IMC in VFR flight as small aircraft pilot finds the hold to make a visual approach in INS conditions...

Attributes
ACN	148265
Time
Date	199006
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : esn
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 100 msl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bal
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : circling
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 52 flight time total : 520 flight time type : 110
ASRS Report	148265
Person 2
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 52 flight time total : 520 flight time type : 110
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed btp for VFR flight to esn. Checked WX computer on ground at FBO. Showed VFR with scattered ground fog. Flew VFR flight following from pit to bwi. Received current bwi WX from altoona en route. Bwi ATIS reported ceiling broken 2500'. Esn AWOS reported ceiling 100' visibility 1 1/2 mi. After crossing the bay I saw the layer forming. Approximately 10 mi out bwi I cancelled my services and I squawked 1200. Inside of 3 mi I descended from 3000' and circled the airport looking for large holes in the layer to descend through. A large hole was moving over runway 15 and 33. I circled over the end of 15 and descended through the hole for runway 15. I was too fast for a safe landing so elected to circle for runway 33 (wind was less than 3 KTS as reported by AWOS). I made a short base and final and landed comfortably on 33. I kept it tight to avoid and obstacles not shown on the approach plate. I had no VFR charts aboard. I should have made a wider pattern for 33 or chose to enter downwind for runway 22 which would have allowed for less of a bank angle in the pattern. If the wind would have been stronger and allowed a landing only on 15, I would have been forced to fly a low pattern over the field ot avoid the overcast layer which had few breaks.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT AS SMA PLT FINDS THE HOLD TO MAKE A VISUAL APCH IN INS CONDITIONS.

Narrative: DEPARTED BTP FOR VFR FLT TO ESN. CHKED WX COMPUTER ON GND AT FBO. SHOWED VFR WITH SCATTERED GND FOG. FLEW VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM PIT TO BWI. RECEIVED CURRENT BWI WX FROM ALTOONA ENRTE. BWI ATIS RPTED CEILING BROKEN 2500'. ESN AWOS RPTED CEILING 100' VISIBILITY 1 1/2 MI. AFTER XING THE BAY I SAW THE LAYER FORMING. APPROX 10 MI OUT BWI I CANCELLED MY SVCS AND I SQUAWKED 1200. INSIDE OF 3 MI I DSNDED FROM 3000' AND CIRCLED THE ARPT LOOKING FOR LARGE HOLES IN THE LAYER TO DSND THROUGH. A LARGE HOLE WAS MOVING OVER RWY 15 AND 33. I CIRCLED OVER THE END OF 15 AND DSNDED THROUGH THE HOLE FOR RWY 15. I WAS TOO FAST FOR A SAFE LNDG SO ELECTED TO CIRCLE FOR RWY 33 (WIND WAS LESS THAN 3 KTS AS RPTED BY AWOS). I MADE A SHORT BASE AND FINAL AND LANDED COMFORTABLY ON 33. I KEPT IT TIGHT TO AVOID AND OBSTACLES NOT SHOWN ON THE APCH PLATE. I HAD NO VFR CHARTS ABOARD. I SHOULD HAVE MADE A WIDER PATTERN FOR 33 OR CHOSE TO ENTER DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22 WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED FOR LESS OF A BANK ANGLE IN THE PATTERN. IF THE WIND WOULD HAVE BEEN STRONGER AND ALLOWED A LNDG ONLY ON 15, I WOULD HAVE BEEN FORCED TO FLY A LOW PATTERN OVER THE FIELD OT AVOID THE OVCST LAYER WHICH HAD FEW BREAKS.

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.