Narrative:

I was returning to oelwein, ia from a solo x-country flight to vermillion, sd and eagle grove, ia. My instrument had told me to call him before I departed vermillion for eagle grove and the return trip to oelwein. He said that he would give me the current oelwein WX and ok my return trip home. I was unable to contact him by phone, but did receive a WX briefing and filed a VFR flight plan. The flight from vermillion to eagle grove was uneventful. Shortly after leaving eagle grove the WX started to deteriorate with haze and low ceilings limiting the visibility to between 2-3 mi. Between hampton and janesville, ia I became unsure of my exact position. I circled janesville until I was sure of my location, then flew on to denver and oelwein. It was while I was over janesville and denver that I was inside waterloo's control zone. Waterloo at the time was reporting IFR conditions. When I landed at oelwein my instrument reprimanded me for flying in such conditions. Waterloo also called and took my name and medical #. I take full responsibility for this incident since I should have turned around and landed at hampton or not left vermillion at all, like my instrument had said. Contributing causes were a sketchy WX briefing and a need to get home. I don't recall if I told the briefer that I was a student or not, but when I departed I did not have a good picture of the WX ahead. I now realize that I no longer absolutely have to get home--nothing is that important. Supplemental information from acn 144029: a part-time student of mine informed me that he had planned out a long solo x-country to vermillion, sd; eagle grove, ia; and back to oelwein. I told him that was a fine trip to meet the distance requirements, but he would be unable to return before dark. He said that this was not a problem since he would stay with relatives in vermillion. Reluctantly I signed his log book and insisted that he call me prior to returning so I could give him the local WX and decide if it was fit for him to fly back. The WX the next morning was marginal VFR with low ceilings and haze, but clear at vermillion and the west half of ia. I did not receive a call from him, but didn't really expect one, figuring that FSS had already told him that VFR was not recommended. I was also away from the phone for brief periods of time. This particular student has been flying for over 13 yrs and is a member of a flying club. Several other instrs have told me that they have had problems with students who either own their aircraft or belong to clubs. They seem to feel that the rules don't apply to them since they are not renting my aircraft. There is also a high percentage that never plan on getting a license, those that are content to fly solo and receive a 90 day check occasionally. You don't seem to have this problem as much with renting to people since they have a financial motivation to work at earning their ticket.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LONG TIME STUDENT PLT ON SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY DEPARTS INTO DETERIORATING CONDITIONS, ENTERS IMC, PENETRATES AIRSPACE AND GENERALLY MAKES A MESS OF THINGS.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO OELWEIN, IA FROM A SOLO X-COUNTRY FLT TO VERMILLION, SD AND EAGLE GROVE, IA. MY INSTR HAD TOLD ME TO CALL HIM BEFORE I DEPARTED VERMILLION FOR EAGLE GROVE AND THE RETURN TRIP TO OELWEIN. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD GIVE ME THE CURRENT OELWEIN WX AND OK MY RETURN TRIP HOME. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT HIM BY PHONE, BUT DID RECEIVE A WX BRIEFING AND FILED A VFR FLT PLAN. THE FLT FROM VERMILLION TO EAGLE GROVE WAS UNEVENTFUL. SHORTLY AFTER LEAVING EAGLE GROVE THE WX STARTED TO DETERIORATE WITH HAZE AND LOW CEILINGS LIMITING THE VISIBILITY TO BTWN 2-3 MI. BTWN HAMPTON AND JANESVILLE, IA I BECAME UNSURE OF MY EXACT POS. I CIRCLED JANESVILLE UNTIL I WAS SURE OF MY LOCATION, THEN FLEW ON TO DENVER AND OELWEIN. IT WAS WHILE I WAS OVER JANESVILLE AND DENVER THAT I WAS INSIDE WATERLOO'S CTL ZONE. WATERLOO AT THE TIME WAS RPTING IFR CONDITIONS. WHEN I LANDED AT OELWEIN MY INSTR REPRIMANDED ME FOR FLYING IN SUCH CONDITIONS. WATERLOO ALSO CALLED AND TOOK MY NAME AND MEDICAL #. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS INCIDENT SINCE I SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND AND LANDED AT HAMPTON OR NOT LEFT VERMILLION AT ALL, LIKE MY INSTR HAD SAID. CONTRIBUTING CAUSES WERE A SKETCHY WX BRIEFING AND A NEED TO GET HOME. I DON'T RECALL IF I TOLD THE BRIEFER THAT I WAS A STUDENT OR NOT, BUT WHEN I DEPARTED I DID NOT HAVE A GOOD PICTURE OF THE WX AHEAD. I NOW REALIZE THAT I NO LONGER ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET HOME--NOTHING IS THAT IMPORTANT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 144029: A PART-TIME STUDENT OF MINE INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD PLANNED OUT A LONG SOLO X-COUNTRY TO VERMILLION, SD; EAGLE GROVE, IA; AND BACK TO OELWEIN. I TOLD HIM THAT WAS A FINE TRIP TO MEET THE DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS, BUT HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO RETURN BEFORE DARK. HE SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT A PROB SINCE HE WOULD STAY WITH RELATIVES IN VERMILLION. RELUCTANTLY I SIGNED HIS LOG BOOK AND INSISTED THAT HE CALL ME PRIOR TO RETURNING SO I COULD GIVE HIM THE LCL WX AND DECIDE IF IT WAS FIT FOR HIM TO FLY BACK. THE WX THE NEXT MORNING WAS MARGINAL VFR WITH LOW CEILINGS AND HAZE, BUT CLEAR AT VERMILLION AND THE W HALF OF IA. I DID NOT RECEIVE A CALL FROM HIM, BUT DIDN'T REALLY EXPECT ONE, FIGURING THAT FSS HAD ALREADY TOLD HIM THAT VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED. I WAS ALSO AWAY FROM THE PHONE FOR BRIEF PERIODS OF TIME. THIS PARTICULAR STUDENT HAS BEEN FLYING FOR OVER 13 YRS AND IS A MEMBER OF A FLYING CLUB. SEVERAL OTHER INSTRS HAVE TOLD ME THAT THEY HAVE HAD PROBS WITH STUDENTS WHO EITHER OWN THEIR ACFT OR BELONG TO CLUBS. THEY SEEM TO FEEL THAT THE RULES DON'T APPLY TO THEM SINCE THEY ARE NOT RENTING MY ACFT. THERE IS ALSO A HIGH PERCENTAGE THAT NEVER PLAN ON GETTING A LICENSE, THOSE THAT ARE CONTENT TO FLY SOLO AND RECEIVE A 90 DAY CHK OCCASIONALLY. YOU DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THIS PROB AS MUCH WITH RENTING TO PEOPLE SINCE THEY HAVE A FINANCIAL MOTIVATION TO WORK AT EARNING THEIR TICKET.

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.