GA pilot IMC in VFR flight in the vicinity of acy.

Attributes
ACN	179692
Time
Date	199105
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl airport : acy
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 350 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : acy
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 27 flight time total : 1185 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	179692
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

WX briefing from FSS noted should not have any trouble with VFR all the way to my destination, which was westerly, ri. Departed and landed for fuel at fredricksburg, va, continued to millville, nj, fueled and departed for final destination. Decided to fly the coastline route so I headed for acy VOR with an encoding altitude of 2500'. Tuned in on ATIS, then contacted approach, informing them of my intentions and route, and was directed to proceed on course with a squawk code. About 1 mi before station passage, I sighted a heavy white low cloud formation in the distance moving toward the airport, and the formation appeared too massive to avoid by going around. I requested permission from approach to descend beneath the cloud formation to maintain VFR and the request was granted. When arriving below the cloud formation, I found myself 500' and immediately reacted with a 180 degree to the left, trying to escape the situation I'd gotten into. Things now began happening quickly. While in the 180 degree turn, VFR became super marginal and I reacted by climbing for safety. Reported to approach control my loss of VFR and my intentions of flying to the VOR with the hope of regaining VFR well enough to return to millville. Approach acknowledged and about 1 min later came back wanting to know if I had regained VFR. With my 'negative,' they suggested I land at acy and wait out the present WX condition. I concurred. After breaking out of the clouds at about 350' directly over the airport area, I was turned over to the tower for a safe landing on runway 22. I am presented in instrument training and I feel that with the rating, the above event could never have happened. Another important factor is that I relied too much on approach control when they granted me permission to descend below the heavy cloud formation. One thing for sure--if and when I get my instrument rating, I intend to use it for all the long x-country flts, regardless of WX.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT IMC IN VFR FLT IN THE VICINITY OF ACY.

Narrative: WX BRIEFING FROM FSS NOTED SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY TROUBLE WITH VFR ALL THE WAY TO MY DEST, WHICH WAS WESTERLY, RI. DEPARTED AND LANDED FOR FUEL AT FREDRICKSBURG, VA, CONTINUED TO MILLVILLE, NJ, FUELED AND DEPARTED FOR FINAL DEST. DECIDED TO FLY THE COASTLINE RTE SO I HEADED FOR ACY VOR WITH AN ENCODING ALT OF 2500'. TUNED IN ON ATIS, THEN CONTACTED APCH, INFORMING THEM OF MY INTENTIONS AND RTE, AND WAS DIRECTED TO PROCEED ON COURSE WITH A SQUAWK CODE. ABOUT 1 MI BEFORE STATION PASSAGE, I SIGHTED A HEAVY WHITE LOW CLOUD FORMATION IN THE DISTANCE MOVING TOWARD THE ARPT, AND THE FORMATION APPEARED TOO MASSIVE TO AVOID BY GOING AROUND. I REQUESTED PERMISSION FROM APCH TO DSND BENEATH THE CLOUD FORMATION TO MAINTAIN VFR AND THE REQUEST WAS GRANTED. WHEN ARRIVING BELOW THE CLOUD FORMATION, I FOUND MYSELF 500' AND IMMEDIATELY REACTED WITH A 180 DEG TO THE LEFT, TRYING TO ESCAPE THE SITUATION I'D GOTTEN INTO. THINGS NOW BEGAN HAPPENING QUICKLY. WHILE IN THE 180 DEG TURN, VFR BECAME SUPER MARGINAL AND I REACTED BY CLBING FOR SAFETY. RPTED TO APCH CTL MY LOSS OF VFR AND MY INTENTIONS OF FLYING TO THE VOR WITH THE HOPE OF REGAINING VFR WELL ENOUGH TO RETURN TO MILLVILLE. APCH ACKNOWLEDGED AND ABOUT 1 MIN LATER CAME BACK WANTING TO KNOW IF I HAD REGAINED VFR. WITH MY 'NEGATIVE,' THEY SUGGESTED I LAND AT ACY AND WAIT OUT THE PRESENT WX CONDITION. I CONCURRED. AFTER BREAKING OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 350' DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT AREA, I WAS TURNED OVER TO THE TWR FOR A SAFE LNDG ON RWY 22. I AM PRESENTED IN INSTRUMENT TRNING AND I FEEL THAT WITH THE RATING, THE ABOVE EVENT COULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. ANOTHER IMPORTANT FACTOR IS THAT I RELIED TOO MUCH ON APCH CTL WHEN THEY GRANTED ME PERMISSION TO DSND BELOW THE HEAVY CLOUD FORMATION. ONE THING FOR SURE--IF AND WHEN I GET MY INSTRUMENT RATING, I INTEND TO USE IT FOR ALL THE LONG X-COUNTRY FLTS, REGARDLESS OF WX.

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.