Narrative:

Approximately 1 hour after landing on a platform in the gulf of mexico, the wind died down and sea fog formed. After waiting most of the day for it to lift, the wind began to pick up, increasing to 20 KTS. The visibility began to fluctuate from fair to 0. I contacted my crp base by radio. They told me tower was reporting 15 broken, 32 broken sf. The fog was beginning to get patchy and looked as if it was breaking up. Thinking the fog was breaking up and that the ceiling above it was high enough to allow me to get back in, I departed the platform. After reaching 200' I realized that this was just a small hole with towering clouds on all sides. While turning back I saw the platform disappear in fog, the fog and clouds were mixing and moving very quickly. The only place to go now was up, so I turned to a southwest heading, which would bring me out over land to the south of the city where the WX conditions are generally much better. I didn't break out of the clouds at 1500' as I expected to, so I continued my climb through 3200', still solid white. Thinking the clouds must be building I continued my climb. Upon reaching 5000' it became obvious that this plan of action wasn't working, so I leveled off and flew to a point approximately 15 mi southwest of crp. I contacted approach and told them I had inadvertently entered the clouds off the beach and had climbed to 5000' to the south of them. I requested a vector to remain clear of their other traffic and a descent to VFR conditions. The controller idented me on radar and gave me a heading of 340 degrees. After a few mins I was cleared direct to crp VOR and cleared down to 3000'. Shortly afterward I was cleared to descend at my discretion, finally breaking out of a solid deck at 1000'. I was cleared to change to company frequency, landing at my base approximately 3 mi away.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNEXPECTED WX CONDITIONS GET A VFR PLT INTO IMC CONDITIONS.

Narrative: APPROX 1 HR AFTER LNDG ON A PLATFORM IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, THE WIND DIED DOWN AND SEA FOG FORMED. AFTER WAITING MOST OF THE DAY FOR IT TO LIFT, THE WIND BEGAN TO PICK UP, INCREASING TO 20 KTS. THE VISIBILITY BEGAN TO FLUCTUATE FROM FAIR TO 0. I CONTACTED MY CRP BASE BY RADIO. THEY TOLD ME TWR WAS RPTING 15 BROKEN, 32 BROKEN SF. THE FOG WAS BEGINNING TO GET PATCHY AND LOOKED AS IF IT WAS BREAKING UP. THINKING THE FOG WAS BREAKING UP AND THAT THE CEILING ABOVE IT WAS HIGH ENOUGH TO ALLOW ME TO GET BACK IN, I DEPARTED THE PLATFORM. AFTER REACHING 200' I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS JUST A SMALL HOLE WITH TOWERING CLOUDS ON ALL SIDES. WHILE TURNING BACK I SAW THE PLATFORM DISAPPEAR IN FOG, THE FOG AND CLOUDS WERE MIXING AND MOVING VERY QUICKLY. THE ONLY PLACE TO GO NOW WAS UP, SO I TURNED TO A SW HDG, WHICH WOULD BRING ME OUT OVER LAND TO THE S OF THE CITY WHERE THE WX CONDITIONS ARE GENERALLY MUCH BETTER. I DIDN'T BREAK OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 1500' AS I EXPECTED TO, SO I CONTINUED MY CLB THROUGH 3200', STILL SOLID WHITE. THINKING THE CLOUDS MUST BE BUILDING I CONTINUED MY CLB. UPON REACHING 5000' IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THIS PLAN OF ACTION WASN'T WORKING, SO I LEVELED OFF AND FLEW TO A POINT APPROX 15 MI SW OF CRP. I CONTACTED APCH AND TOLD THEM I HAD INADVERTENTLY ENTERED THE CLOUDS OFF THE BEACH AND HAD CLBED TO 5000' TO THE S OF THEM. I REQUESTED A VECTOR TO REMAIN CLR OF THEIR OTHER TFC AND A DSCNT TO VFR CONDITIONS. THE CTLR IDENTED ME ON RADAR AND GAVE ME A HDG OF 340 DEGS. AFTER A FEW MINS I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO CRP VOR AND CLRED DOWN TO 3000'. SHORTLY AFTERWARD I WAS CLRED TO DSND AT MY DISCRETION, FINALLY BREAKING OUT OF A SOLID DECK AT 1000'. I WAS CLRED TO CHANGE TO COMPANY FREQ, LNDG AT MY BASE APPROX 3 MI AWAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.