GA small aircraft VFR in IMC. Early morning takeoff from hwd.

Attributes
ACN	121410
Time
Date	198909
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hwd
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : den
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 590 flight time type : 65
ASRS Report	121410
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Began preflight at XA15 am. There was a big VFR hale around hayward at the time. At XA50 am I rolled for taxi. I departed the airport at XB00 am. I was intending to do a left downwind. On downwind it was getting foggy at 500'. I then crossed the airport over top to go where I thought it was clearer. At 700'-800' I was busting through a thin overcast. The hole that was there earlier had closed up and caught me by surprise. I continued my climb eastbound out of the area. On the hayward tower frequency I heard another plane doing an instrument approach. This reinforced in my mind that the field was IFR and that I should have gotten an IFR clearance for departure. Problem cause: hayward tower doesn't open until XB30 am so there is no ATIS. Oak ATIS was reporting 600' broken which I should have listened to before takeoff. I was also in a hurry. Two other planes went out ahead of me without getting an IFR clearance. They also busted the ceiling. I expected the hole over the airport to stay there when I took off but it had closed in. Future prevention: get an IFR to VFR on top clearance. Listen to oak ATIS for base information. Get a WX briefing. I hate breaking far's because it wrecks my mood the rest of the flight, which is unsafe. It also jeopardizes my license and my career.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA VFR IN IMC. EARLY MORNING TKOF FROM HWD.

Narrative: BEGAN PREFLT AT XA15 AM. THERE WAS A BIG VFR HALE AROUND HAYWARD AT THE TIME. AT XA50 AM I ROLLED FOR TAXI. I DEPARTED THE ARPT AT XB00 AM. I WAS INTENDING TO DO A LEFT DOWNWIND. ON DOWNWIND IT WAS GETTING FOGGY AT 500'. I THEN CROSSED THE ARPT OVER TOP TO GO WHERE I THOUGHT IT WAS CLEARER. AT 700'-800' I WAS BUSTING THROUGH A THIN OVERCAST. THE HOLE THAT WAS THERE EARLIER HAD CLOSED UP AND CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE. I CONTINUED MY CLIMB EBND OUT OF THE AREA. ON THE HAYWARD TWR FREQ I HEARD ANOTHER PLANE DOING AN INSTRUMENT APCH. THIS REINFORCED IN MY MIND THAT THE FIELD WAS IFR AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN AN IFR CLRNC FOR DEP. PROBLEM CAUSE: HAYWARD TWR DOESN'T OPEN UNTIL XB30 AM SO THERE IS NO ATIS. OAK ATIS WAS REPORTING 600' BROKEN WHICH I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO BEFORE TKOF. I WAS ALSO IN A HURRY. TWO OTHER PLANES WENT OUT AHEAD OF ME WITHOUT GETTING AN IFR CLRNC. THEY ALSO BUSTED THE CEILING. I EXPECTED THE HOLE OVER THE ARPT TO STAY THERE WHEN I TOOK OFF BUT IT HAD CLOSED IN. FUTURE PREVENTION: GET AN IFR TO VFR ON TOP CLRNC. LISTEN TO OAK ATIS FOR BASE INFO. GET A WX BRIEFING. I HATE BREAKING FAR'S BECAUSE IT WRECKS MY MOOD THE REST OF THE FLT, WHICH IS UNSAFE. IT ALSO JEOPARDIZES MY LICENSE AND MY CAREER.

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.