Narrative:

This VFR pilot flies routinely each wkend to a destination airport 60 NM form his base airport. Before return to the base airport, I received 2 WX briefings, 1 just prior to departure. Current conditions en route and destination: VFR, thin scattered layer, 1200-1500, visibility 7 mi or better. Forecast included chance ceilings below 1000' and visibility below 3 mi. I called destination airport tower for current conditions and trends. No evidence of IFR conditions was reported and departed with 2 1/2 hours of furl for a 45 mi flight into clear starry skies. 30 mins into the flight, I came to understand from approach control advisories to another pilot that my destination airport was marginal VFR. I also noticed rapidly diminishing visibility of ground reference light under a rapidly forming cloud cover which topped out approximately 2000'. I elected to land at my alternate airport only a few mins ETA and proceeded toward it. I obtained a visibility fix on the airport and proceeded to set up to enter the pattern for landing. While doing so, my visibility reference to the airport was lost. No second attempt was made and I sighted my second alternate airport. Approach control advised the original destination airport reported favorable conditions and I proceeded to the original destination airport as recommended. I picked up what seemingly was the destination airport, 12 O'clock and approach control confirmed a 4 mi final approach. However, visibility reference to the airport was lost and visibility ground references I had were unfamiliar. WX conditions began to rapidly deteriorate and maintaining VFR and trying to get a VOR fix on the airport simultaneously was considered unsafe. Landing at this destination airport was abandoned. Upon gaining altitude, I sighted the second alternate airport and requested confirmation of heading and clear WX conditions at second alternate airport. Time aloft now had lower available fuel to a point where the next choice of the destination airport was critical. Low fuel combined with 2 failed landing attempts, continuing deteriorating ground WX conditions (clear skies above 2000'), I elected to cycle the transponder to mayday. Clear WX was confirmed by approach control at destination airport as well as heading and distance. Upon sighting runway lights, change of frequency to 1200 and unicom was approved by approach control and I landed safely. Via FBO phone, I provided approach control with the necessary information required for an assist report. I flew the original destination airport the next morning. 7 days later, I receive this NASA report form in mail. From this experience I gain confidence in myself as a good pilot. Fly the aircraft first training was well utilized in this experience. Further, recognizing and deciding quickly that a particular course of action was or was not viable was important. Also, reinforced by this experience was the limitations of my VFR training and skills and the importance of achieving my IFR rating slated for 1991. And finally, my practice of generally flying with full fuel tanks was affirmed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: THIS VFR PLT FLIES ROUTINELY EACH WKEND TO A DEST ARPT 60 NM FORM HIS BASE ARPT. BEFORE RETURN TO THE BASE ARPT, I RECEIVED 2 WX BRIEFINGS, 1 JUST PRIOR TO DEP. CURRENT CONDITIONS ENRTE AND DEST: VFR, THIN SCATTERED LAYER, 1200-1500, VISIBILITY 7 MI OR BETTER. FORECAST INCLUDED CHANCE CEILINGS BELOW 1000' AND VISIBILITY BELOW 3 MI. I CALLED DEST ARPT TWR FOR CURRENT CONDITIONS AND TRENDS. NO EVIDENCE OF IFR CONDITIONS WAS RPTED AND DEPARTED WITH 2 1/2 HRS OF FURL FOR A 45 MI FLT INTO CLEAR STARRY SKIES. 30 MINS INTO THE FLT, I CAME TO UNDERSTAND FROM APCH CTL ADVISORIES TO ANOTHER PLT THAT MY DEST ARPT WAS MARGINAL VFR. I ALSO NOTICED RAPIDLY DIMINISHING VISIBILITY OF GND REF LIGHT UNDER A RAPIDLY FORMING CLOUD COVER WHICH TOPPED OUT APPROX 2000'. I ELECTED TO LAND AT MY ALTERNATE ARPT ONLY A FEW MINS ETA AND PROCEEDED TOWARD IT. I OBTAINED A VIS FIX ON THE ARPT AND PROCEEDED TO SET UP TO ENTER THE PATTERN FOR LNDG. WHILE DOING SO, MY VIS REF TO THE ARPT WAS LOST. NO SECOND ATTEMPT WAS MADE AND I SIGHTED MY SECOND ALTERNATE ARPT. APCH CTL ADVISED THE ORIGINAL DEST ARPT RPTED FAVORABLE CONDITIONS AND I PROCEEDED TO THE ORIGINAL DEST ARPT AS RECOMMENDED. I PICKED UP WHAT SEEMINGLY WAS THE DEST ARPT, 12 O'CLOCK AND APCH CTL CONFIRMED A 4 MI FINAL APCH. HOWEVER, VIS REF TO THE ARPT WAS LOST AND VIS GND REFS I HAD WERE UNFAMILIAR. WX CONDITIONS BEGAN TO RAPIDLY DETERIORATE AND MAINTAINING VFR AND TRYING TO GET A VOR FIX ON THE ARPT SIMULTANEOUSLY WAS CONSIDERED UNSAFE. LNDG AT THIS DEST ARPT WAS ABANDONED. UPON GAINING ALT, I SIGHTED THE SECOND ALTERNATE ARPT AND REQUESTED CONFIRMATION OF HDG AND CLR WX CONDITIONS AT SECOND ALTERNATE ARPT. TIME ALOFT NOW HAD LOWER AVAILABLE FUEL TO A POINT WHERE THE NEXT CHOICE OF THE DEST ARPT WAS CRITICAL. LOW FUEL COMBINED WITH 2 FAILED LNDG ATTEMPTS, CONTINUING DETERIORATING GND WX CONDITIONS (CLR SKIES ABOVE 2000'), I ELECTED TO CYCLE THE XPONDER TO MAYDAY. CLR WX WAS CONFIRMED BY APCH CTL AT DEST ARPT AS WELL AS HDG AND DISTANCE. UPON SIGHTING RWY LIGHTS, CHANGE OF FREQ TO 1200 AND UNICOM WAS APPROVED BY APCH CTL AND I LANDED SAFELY. VIA FBO PHONE, I PROVIDED APCH CTL WITH THE NECESSARY INFO REQUIRED FOR AN ASSIST RPT. I FLEW THE ORIGINAL DEST ARPT THE NEXT MORNING. 7 DAYS LATER, I RECEIVE THIS NASA RPT FORM IN MAIL. FROM THIS EXPERIENCE I GAIN CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF AS A GOOD PLT. FLY THE ACFT FIRST TRNING WAS WELL UTILIZED IN THIS EXPERIENCE. FURTHER, RECOGNIZING AND DECIDING QUICKLY THAT A PARTICULAR COURSE OF ACTION WAS OR WAS NOT VIABLE WAS IMPORTANT. ALSO, REINFORCED BY THIS EXPERIENCE WAS THE LIMITATIONS OF MY VFR TRNING AND SKILLS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF ACHIEVING MY IFR RATING SLATED FOR 1991. AND FINALLY, MY PRACTICE OF GENERALLY FLYING WITH FULL FUEL TANKS WAS AFFIRMED.

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.