Narrative:

I departed bar harbor destination beverly, ma, with my wife and east year old son. At XA30 bangor FSS gave a WX briefing, stating that VFR was 'not recommended', he reported prevailing and forecast conditions en route that were consistent with VFR operations well beyond our anticipated arrival time. Beverly was reported as 700 scattered, 13,000 overcast. Portland conditions were lower, ie, 900 scattered, 3000 to 4000 overcast, visibility 6 mi in light rain and fog. Bar harbor was reported as 500 scattered, 2000 overcast, visibility 4 mi in light rain and fog. Bar harbor airport, actual conditions were very substantially improved. The wind had shifted out of the northwest, visibility was more than 20 mi, and the ceiling had risen to what I initially estimated was 4000'. Sunshine was visible to the wnw. Our flight planning called for VOR navigation direct brunswick, then direct kennebunk, direct beverly. I requested and obtained a discretionary climb to 4500' on a 242 degree heading, which enabled me to track the brunswick VOR line-of-sight beginning at DME 58.0. Bangor asked if I wished to have advisories throughout the flight (I replied affirmatively), and assigned a new squawk. At 4500, I encountered a brief rain shower just west of camden, and had the ground continually in sight, though occasionally through a scattered layer below. Roughly 10 mi east of brunswick, I monitored portland ATIS to obtain current conditions. Portland reported 900 scattered to broken, 3600 overcast, visibility 4-6 mi in light rain and fob. My intent was to pass the brunswick NAS at 4500 and then request a gradual descent to 3000' to get below the reported portland overcast. On initial contact the portland controller requested a report of flight conditions, and I reported marginal VFR at 4500', visibility around 6 mi and bases above as 6000'. I then passed directly over brunswick NAS in sight, and a couple of mins later, bath, also in clear view. Passing bath I encountered a rain shower, which restr vision ahead somewhat, though not to the sides of my course. After about 2 mins, I did not emerge from the shower, and conditions level ahead had deteriorated. I then reported the beginnings of IMC to portland, and requested and received a discretionary descent to 3000. Portland indicated that the airport was 4 mi ahead. Descending, I broke out, as near as I can recall, at about 3800', and then went right back into IMC. I reported this to portland, who asked if I wanted to file IFR. I obviously declined, and then committed my first serious error. Instead of turning 180 degree, I asked portland for an update on conditions at boston. The controller replied that she would 'check and get back'. A different voice came on and asked if I was instrument qualified. I replied that I was not . The new controller then asked if I would like a surveillance approach to runway 11, and I agreed. He inquired whether I had any IFR time at all, and I replied that I had bout 20 hours in aircraft, actual or simulated IFR. The surveillance approach was expedited with dispatch, while I monitored the ILS frequency on the way in. We broke out with the airport in sight at 1100', and continued visually to landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA VFR IN IMC. PLT NOT INSTRUMENT RATED.

