Narrative:

Before departure I checked the WX and found it to be good VFR. I departed eastsound airport bnd for bli at X00PM. WX at departure was approximately 800' and 3 mi visibility with my destination 16-18 NM away. After departure we leveled out at approximately 600' with lumi island in view. After lumi island, the rain and visibility was deteriorating with a rapid developing rain shower. As I called to get a SVFR clearance into the control zone, the WX continued to deteriorate so I took a 25 degree heading change to the right for several mins to circumnav the shower and then started a left turn toward the airport while tuning the ADF to lumi beacon but was unable to receive a good signal. Pouring rain forced me to descend to 100-200' to maintain VFR while approaching the airport at which time I turned and headed swbnd back toward eastsound airport where I also determined that neither VOR navigation unit was receiving a suitable signal and at the time whidbey island radar was OTS. En route I had contact with bellingham tower and requested a radar vector. At that time I was unclear of my exact position over the water in respect to the eastsound airport. Once out of the rain shower I climbed back up to 500' and saw the orcas island shoreline and the eastsound airport and continued my approach and landed where WX conditions were approximately 500' and 3 mi visibility. Considering the circumstances of the WX deterioration, I feel I did the only thing possible at the time. I feel a situation like this could be improved by allowing part 135, single engine IFR on approved rtes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA IN A VFR IN IMC CONDITIONS SITUATION.

Narrative: BEFORE DEP I CHKED THE WX AND FOUND IT TO BE GOOD VFR. I DEPARTED EASTSOUND ARPT BND FOR BLI AT X00PM. WX AT DEP WAS APPROX 800' AND 3 MI VISIBILITY WITH MY DEST 16-18 NM AWAY. AFTER DEP WE LEVELED OUT AT APPROX 600' WITH LUMI ISLAND IN VIEW. AFTER LUMI ISLAND, THE RAIN AND VISIBILITY WAS DETERIORATING WITH A RAPID DEVELOPING RAIN SHOWER. AS I CALLED TO GET A SVFR CLRNC INTO THE CTL ZONE, THE WX CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE SO I TOOK A 25 DEG HDG CHANGE TO THE RIGHT FOR SEVERAL MINS TO CIRCUMNAV THE SHOWER AND THEN STARTED A LEFT TURN TOWARD THE ARPT WHILE TUNING THE ADF TO LUMI BEACON BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE A GOOD SIGNAL. POURING RAIN FORCED ME TO DSND TO 100-200' TO MAINTAIN VFR WHILE APCHING THE ARPT AT WHICH TIME I TURNED AND HEADED SWBND BACK TOWARD EASTSOUND ARPT WHERE I ALSO DETERMINED THAT NEITHER VOR NAV UNIT WAS RECEIVING A SUITABLE SIGNAL AND AT THE TIME WHIDBEY ISLAND RADAR WAS OTS. ENRTE I HAD CONTACT WITH BELLINGHAM TWR AND REQUESTED A RADAR VECTOR. AT THAT TIME I WAS UNCLEAR OF MY EXACT POS OVER THE WATER IN RESPECT TO THE EASTSOUND ARPT. ONCE OUT OF THE RAIN SHOWER I CLBED BACK UP TO 500' AND SAW THE ORCAS ISLAND SHORELINE AND THE EASTSOUND ARPT AND CONTINUED MY APCH AND LANDED WHERE WX CONDITIONS WERE APPROX 500' AND 3 MI VISIBILITY. CONSIDERING THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE WX DETERIORATION, I FEEL I DID THE ONLY THING POSSIBLE AT THE TIME. I FEEL A SITUATION LIKE THIS COULD BE IMPROVED BY ALLOWING PART 135, SINGLE ENG IFR ON APPROVED RTES.

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.