Narrative:

On 9/91 I filed 2 IFR flight plans from iowa city for out return flight back to lake elmo airport near st paul. 1 from iowa city to st cloud, mn, where we were to drop off a passenger. The other from st cloud to lake elmo. Center was reporting st cloud as 500 ft overcast. We shot the VOR/DME runway 31 approach and broke out at 600 AGL and landed with no problem. The problem arose on our second part of the flight. I now know what I should have done. That is get a clearance void time. I have never had to use one before because I only have 5 hours of actual IFR time and all my training was under the hood. I always got my clearance from ground control or in the air. I felt that as soon as I got airborne that I could get my clearance since there is a remote communications outlet near st cloud and you get good reception at a low altitude. Climbing through 300 ft AGL I was talking to center who gave me a squawk code and reported me in radar contact. I requested my clearance but was informed that there was an aircraft on the VOR runway 13 and he could not issue me a clearance. At this time I was level at 600 ft AGL and then ran into solid IMC. I informed the controller that I was unable to maintain VFR and needed my clearance. He would not issue it to me until I was 11 mi DME from the airport. I felt the safest thing to do was to climb to avoid any obstacles. The controller finally issued my clearance at 11 DME and wasn't pleased and I was pretty shaken because I knew what I had just done. The rest of the flight went well, considering. I know what I did, but it was unintentional and I will always use the clearance void time whenever there is a chance of not being able to maintain VFR.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT.

Narrative: ON 9/91 I FILED 2 IFR FLT PLANS FROM IOWA CITY FOR OUT RETURN FLT BACK TO LAKE ELMO ARPT NEAR ST PAUL. 1 FROM IOWA CITY TO ST CLOUD, MN, WHERE WE WERE TO DROP OFF A PAX. THE OTHER FROM ST CLOUD TO LAKE ELMO. CENTER WAS RPTING ST CLOUD AS 500 FT OVCST. WE SHOT THE VOR/DME RWY 31 APCH AND BROKE OUT AT 600 AGL AND LANDED WITH NO PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM AROSE ON OUR SECOND PART OF THE FLT. I NOW KNOW WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE. THAT IS GET A CLRNC VOID TIME. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE ONE BEFORE BECAUSE I ONLY HAVE 5 HRS OF ACTUAL IFR TIME AND ALL MY TRAINING WAS UNDER THE HOOD. I ALWAYS GOT MY CLRNC FROM GND CTL OR IN THE AIR. I FELT THAT AS SOON AS I GOT AIRBORNE THAT I COULD GET MY CLRNC SINCE THERE IS A REMOTE COMS OUTLET NEAR ST CLOUD AND YOU GET GOOD RECEPTION AT A LOW ALT. CLBING THROUGH 300 FT AGL I WAS TALKING TO CENTER WHO GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND RPTED ME IN RADAR CONTACT. I REQUESTED MY CLRNC BUT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT ON THE VOR RWY 13 AND HE COULD NOT ISSUE ME A CLRNC. AT THIS TIME I WAS LEVEL AT 600 FT AGL AND THEN RAN INTO SOLID IMC. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AND NEEDED MY CLRNC. HE WOULD NOT ISSUE IT TO ME UNTIL I WAS 11 MI DME FROM THE ARPT. I FELT THE SAFEST THING TO DO WAS TO CLB TO AVOID ANY OBSTACLES. THE CTLR FINALLY ISSUED MY CLRNC AT 11 DME AND WASN'T PLEASED AND I WAS PRETTY SHAKEN BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT I HAD JUST DONE. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT WELL, CONSIDERING. I KNOW WHAT I DID, BUT IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL AND I WILL ALWAYS USE THE CLRNC VOID TIME WHENEVER THERE IS A CHANCE OF NOT BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR.

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.