Narrative:

After receiving several in-person WX briefings at leesburg, va FSS, I took off under a marginal ceiling expecting conditions to improve along the flight path. After 2 hours flying below the ceiling in mountain turbulence, it became apparent that the situation might not improve. In fact, the terrain was climbing toward the ceiling. After determining that there were no airports close by, and that the ceiling might close down dangerously low, I opted to climb through a hole to get above the layer. The WX briefing showed better conditions along the flight path than at the departure airport, and predicted improving conditions. Also, after 2 hours of flying in turbulence, I was starting to feel weak and wanted smoother air. After flying on top of a nearly solid layer for an additional half hour, it became obvious that conditions at the destination would not be VFR. A dive through a hole confirmed this. While climbing back above the clouds, I made the decision to call ATC, declare an emergency and ask for vectors before fuel became critical. The slow climb in the mountains prevented immediate contact with ZTL. 2 other aircraft relayed messages before radar and radio contact was established. By then, fuel was in fact becoming critical. Tri-cities approach (bristol, va) then vectored me through solid clouds to land at virginia headlands uncontrolled field in abingdon, va. I should not have placed as much reliance on WX predictions. Long flight in turbulence weakened me physically and prompted me into going above the turbulence rather than continuing marginal VFR to an airport that might have been IFR. The decision to call for help was delayed by the fear of the wrath of the FAA. I strongly feel that VFR pilots should practice flying under the hood. I certainly do not intend to get into this situation again, but now can see how normally prudent VFR pilots can find themselves in INS situations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INSTRUMENT RATED SMA PLT GETS INTO WX CONDITIONS LESS THAN VFR AND RECEIVES A FLT ASSIST TO AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT FOR LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING SEVERAL IN-PERSON WX BRIEFINGS AT LEESBURG, VA FSS, I TOOK OFF UNDER A MARGINAL CEILING EXPECTING CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE ALONG THE FLT PATH. AFTER 2 HRS FLYING BELOW THE CEILING IN MOUNTAIN TURB, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE SITUATION MIGHT NOT IMPROVE. IN FACT, THE TERRAIN WAS CLBING TOWARD THE CEILING. AFTER DETERMINING THAT THERE WERE NO ARPTS CLOSE BY, AND THAT THE CEILING MIGHT CLOSE DOWN DANGEROUSLY LOW, I OPTED TO CLB THROUGH A HOLE TO GET ABOVE THE LAYER. THE WX BRIEFING SHOWED BETTER CONDITIONS ALONG THE FLT PATH THAN AT THE DEP ARPT, AND PREDICTED IMPROVING CONDITIONS. ALSO, AFTER 2 HRS OF FLYING IN TURB, I WAS STARTING TO FEEL WEAK AND WANTED SMOOTHER AIR. AFTER FLYING ON TOP OF A NEARLY SOLID LAYER FOR AN ADDITIONAL HALF HR, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT CONDITIONS AT THE DEST WOULD NOT BE VFR. A DIVE THROUGH A HOLE CONFIRMED THIS. WHILE CLBING BACK ABOVE THE CLOUDS, I MADE THE DECISION TO CALL ATC, DECLARE AN EMER AND ASK FOR VECTORS BEFORE FUEL BECAME CRITICAL. THE SLOW CLB IN THE MOUNTAINS PREVENTED IMMEDIATE CONTACT WITH ZTL. 2 OTHER ACFT RELAYED MESSAGES BEFORE RADAR AND RADIO CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED. BY THEN, FUEL WAS IN FACT BECOMING CRITICAL. TRI-CITIES APCH (BRISTOL, VA) THEN VECTORED ME THROUGH SOLID CLOUDS TO LAND AT VIRGINIA HEADLANDS UNCONTROLLED FIELD IN ABINGDON, VA. I SHOULD NOT HAVE PLACED AS MUCH RELIANCE ON WX PREDICTIONS. LONG FLT IN TURB WEAKENED ME PHYSICALLY AND PROMPTED ME INTO GOING ABOVE THE TURB RATHER THAN CONTINUING MARGINAL VFR TO AN ARPT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN IFR. THE DECISION TO CALL FOR HELP WAS DELAYED BY THE FEAR OF THE WRATH OF THE FAA. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT VFR PLTS SHOULD PRACTICE FLYING UNDER THE HOOD. I CERTAINLY DO NOT INTEND TO GET INTO THIS SITUATION AGAIN, BUT NOW CAN SEE HOW NORMALLY PRUDENT VFR PLTS CAN FIND THEMSELVES IN INS SITUATIONS.

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.