Narrative: I DEPARTED BAR HARBOR DEST BEVERLY, MA, WITH MY WIFE AND E YEAR OLD SON. AT XA30 BANGOR FSS GAVE A WX BRIEFING, STATING THAT VFR WAS 'NOT RECOMMENDED', HE REPORTED PREVAILING AND FORECAST CONDITIONS ENRTE THAT WERE CONSISTENT WITH VFR OPERATIONS WELL BEYOND OUR ANTICIPATED ARR TIME. BEVERLY WAS REPORTED AS 700 SCATTERED, 13,000 OVERCAST. PORTLAND CONDITIONS WERE LOWER, IE, 900 SCATTERED, 3000 TO 4000 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 6 MI IN LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. BAR HARBOR WAS REPORTED AS 500 SCATTERED, 2000 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 4 MI IN LIGHT RAIN AND FOG. BAR HARBOR ARPT, ACTUAL CONDITIONS WERE VERY SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED. THE WIND HAD SHIFTED OUT OF THE NW, VISIBILITY WAS MORE THAN 20 MI, AND THE CEILING HAD RISEN TO WHAT I INITIALLY ESTIMATED WAS 4000'. SUNSHINE WAS VISIBLE TO THE WNW. OUR FLT PLANNING CALLED FOR VOR NAVIGATION DIRECT BRUNSWICK, THEN DIRECT KENNEBUNK, DIRECT BEVERLY. I REQUESTED AND OBTAINED A DISCRETIONARY CLIMB TO 4500' ON A 242 DEG HDG, WHICH ENABLED ME TO TRACK THE BRUNSWICK VOR LINE-OF-SIGHT BEGINNING AT DME 58.0. BANGOR ASKED IF I WISHED TO HAVE ADVISORIES THROUGHOUT THE FLT (I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVELY), AND ASSIGNED A NEW SQUAWK. AT 4500, I ENCOUNTERED A BRIEF RAIN SHOWER JUST W OF CAMDEN, AND HAD THE GND CONTINUALLY IN SIGHT, THOUGH OCCASIONALLY THROUGH A SCATTERED LAYER BELOW. ROUGHLY 10 MI E OF BRUNSWICK, I MONITORED PORTLAND ATIS TO OBTAIN CURRENT CONDITIONS. PORTLAND REPORTED 900 SCATTERED TO BROKEN, 3600 OVERCAST, VISIBILITY 4-6 MI IN LIGHT RAIN AND FOB. MY INTENT WAS TO PASS THE BRUNSWICK NAS AT 4500 AND THEN REQUEST A GRADUAL DSCNT TO 3000' TO GET BELOW THE REPORTED PORTLAND OVERCAST. ON INITIAL CONTACT THE PORTLAND CTLR REQUESTED A REPORT OF FLT CONDITIONS, AND I REPORTED MARGINAL VFR AT 4500', VISIBILITY AROUND 6 MI AND BASES ABOVE AS 6000'. I THEN PASSED DIRECTLY OVER BRUNSWICK NAS IN SIGHT, AND A COUPLE OF MINS LATER, BATH, ALSO IN CLEAR VIEW. PASSING BATH I ENCOUNTERED A RAIN SHOWER, WHICH RESTR VISION AHEAD SOMEWHAT, THOUGH NOT TO THE SIDES OF MY COURSE. AFTER ABOUT 2 MINS, I DID NOT EMERGE FROM THE SHOWER, AND CONDITIONS LEVEL AHEAD HAD DETERIORATED. I THEN REPORTED THE BEGINNINGS OF IMC TO PORTLAND, AND REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A DISCRETIONARY DESCENT TO 3000. PORTLAND INDICATED THAT THE ARPT WAS 4 MI AHEAD. DESCENDING, I BROKE OUT, AS NEAR AS I CAN RECALL, AT ABOUT 3800', AND THEN WENT RIGHT BACK INTO IMC. I REPORTED THIS TO PORTLAND, WHO ASKED IF I WANTED TO FILE IFR. I OBVIOUSLY DECLINED, AND THEN COMMITTED MY FIRST SERIOUS ERROR. INSTEAD OF TURNING 180 DEG, I ASKED PORTLAND FOR AN UPDATE ON CONDITIONS AT BOSTON. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT SHE WOULD 'CHECK AND GET BACK'. A DIFFERENT VOICE CAME ON AND ASKED IF I WAS INSTRUMENT QUALIFIED. I REPLIED THAT I WAS NOT . THE NEW CTLR THEN ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE A SURVEILLANCE APCH TO RWY 11, AND I AGREED. HE INQUIRED WHETHER I HAD ANY IFR TIME AT ALL, AND I REPLIED THAT I HAD BOUT 20 HRS IN ACFT, ACTUAL OR SIMULATED IFR. THE SURVEILLANCE APCH WAS EXPEDITED WITH DISPATCH, WHILE I MONITORED THE ILS FREQ ON THE WAY IN. WE BROKE OUT WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT 1100', AND CONTINUED VISUALLY TO LNDG.

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.