Narrative:

On the final leg of a solo x-country flight, student encountered IMC. I believe he panicked, as he claims that his altimeter read 800' and he had full power (2700 RPM). He does not remember his airspeed, but calmed himself, started using his attitude indicator, squawked 7700 on his transponder and called approach for radar vectors to home airport. Actual WX was worse than forecast throughout the day and another student making the same flight claimed that his forecast called for 2500' scattered VFR. However, my student does admit that FSS told him that VFR was not recommended. When asked why he proceeded, contrary to preflight briefing, he said because it was so close. Student's x-country endorsement signed at xx am stated he was to refuel, get an updated WX briefing, and file a flight plan for each leg of the trip. Entire trip: conway to hilton head to columbia to darlington to conway (sc). He had a credit card with him should it be necessary to stay overnight because of WX. When asked why he did not make a 180 degree turn to go back to VFR conditions and possibly get an ASR approach to florence, he said he was afraid of running into another student pilot on the same solo x-country route who was just behind him. The other student was able to maintain VFR and returned without incident. Student admitted that he followed poor judgement in taking off from darlington and failure to follow flight instruction given. Both he and his instructor know he was very close to being another statistic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ENTERED IMC, SQUAWKED 7700 AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO HOME ARPT.

Narrative: ON THE FINAL LEG OF A SOLO X-COUNTRY FLT, STUDENT ENCOUNTERED IMC. I BELIEVE HE PANICKED, AS HE CLAIMS THAT HIS ALTIMETER READ 800' AND HE HAD FULL POWER (2700 RPM). HE DOES NOT REMEMBER HIS AIRSPEED, BUT CALMED HIMSELF, STARTED USING HIS ATTITUDE INDICATOR, SQUAWKED 7700 ON HIS XPONDER AND CALLED APCH FOR RADAR VECTORS TO HOME ARPT. ACTUAL WX WAS WORSE THAN FORECAST THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND ANOTHER STUDENT MAKING THE SAME FLT CLAIMED THAT HIS FORECAST CALLED FOR 2500' SCATTERED VFR. HOWEVER, MY STUDENT DOES ADMIT THAT FSS TOLD HIM THAT VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. WHEN ASKED WHY HE PROCEEDED, CONTRARY TO PREFLT BRIEFING, HE SAID BECAUSE IT WAS SO CLOSE. STUDENT'S X-COUNTRY ENDORSEMENT SIGNED AT XX AM STATED HE WAS TO REFUEL, GET AN UPDATED WX BRIEFING, AND FILE A FLT PLAN FOR EACH LEG OF THE TRIP. ENTIRE TRIP: CONWAY TO HILTON HEAD TO COLUMBIA TO DARLINGTON TO CONWAY (SC). HE HAD A CREDIT CARD WITH HIM SHOULD IT BE NECESSARY TO STAY OVERNIGHT BECAUSE OF WX. WHEN ASKED WHY HE DID NOT MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO GO BACK TO VFR CONDITIONS AND POSSIBLY GET AN ASR APCH TO FLORENCE, HE SAID HE WAS AFRAID OF RUNNING INTO ANOTHER STUDENT PLT ON THE SAME SOLO X-COUNTRY ROUTE WHO WAS JUST BEHIND HIM. THE OTHER STUDENT WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AND RETURNED WITHOUT INCIDENT. STUDENT ADMITTED THAT HE FOLLOWED POOR JUDGEMENT IN TAKING OFF FROM DARLINGTON AND FAILURE TO FOLLOW FLT INSTRUCTION GIVEN. BOTH HE AND HIS INSTRUCTOR KNOW HE WAS VERY CLOSE TO BEING ANOTHER STATISTIC.

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.