Narrative:

Returning from oshkosh eaa fly in, in an experimental (210 KT cruise, retractable IFR equipped), I encountered a front with marginal ceilings on jul/wed/91. I landed at an uncontrolled field perry/foley near the florida-georgia border and spent the night to wait out the front. I received a WX briefing from gainesville radio in the morning which spoke of numerous level 1 thunderstorms along the coast from cross city to tampa, and scattered storms elsewhere in the state, to level 3. My destination reported a scattered layer at 1000 ft and at 2500 ft (spg - albert whitted in st petersburg). Other airports in the tampa bay area reported the same, with the standard advisory: occasional 1 mi visibility in thunderstorms. The FAA briefer also said that the WX appeared to improve from ocala south. With that briefing I launched into a scattered layer about 1000 ft above perry. However, heading south the scattered layer filled into a broken layer at about 1200 ft. Visibility was 10 mi or more below this layer, however, and relying on the briefing I pressed on expecting to make it to ocala and better WX. My now broken layer went lower. When I did the obligatory 180 turn I discovered that airplanes could perhaps use rear view mirrors. With my concentration forward, the layer had actually been dropping behind me, and had just caught up. To remain in VMC, I had to drop to 500 ft, with a ragged ceiling 600 to occasionally 800 ft or 2000 ft above me. It was then that I discovered the true catch 22 to that situation. At 500 ft, very little navigation or communications gear work. The omni showed the no navigation flag, although I knew that I was near gainesville, albeit over a featureless vista of swampy terrain. DME - nothing. The LORAN flashed an error message. It was necessary for me to IFR. I follow roads, literally after coming across I75 and following it to within 10 mi of the gnv VOR before getting a signal. Within 8 mi, I got the gainesville tower on the radio, and requested a special into the airport. They in turn insisted that I call jacksonville center for permission. When jacksonville managed to make out my transmission, and my altitude they turned me back over to the tower. The tower crew rose to the occasion and managed to keep me away from the radio towers in the area, and held IFR traffic until I squeaked in. I am IFR licensed and equipped. I didn't file because I was resolved to stay VFR anyway to avoid flying into an embedded thunderstorm. By the time it became necessary to airfile, I was too low to reach anyone to file with, and had to keep my eyes out of the cockpit to avoid towers at that altitude. Next time, I stay on the ground after sorting through all these options.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM OSHKOSH EAA FLY IN, IN AN EXPERIMENTAL (210 KT CRUISE, RETRACTABLE IFR EQUIPPED), I ENCOUNTERED A FRONT WITH MARGINAL CEILINGS ON JUL/WED/91. I LANDED AT AN UNCTLED FIELD PERRY/FOLEY NEAR THE FLORIDA-GEORGIA BORDER AND SPENT THE NIGHT TO WAIT OUT THE FRONT. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FROM GAINESVILLE RADIO IN THE MORNING WHICH SPOKE OF NUMEROUS LEVEL 1 TSTMS ALONG THE COAST FROM CROSS CITY TO TAMPA, AND SCATTERED STORMS ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE, TO LEVEL 3. MY DEST RPTED A SCATTERED LAYER AT 1000 FT AND AT 2500 FT (SPG - ALBERT WHITTED IN ST PETERSBURG). OTHER ARPTS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA RPTED THE SAME, WITH THE STANDARD ADVISORY: OCCASIONAL 1 MI VISIBILITY IN TSTMS. THE FAA BRIEFER ALSO SAID THAT THE WX APPEARED TO IMPROVE FROM OCALA S. WITH THAT BRIEFING I LAUNCHED INTO A SCATTERED LAYER ABOUT 1000 FT ABOVE PERRY. HOWEVER, HDG S THE SCATTERED LAYER FILLED INTO A BROKEN LAYER AT ABOUT 1200 FT. VISIBILITY WAS 10 MI OR MORE BELOW THIS LAYER, HOWEVER, AND RELYING ON THE BRIEFING I PRESSED ON EXPECTING TO MAKE IT TO OCALA AND BETTER WX. MY NOW BROKEN LAYER WENT LOWER. WHEN I DID THE OBLIGATORY 180 TURN I DISCOVERED THAT AIRPLANES COULD PERHAPS USE REAR VIEW MIRRORS. WITH MY CONCENTRATION FORWARD, THE LAYER HAD ACTUALLY BEEN DROPPING BEHIND ME, AND HAD JUST CAUGHT UP. TO REMAIN IN VMC, I HAD TO DROP TO 500 FT, WITH A RAGGED CEILING 600 TO OCCASIONALLY 800 FT OR 2000 FT ABOVE ME. IT WAS THEN THAT I DISCOVERED THE TRUE CATCH 22 TO THAT SITUATION. AT 500 FT, VERY LITTLE NAVIGATION OR COMS GEAR WORK. THE OMNI SHOWED THE NO NAV FLAG, ALTHOUGH I KNEW THAT I WAS NEAR GAINESVILLE, ALBEIT OVER A FEATURELESS VISTA OF SWAMPY TERRAIN. DME - NOTHING. THE LORAN FLASHED AN ERROR MESSAGE. IT WAS NECESSARY FOR ME TO IFR. I FOLLOW ROADS, LITERALLY AFTER COMING ACROSS I75 AND FOLLOWING IT TO WITHIN 10 MI OF THE GNV VOR BEFORE GETTING A SIGNAL. WITHIN 8 MI, I GOT THE GAINESVILLE TWR ON THE RADIO, AND REQUESTED A SPECIAL INTO THE ARPT. THEY IN TURN INSISTED THAT I CALL JACKSONVILLE CENTER FOR PERMISSION. WHEN JACKSONVILLE MANAGED TO MAKE OUT MY XMISSION, AND MY ALT THEY TURNED ME BACK OVER TO THE TWR. THE TWR CREW ROSE TO THE OCCASION AND MANAGED TO KEEP ME AWAY FROM THE RADIO TWRS IN THE AREA, AND HELD IFR TFC UNTIL I SQUEAKED IN. I AM IFR LICENSED AND EQUIPPED. I DIDN'T FILE BECAUSE I WAS RESOLVED TO STAY VFR ANYWAY TO AVOID FLYING INTO AN EMBEDDED TSTM. BY THE TIME IT BECAME NECESSARY TO AIRFILE, I WAS TOO LOW TO REACH ANYONE TO FILE WITH, AND HAD TO KEEP MY EYES OUT OF THE COCKPIT TO AVOID TWRS AT THAT ALT. NEXT TIME, I STAY ON THE GND AFTER SORTING THROUGH ALL THESE OPTIONS.

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.