Narrative:

Flight originated at pir XA30Z. WX was cavu with forecast to continue throughout the day. Flight departed fsd XI30Z cavu and climbed to 4500'. About 60 mi east of pir, pilot noted a buildup and contacted princeton flight watch for current WX at pir (approximately time XJ00Z). Pir reported 600' overcast and 1/4 mi visibility in fog. Pilot elected to proceed to isd (72 mi southeast of pir) and reported his decision. Princeton was asked about hon (110 mi east of pir) and hon was reporting clear skies so decided to proceed to hon as the ground accommodations at hon are superior to isd. Over the hon VOR the city lights were visible as a glow through the cloud cover. A gradual descent from the VOR was performed, but it was obvious that VFR was not going to remain, so the approach was aborted and a climb to 4500' was made. Pilot elected to continue east to bkx (66 mi east of hon) and informed princeton that hon was not clear skies. Princeton pulled hon up and verified that hon had just gone solid IFR and then proceeded to inform the pilot that the biggest share of east sd was solid IFR and that the best bet would be to go east into mn or south to sux or into northeast. Occasionally a ground light could be seen, but for the most part city lights were nothing but glows through the cloud cover. South of pir to isd would have been the correct decision to stick with. Princeton was informed that aircraft had about 1 1/2 hours of fuel remaining and would like to request some assistance in locating an open airport. Princeton provided the frequency for ZMP. I had climbed to 8000' MSL by this time. ATC provided flight following and heading corrections to ykn (100 mi from present position). Aircraft departing mhe (50 mi from position) reported clear skies on climb out, so ATC gave corrected heading to mhe. Glow from mhe city lights could be seen. The city was clear, but the airport itself was closed in. Several circling attempts to get visibility were unsuccessful. I informed ATC that mhe was not a viable option and that fuel reserves were approximately 45 mins. ATC instructed me to line up on highway 37 southbound out of mhe and it would take me down to parkston (15 mi south of mhe). I informed ATC that everything was clear, and that the beacon and parkston was visible. As aircraft went off ATC's radar, ATC contacted a charter in the area who monitored both xmissions and to inform them when I was on the ground. Estimated fuel on board: 30 mins. (30 mins after arrival, parkston went 0/0. Pilot reported 'down at parkston' to the charter who relayed the message to ATC.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA REQUIRED FLT ASSIST TO FIND AN ARPT WITH VFR X.

Narrative: FLT ORIGINATED AT PIR XA30Z. WX WAS CAVU WITH FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. FLT DEPARTED FSD XI30Z CAVU AND CLBED TO 4500'. ABOUT 60 MI E OF PIR, PLT NOTED A BUILDUP AND CONTACTED PRINCETON FLT WATCH FOR CURRENT WX AT PIR (APPROX TIME XJ00Z). PIR RPTED 600' OVCST AND 1/4 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG. PLT ELECTED TO PROCEED TO ISD (72 MI SE OF PIR) AND RPTED HIS DECISION. PRINCETON WAS ASKED ABOUT HON (110 MI E OF PIR) AND HON WAS RPTING CLR SKIES SO DECIDED TO PROCEED TO HON AS THE GND ACCOMMODATIONS AT HON ARE SUPERIOR TO ISD. OVER THE HON VOR THE CITY LIGHTS WERE VISIBLE AS A GLOW THROUGH THE CLOUD COVER. A GRADUAL DSNT FROM THE VOR WAS PERFORMED, BUT IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT VFR WAS NOT GOING TO REMAIN, SO THE APCH WAS ABORTED AND A CLB TO 4500' WAS MADE. PLT ELECTED TO CONTINUE E TO BKX (66 MI E OF HON) AND INFORMED PRINCETON THAT HON WAS NOT CLR SKIES. PRINCETON PULLED HON UP AND VERIFIED THAT HON HAD JUST GONE SOLID IFR AND THEN PROCEEDED TO INFORM THE PLT THAT THE BIGGEST SHARE OF E SD WAS SOLID IFR AND THAT THE BEST BET WOULD BE TO GO E INTO MN OR S TO SUX OR INTO NE. OCCASIONALLY A GND LIGHT COULD BE SEEN, BUT FOR THE MOST PART CITY LIGHTS WERE NOTHING BUT GLOWS THROUGH THE CLOUD COVER. S OF PIR TO ISD WOULD HAVE BEEN THE CORRECT DECISION TO STICK WITH. PRINCETON WAS INFORMED THAT ACFT HAD ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING AND WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST SOME ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING AN OPEN ARPT. PRINCETON PROVIDED THE FREQ FOR ZMP. I HAD CLBED TO 8000' MSL BY THIS TIME. ATC PROVIDED FLT FOLLOWING AND HDG CORRECTIONS TO YKN (100 MI FROM PRESENT POS). ACFT DEPARTING MHE (50 MI FROM POS) RPTED CLR SKIES ON CLBOUT, SO ATC GAVE CORRECTED HDG TO MHE. GLOW FROM MHE CITY LIGHTS COULD BE SEEN. THE CITY WAS CLR, BUT THE ARPT ITSELF WAS CLOSED IN. SEVERAL CIRCLING ATTEMPTS TO GET VIS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. I INFORMED ATC THAT MHE WAS NOT A VIABLE OPTION AND THAT FUEL RESERVES WERE APPROX 45 MINS. ATC INSTRUCTED ME TO LINE UP ON HWY 37 SBND OUT OF MHE AND IT WOULD TAKE ME DOWN TO PARKSTON (15 MI S OF MHE). I INFORMED ATC THAT EVERYTHING WAS CLR, AND THAT THE BEACON AND PARKSTON WAS VISIBLE. AS ACFT WENT OFF ATC'S RADAR, ATC CONTACTED A CHARTER IN THE AREA WHO MONITORED BOTH XMISSIONS AND TO INFORM THEM WHEN I WAS ON THE GND. ESTIMATED FUEL ON BOARD: 30 MINS. (30 MINS AFTER ARR, PARKSTON WENT 0/0. PLT RPTED 'DOWN AT PARKSTON' TO THE CHARTER WHO RELAYED THE MESSAGE TO ATC.)

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.