Narrative:

Was en route from lal to gmu on night IFR plan. Augusta, GA, approach advised of squall line with level 4 cells at my destination (gmu). Squall line was moving southeast. Controller advised line had moved 30 mi in 30 mins on his scope. Diverted to augusta, GA, bush field and secured aircraft. Allowed squall line to pass and rechked WX. FSS briefer advised more circuit breaker activity forecast until xa:00 local the next day but that my route (ags-gmu) was currently clear of cells by radar and that if I left right away, I should have no problem. I quickly filed and departed IFR into visibility conditions. Trip was uneventful and visibility until nearing my destination. I then realized that fog was beginning to form at my destination because of the squall line passage. I realized that in my haste to be off and home before more circuit breaker's formed that I had neglected to check alternate WX and to declare an alternate on my flight plan. I was able to successfully complete an ILS approach in conditions of 500 overcast and 2 mi in fog at my destination. However, if the WX had been below minimums at my destination I would have had no alternate information, no plans, and marginal fuel to travel any distance to reach an alternate with better WX. If I had communication failure at this point, the results would have almost certainly been disastrous. Always remember that a flight plan is a plan. Never hurry and always have options, especially during night, IFR, x-country!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ENROUTE FROM LAL TO GMU DIVERTS TO AGS WHEN HE LEARNED OF BAD WX AT HIS DESTINATION. WHEN WX IMPROVED, HE DEPARTED AGS FOR GMU ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, BUT IN HIS RUSH TO MAKE THE FLT BEFORE THE WX SITUATION WORSENED, HE NEGLECTED TO FILE FOR AN ALTERNATE ARPT.

Narrative: WAS ENRTE FROM LAL TO GMU ON NIGHT IFR PLAN. AUGUSTA, GA, APCH ADVISED OF SQUALL LINE WITH LEVEL 4 CELLS AT MY DEST (GMU). SQUALL LINE WAS MOVING SE. CTLR ADVISED LINE HAD MOVED 30 MI IN 30 MINS ON HIS SCOPE. DIVERTED TO AUGUSTA, GA, BUSH FIELD AND SECURED ACFT. ALLOWED SQUALL LINE TO PASS AND RECHKED WX. FSS BRIEFER ADVISED MORE CB ACTIVITY FORECAST UNTIL XA:00 LCL THE NEXT DAY BUT THAT MY RTE (AGS-GMU) WAS CURRENTLY CLR OF CELLS BY RADAR AND THAT IF I LEFT RIGHT AWAY, I SHOULD HAVE NO PROB. I QUICKLY FILED AND DEPARTED IFR INTO VIS CONDITIONS. TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL AND VIS UNTIL NEARING MY DEST. I THEN REALIZED THAT FOG WAS BEGINNING TO FORM AT MY DEST BECAUSE OF THE SQUALL LINE PASSAGE. I REALIZED THAT IN MY HASTE TO BE OFF AND HOME BEFORE MORE CB'S FORMED THAT I HAD NEGLECTED TO CHK ALTERNATE WX AND TO DECLARE AN ALTERNATE ON MY FLT PLAN. I WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE AN ILS APCH IN CONDITIONS OF 500 OVCST AND 2 MI IN FOG AT MY DEST. HOWEVER, IF THE WX HAD BEEN BELOW MINIMUMS AT MY DEST I WOULD HAVE HAD NO ALTERNATE INFO, NO PLANS, AND MARGINAL FUEL TO TRAVEL ANY DISTANCE TO REACH AN ALTERNATE WITH BETTER WX. IF I HAD COM FAILURE AT THIS POINT, THE RESULTS WOULD HAVE ALMOST CERTAINLY BEEN DISASTROUS. ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT A FLT PLAN IS A PLAN. NEVER HURRY AND ALWAYS HAVE OPTIONS, ESPECIALLY DURING NIGHT, IFR, X-COUNTRY!

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.