Narrative:

Pilot of aircraft is deaf and cannot hear on phone. I must therefore depend upon others to place phone call to FSS and obtain WX briefings. I arrived at airport at 0700 hours to wait out the WX (rain). I had someone (different people each time) call and check WX each hour. WX was either questionable VFR or IFR. Finally at approximately 1300 hours it had stopped raining and WX was beginning to look good. I asked the only guy on the airport to call FSS for WX along my route of flight, college park to leroy, ny direct. I received a forecast of 2000' broken and 5000' overcast, 8000' tops, 4 mi visibility, light rain. Thunderstorms 40 mi east of harrisburg, PA (60 mi from my route of flight). I departed runway 15 at college park and headed north at 1400' to stay under the dca TCA. Approximately 11 mi north of college park airport, based on DME reading the WX became much worse than reported. I informed my passenger we were not going to continue this flight and return to college park. I started a 180 degree turn, then found myself climbing at a faster rate and steeper bank to say in VFR flight. I was now above the clouds in VFR flight and couldn't find a hole to descend down in VFR flight. I found several holes but was unable to make a descent down through before they closed up. I was 6 NM from the westminster VOR based on DME reading. Full fuel (6 hours) and circling looking for a hole. I saw several jet (airliners) climbing in the distance (10-20 mi) and thought that I should inform ATC that I was up here VFR on top. I elected to do son on 121.5 and announced pan, pan, pan...and explained that I was up here, etc. I felt it would increase the safety for other pilots if they knew that I was circling the westminster VOR at 6000'. I then spotted a large hole to my west and flew to it and set up a descent of 30 degree bank, 1000 FPM and flew down VFR coming out VFR on bottom at 1700'. I saw a town and overflew it and found the name walkerville on water tower, and after checking my map I knew that the fredricktown, md airport was just a few mi away. Made a normal landing and rechked the WX and decided to remain overnight till WX was better. It was not what was reported, at least in the briefing that I got from someone else who called FSS for me at college part, md airport. Flight was always VFR or climbing to remain VFR flight. Pilot is deaf. I can talk to others on radio. I cannot, however, understand what their reply is. I can hear the reply, but cannot understand it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC CONDITIONS INTERRUPT A VFR FLT. PLT HAS DIFFICULTY IN ALTERING FLT PLAN AS HE IS DEAF.

Narrative: PLT OF ACFT IS DEAF AND CANNOT HEAR ON PHONE. I MUST THEREFORE DEPEND UPON OTHERS TO PLACE PHONE CALL TO FSS AND OBTAIN WX BRIEFINGS. I ARRIVED AT ARPT AT 0700 HRS TO WAIT OUT THE WX (RAIN). I HAD SOMEONE (DIFFERENT PEOPLE EACH TIME) CALL AND CHK WX EACH HR. WX WAS EITHER QUESTIONABLE VFR OR IFR. FINALLY AT APPROX 1300 HRS IT HAD STOPPED RAINING AND WX WAS BEGINNING TO LOOK GOOD. I ASKED THE ONLY GUY ON THE ARPT TO CALL FSS FOR WX ALONG MY RTE OF FLT, COLLEGE PARK TO LEROY, NY DIRECT. I RECEIVED A FORECAST OF 2000' BROKEN AND 5000' OVCST, 8000' TOPS, 4 MI VISIBILITY, LIGHT RAIN. TSTMS 40 MI E OF HARRISBURG, PA (60 MI FROM MY RTE OF FLT). I DEPARTED RWY 15 AT COLLEGE PARK AND HEADED N AT 1400' TO STAY UNDER THE DCA TCA. APPROX 11 MI N OF COLLEGE PARK ARPT, BASED ON DME READING THE WX BECAME MUCH WORSE THAN RPTED. I INFORMED MY PAX WE WERE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE THIS FLT AND RETURN TO COLLEGE PARK. I STARTED A 180 DEG TURN, THEN FOUND MYSELF CLBING AT A FASTER RATE AND STEEPER BANK TO SAY IN VFR FLT. I WAS NOW ABOVE THE CLOUDS IN VFR FLT AND COULDN'T FIND A HOLE TO DSND DOWN IN VFR FLT. I FOUND SEVERAL HOLES BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE A DSNT DOWN THROUGH BEFORE THEY CLOSED UP. I WAS 6 NM FROM THE WESTMINSTER VOR BASED ON DME READING. FULL FUEL (6 HRS) AND CIRCLING LOOKING FOR A HOLE. I SAW SEVERAL JET (AIRLINERS) CLBING IN THE DISTANCE (10-20 MI) AND THOUGHT THAT I SHOULD INFORM ATC THAT I WAS UP HERE VFR ON TOP. I ELECTED TO DO SON ON 121.5 AND ANNOUNCED PAN, PAN, PAN...AND EXPLAINED THAT I WAS UP HERE, ETC. I FELT IT WOULD INCREASE THE SAFETY FOR OTHER PLTS IF THEY KNEW THAT I WAS CIRCLING THE WESTMINSTER VOR AT 6000'. I THEN SPOTTED A LARGE HOLE TO MY W AND FLEW TO IT AND SET UP A DSNT OF 30 DEG BANK, 1000 FPM AND FLEW DOWN VFR COMING OUT VFR ON BOTTOM AT 1700'. I SAW A TOWN AND OVERFLEW IT AND FOUND THE NAME WALKERVILLE ON WATER TWR, AND AFTER CHKING MY MAP I KNEW THAT THE FREDRICKTOWN, MD ARPT WAS JUST A FEW MI AWAY. MADE A NORMAL LNDG AND RECHKED THE WX AND DECIDED TO REMAIN OVERNIGHT TILL WX WAS BETTER. IT WAS NOT WHAT WAS RPTED, AT LEAST IN THE BRIEFING THAT I GOT FROM SOMEONE ELSE WHO CALLED FSS FOR ME AT COLLEGE PART, MD ARPT. FLT WAS ALWAYS VFR OR CLBING TO REMAIN VFR FLT. PLT IS DEAF. I CAN TALK TO OTHERS ON RADIO. I CANNOT, HOWEVER, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR REPLY IS. I CAN HEAR THE REPLY, BUT CANNOT UNDERSTAND IT.

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.