN AND I SWUNG OVER THE 4-LAND HWY NEAR LIMESTONE, TN, AND PROCEEDED TO WITHIN 8 MI OF GCY. I WAS AT 2700' MSL AND CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING RAPIDLY. I DECIDED NOT TO PRESS MY LUCK AND DID THE PROVERBIAL 180 DEG TURN. I INFORMED APCH THAT I WAS RETURNING TO OA4 AND REQUESTED AND WAS PROVIDED A VECTOR TO OA4. THE WX CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE AND I DSNDED TO 2400' MSL AT A TIME WHEN I WAS JUST S OF JONESBOROUGH, TN, AND ABOUT 10 MI FROM OA4. THE WX CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE AND I DECIDED THE SAFE AND PRACTICAL THING TO DO WAS TO REQUEST A SURVEILLANCE APCH TO TRI. THIS I PROCEEDED TO DO. PLEASE NOTE THAT MY SMA IS COMPLETELY EQUIPPED (IT HAS 2 NAV COMS, COMPLETE WITH G/S, AN ADF, A DME, AND AN XPONDER WITH MODE C ALT RPTING). IT HAS RECENTLY BEEN CERTIFIED FOR IFR FLT AND HAS BEEN ANNUALED ONLY 2 WKS AGO. I, IN TURN, WAS A LINK TRAINER INSTR IN WWII, AND HAVE PERSONALLY ACQUIRED APPROX 1000 HRS UNDER THE HOOD. MY BUDDY, SGT, AND I WOULD TAKE TURNS INSTRUCTING EACH OTHER WHENEVER WERE NOT BUSY TEACHING PLTS. IT IS TRUE THAT I DO NOT POSSESS AN INSTRUMENT TICKET AND MY WIFE HAS OFTEN ASKED WHY I DON'T ACQUIRE ONE. MY ANSWER HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT HAVING SUCH A TICKET WOULD ONLY ENCOURAGE US TO FLY IN WX THAT WE ARE BETTER OFF STAYING AWAY FROM. HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE THAT I AM VERY COMFORTABLE ON THE GAUGES AND 'X' AT TRI CAN TESTIFY TO MY ACCURACY IN MAINTAINING HDGS AND ALTS. WHEN I REQUESTED THE SURVEILLANCE APCH I WAS ASKED WHETHER I WAS IFR RATED AND I TOLD THEM NO, I WASN'T, BUT I WAS COMPETENT AND CONFIDENT. IT WAS THEN SUGGESTED I SHOULD DECLARE AN EMER. I DIDN'T FEEL THAT IT WAS ANY REAL EMER BUT I TOOK THE SUGGESTION AND SO DECLARED. PLEASE NOTE I HAD ABOUT 65 GALS OF FUEL ON BOARD. APCH VECTORED ME TO THE FIELD AT 3700' MSL AND THE TRIP AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. EVEN THOUGH I FEEL CONFIDENT TO FLY IN IFR WX, IT IS MY EARNEST ENDEAVOR NEVER TO DO SO. IN THE INSTANT CASE I FOLLOWED THE BOOK TO THE LETTER AND MADE THE RECOMMENDED 180 DEG TURN WHILE STILL IN VFR CONDITIONS AND UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE. HOWEVER A RAPID DETERIORATION IN THE WX IMPELLED ME TO SEEK A SAFE AND SANE WAY OUR RATHER THAN CONTINUE IN A SITUATION THAT COULD BECOME HAZARDOUS NOT ONLY TO MYSELF BUT ALSO TO PEOPLE ON THE GND. THE PROB WAS CAUSED BY A RAPID AND UNPREDICTED DETERIORATION IN THE WX. I BELIEVE NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT UNTIL WEARE ABLE TO PREDICT WX CHANGES WITH GREATER ACCURACY. THIS WILL REQUIRE BETTER COMPUTER EQUIP AND DEDICATION OF GREATER RESOURCES.

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.