Narrative:

Immediately before departing air harbor (W88) for greensboro (gso), I called raleigh flight service (1-800- wxbrief) and received a WX briefing and specifically asked whether conditions at greensboro were VFR. After the briefer told me that conditions were indeed VFR at greensboro, I departed air harbor. After airborne, I listened to ATIS information and then called greensboro approach on 118.50 and told the controller I wanted to land at gso. He informed me that there had just been an amendment in reported WX conditions and that visibility was 2 1/2 mi due to fog. I informed the controller that the aircraft was not instrument certified (a requirement which I interpret from the regulations as necessary to enter an arsa under SVFR between sunset and sunrise). I then told the controller that I would go back to air harbor. Having difficulty finding air harbor, I called gso again and asked for vectors. With the controller's help, I found air harbor and circled to land twice but could not see the runway on final because the runway lights were not lit. Since WX conditions were deteriorating and I had only about an hours worth of fuel, the controller allowed me to enter the gso arsa and land under SVFR. A found it surprising that visibility was reported at 2 1/2 mi since I had no trouble seeing gso's runway 23 lights almost immediately after leaving air harbor (8 mi away). At no time did I feel as if I was in IFR conditions. If I had to do things over again, I would not have departed air harbor between sunset and sunrise in an aircraft which was not IFR certified in WX conditions which may have deteriorated into IMC, despite the fact that I was only flying a short distance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA GOT IN POS WHERE SVFR WAS THE ONLY LEGAL OPTION BUT ACFT WAS NOT IFR EQUIPPED FOR SVFR AT NIGHT.

Narrative: IMMEDIATELY BEFORE DEPARTING AIR HARBOR (W88) FOR GREENSBORO (GSO), I CALLED RALEIGH FLT SVC (1-800- WXBRIEF) AND RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED WHETHER CONDITIONS AT GREENSBORO WERE VFR. AFTER THE BRIEFER TOLD ME THAT CONDITIONS WERE INDEED VFR AT GREENSBORO, I DEPARTED AIR HARBOR. AFTER AIRBORNE, I LISTENED TO ATIS INFO AND THEN CALLED GREENSBORO APCH ON 118.50 AND TOLD THE CTLR I WANTED TO LAND AT GSO. HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE HAD JUST BEEN AN AMENDMENT IN RPTED WX CONDITIONS AND THAT VISIBILITY WAS 2 1/2 MI DUE TO FOG. I INFORMED THE CTLR THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT INST CERTIFIED (A REQUIREMENT WHICH I INTERPRET FROM THE REGS AS NECESSARY TO ENTER AN ARSA UNDER SVFR BTWN SUNSET AND SUNRISE). I THEN TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WOULD GO BACK TO AIR HARBOR. HAVING DIFFICULTY FINDING AIR HARBOR, I CALLED GSO AGAIN AND ASKED FOR VECTORS. WITH THE CTLR'S HELP, I FOUND AIR HARBOR AND CIRCLED TO LAND TWICE BUT COULD NOT SEE THE RWY ON FINAL BECAUSE THE RWY LIGHTS WERE NOT LIT. SINCE WX CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING AND I HAD ONLY ABOUT AN HRS WORTH OF FUEL, THE CTLR ALLOWED ME TO ENTER THE GSO ARSA AND LAND UNDER SVFR. A FOUND IT SURPRISING THAT VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AT 2 1/2 MI SINCE I HAD NO TROUBLE SEEING GSO'S RWY 23 LIGHTS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING AIR HARBOR (8 MI AWAY). AT NO TIME DID I FEEL AS IF I WAS IN IFR CONDITIONS. IF I HAD TO DO THINGS OVER AGAIN, I WOULD NOT HAVE DEPARTED AIR HARBOR BTWN SUNSET AND SUNRISE IN AN ACFT WHICH WAS NOT IFR CERTIFIED IN WX CONDITIONS WHICH MAY HAVE DETERIORATED INTO IMC, DESPITE THE FACT THAT I WAS ONLY FLYING A SHORT DISTANCE.

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.