Narrative:

On a return VFR flight from destination, fl, to dobbins AFB, marietta, GA, I encountered increasing cloud coverage beginning in the vicinity of montgomery, al. Since the clouds were broken to scattered and flight service did not predict any overcast layers along my route of flight or at my destination, I decided to climb above the clouds and take advantage of a tailwind component of 30 KTS. Over columbus, GA, at 9500' I encountered a solid layer at or around 8500' to 9000'. I listened to fulton county ATIS, an airport 15 mi away from my destination, and they reported 4500' scattered, 6000' scattered, and 8500' broken. Hearing that the conditions were suitable for a VFR descent I elected to stay VFR over the top until reaching improving conditions. I contacted atlanta approach and they asked me to remain clear of the TCA, I then flew the 360 degree right off the lagrange VOR, keeping me out of the TCA. As I was getting closer to dobbins, approach asked me to descend, I told them I was VFR on top and was looking for holes. My fuel state was at 2 hours and 30 mins at normal cruise. I thought I saw a break between the layers and descended from 9500' to 7500' still VFR. There was no breaks below me and the tops started to close in on me. I continued to circle informing approach of my situation and that it 'did not look good'. Since I was not an instrument pilot but had some recent hood and actual observer (right seat) time, and the plane was IFR certified, I was confident I could safely descend into VFR conditions. A base between 4800' and 5000' was reported by a local pilot so I decided to ask approach for a special IFR clearance to descend into VFR conditions. Approach asked if I was IFR rated, I replied no and I was about to enter IMC anyway. Approach asked my heading, 260 degree, and cleared me to 5000'. Approach was very helpful and in no way implied that I would face violation charges. Upon reaching 5000' I spotted a hole and continued my descent and was able to call approach upon reaching 4000'. I flew to dobbins, AFB VFR and made an uneventful landing. I did not receive a call from the tower or approach after shutting down. I could have flown back to montgomery after getting VFR over the top but I had my girl friend with me and the ATIS report kept me heading for my destination, first mistake. I should not have descended between the layers in hopes of finding a hole, second mistake. I simply did not want to inconvenience myself and my girl friend by going over 2 hours out of the way. If I had to do it over again I might have told approach that I found a hole and descended IFR illegally. I could have declared an emergency but I did not want the extra attention, paperwork, and possibility of an investigation, which I was convinced would be the result of declaring an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ARRIVING NCQ ENCOUNTERS UNFORECAST CLOUD LAYER BELOW. HE COORDS FLT ASSIST TO DESCEND THROUGH CLOUDS EVEN THOUGH NOT IFR RATED SO THAT HE WOULD NOT BE INCONVENIENCED BY HAVING TO DIVERT.

Narrative: ON A RETURN VFR FLT FROM DEST, FL, TO DOBBINS AFB, MARIETTA, GA, I ENCOUNTERED INCREASING CLOUD COVERAGE BEGINNING IN THE VICINITY OF MONTGOMERY, AL. SINCE THE CLOUDS WERE BROKEN TO SCATTERED AND FLT SVC DID NOT PREDICT ANY OVCST LAYERS ALONG MY RTE OF FLT OR AT MY DEST, I DECIDED TO CLB ABOVE THE CLOUDS AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A TAILWIND COMPONENT OF 30 KTS. OVER COLUMBUS, GA, AT 9500' I ENCOUNTERED A SOLID LAYER AT OR AROUND 8500' TO 9000'. I LISTENED TO FULTON COUNTY ATIS, AN ARPT 15 MI AWAY FROM MY DEST, AND THEY RPTED 4500' SCATTERED, 6000' SCATTERED, AND 8500' BROKEN. HEARING THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE SUITABLE FOR A VFR DSCNT I ELECTED TO STAY VFR OVER THE TOP UNTIL REACHING IMPROVING CONDITIONS. I CONTACTED ATLANTA APCH AND THEY ASKED ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA, I THEN FLEW THE 360 DEG R OFF THE LAGRANGE VOR, KEEPING ME OUT OF THE TCA. AS I WAS GETTING CLOSER TO DOBBINS, APCH ASKED ME TO DSND, I TOLD THEM I WAS VFR ON TOP AND WAS LOOKING FOR HOLES. MY FUEL STATE WAS AT 2 HRS AND 30 MINS AT NORMAL CRUISE. I THOUGHT I SAW A BREAK BTWN THE LAYERS AND DSNDED FROM 9500' TO 7500' STILL VFR. THERE WAS NO BREAKS BELOW ME AND THE TOPS STARTED TO CLOSE IN ON ME. I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE INFORMING APCH OF MY SITUATION AND THAT IT 'DID NOT LOOK GOOD'. SINCE I WAS NOT AN INSTRUMENT PLT BUT HAD SOME RECENT HOOD AND ACTUAL OBSERVER (R SEAT) TIME, AND THE PLANE WAS IFR CERTIFIED, I WAS CONFIDENT I COULD SAFELY DSND INTO VFR CONDITIONS. A BASE BTWN 4800' AND 5000' WAS RPTED BY A LCL PLT SO I DECIDED TO ASK APCH FOR A SPECIAL IFR CLRNC TO DSND INTO VFR CONDITIONS. APCH ASKED IF I WAS IFR RATED, I REPLIED NO AND I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER IMC ANYWAY. APCH ASKED MY HDG, 260 DEG, AND CLRED ME TO 5000'. APCH WAS VERY HELPFUL AND IN NO WAY IMPLIED THAT I WOULD FACE VIOLATION CHARGES. UPON REACHING 5000' I SPOTTED A HOLE AND CONTINUED MY DSCNT AND WAS ABLE TO CALL APCH UPON REACHING 4000'. I FLEW TO DOBBINS, AFB VFR AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I DID NOT RECEIVE A CALL FROM THE TWR OR APCH AFTER SHUTTING DOWN. I COULD HAVE FLOWN BACK TO MONTGOMERY AFTER GETTING VFR OVER THE TOP BUT I HAD MY GIRL FRIEND WITH ME AND THE ATIS RPT KEPT ME HDG FOR MY DEST, FIRST MISTAKE. I SHOULD NOT HAVE DSNDED BTWN THE LAYERS IN HOPES OF FINDING A HOLE, SECOND MISTAKE. I SIMPLY DID NOT WANT TO INCONVENIENCE MYSELF AND MY GIRL FRIEND BY GOING OVER 2 HRS OUT OF THE WAY. IF I HAD TO DO IT OVER AGAIN I MIGHT HAVE TOLD APCH THAT I FOUND A HOLE AND DSNDED IFR ILLEGALLY. I COULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER BUT I DID NOT WANT THE EXTRA ATTN, PAPERWORK, AND POSSIBILITY OF AN INVESTIGATION, WHICH I WAS CONVINCED WOULD BE THE RESULT OF DECLARING AN EMER.

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.