Narrative:

I was departing cuyahoga county airport (cgf) with the intention of ferrying to my flying club's maintenance facility at lost nation airport (lnn) 7 SM to the northeast. The reason for the maintenance was for an electrical problem (discharge on ammeter). The night previous another instructor had landed at cgf with this problem and knowing the nature of the problem I did not want to get into IMC. So I got a SVFR clearance from the cuyahoga county control zone to the lost nation control zone. Cuyahoga county ground informed me that the ceiling was 500 ft broken and visibility 2 mi, so I taxied, having gotten my SVFR clearance, to runway 5. I had to hold for release due to traffic shooting instrument approachs (localizer back course 5) to the active. While holding, I noted that the aircraft on the approachs were getting into the airport, so I assumed that the ceilings were at or above the min descent altitude of 1360 MSL (487 AGL). I continued to hold short for approximately another 5 mins after the last aircraft on the approach had landed. I was then cleared for takeoff, rolled into position, and departed runway 5. At approximately 1200 MSL (321 ft AGL) I began (at my surprise!) to enter the clouds. I had 2 options at this point: to turn around and return to cgf (staying below the clouds at 300 AGL) or request an immediate IFR clearance. I was reluctant to continue into the clouds with a known electrical problem but remembered an accident of a few days previous where the pilot was 'scud running', ran into an electrical tower, and killed both aboard. With this in mind, I requested the IFR clearance to lnn, knowing that I did not have any approach plates and the controller would have to relay the approach information to me over the radio. Remembering my electrical problem, I left the gear extended, and operated with 1 navigation/communication, the transponder, and, when told I would be doing the NDB 27 approach, circle to land runway 5 the ADF. The ammeter continued to indicate a slight charge and I had very little problems with communications. I did have to switch to my #2 communication radio because my transmissions were breaking up on the #1. Fortunately after being told the necessary approach information, being cleared for the approach, and breaking out at mins, I landed safely at lnn. To avoid this problem again, I will never request a SVFR clearance again without at least 800 ft AGL ceilings and when I do will have current approach plates in hand. I also feel the tower should have asked arriving aircraft what the bases were at and relayed more accurate information to me. Lastly, my judgement to take the aircraft with such a problem in such WX was not sound. Luckily, I am here to tell about it and help someone else.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA OBTAINED SVFR CLRNC BUT IMMEDIATELY ON TKOF ENCOUNTERED WX AND CALLED FOR IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING CUYAHOGA COUNTY ARPT (CGF) WITH THE INTENTION OF FERRYING TO MY FLYING CLUB'S MAINT FACILITY AT LOST NATION ARPT (LNN) 7 SM TO THE NE. THE REASON FOR THE MAINT WAS FOR AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM (DISCHARGE ON AMMETER). THE NIGHT PREVIOUS ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR HAD LANDED AT CGF WITH THIS PROBLEM AND KNOWING THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM I DID NOT WANT TO GET INTO IMC. SO I GOT A SVFR CLRNC FROM THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY CTL ZONE TO THE LOST NATION CTL ZONE. CUYAHOGA COUNTY GND INFORMED ME THAT THE CEILING WAS 500 FT BROKEN AND VISIBILITY 2 MI, SO I TAXIED, HAVING GOTTEN MY SVFR CLRNC, TO RWY 5. I HAD TO HOLD FOR RELEASE DUE TO TFC SHOOTING INST APCHS (LOC BC 5) TO THE ACTIVE. WHILE HOLDING, I NOTED THAT THE ACFT ON THE APCHS WERE GETTING INTO THE ARPT, SO I ASSUMED THAT THE CEILINGS WERE AT OR ABOVE THE MIN DSCNT ALT OF 1360 MSL (487 AGL). I CONTINUED TO HOLD SHORT FOR APPROX ANOTHER 5 MINS AFTER THE LAST ACFT ON THE APCH HAD LANDED. I WAS THEN CLRED FOR TKOF, ROLLED INTO POS, AND DEPARTED RWY 5. AT APPROX 1200 MSL (321 FT AGL) I BEGAN (AT MY SURPRISE!) TO ENTER THE CLOUDS. I HAD 2 OPTIONS AT THIS POINT: TO TURN AROUND AND RETURN TO CGF (STAYING BELOW THE CLOUDS AT 300 AGL) OR REQUEST AN IMMEDIATE IFR CLRNC. I WAS RELUCTANT TO CONTINUE INTO THE CLOUDS WITH A KNOWN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM BUT REMEMBERED AN ACCIDENT OF A FEW DAYS PREVIOUS WHERE THE PLT WAS 'SCUD RUNNING', RAN INTO AN ELECTRICAL TWR, AND KILLED BOTH ABOARD. WITH THIS IN MIND, I REQUESTED THE IFR CLRNC TO LNN, KNOWING THAT I DID NOT HAVE ANY APCH PLATES AND THE CTLR WOULD HAVE TO RELAY THE APCH INFO TO ME OVER THE RADIO. REMEMBERING MY ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, I LEFT THE GEAR EXTENDED, AND OPERATED WITH 1 NAV/COM, THE TRANSPONDER, AND, WHEN TOLD I WOULD BE DOING THE NDB 27 APCH, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 5 THE ADF. THE AMMETER CONTINUED TO INDICATE A SLIGHT CHARGE AND I HAD VERY LITTLE PROBLEMS WITH COMS. I DID HAVE TO SWITCH TO MY #2 COM RADIO BECAUSE MY TRANSMISSIONS WERE BREAKING UP ON THE #1. FORTUNATELY AFTER BEING TOLD THE NECESSARY APCH INFO, BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH, AND BREAKING OUT AT MINS, I LANDED SAFELY AT LNN. TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM AGAIN, I WILL NEVER REQUEST A SVFR CLRNC AGAIN WITHOUT AT LEAST 800 FT AGL CEILINGS AND WHEN I DO WILL HAVE CURRENT APCH PLATES IN HAND. I ALSO FEEL THE TWR SHOULD HAVE ASKED ARRIVING ACFT WHAT THE BASES WERE AT AND RELAYED MORE ACCURATE INFO TO ME. LASTLY, MY JUDGEMENT TO TAKE THE ACFT WITH SUCH A PROBLEM IN SUCH WX WAS NOT SOUND. LUCKILY, I AM HERE TO TELL ABOUT IT AND HELP SOMEONE ELSE.

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.