GA small aircraft SVFR in IMC.

Attributes
ACN	199389
Time
Date	199201
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : arb
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Special VFR
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : arb artcc : zma
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Route In Use	approach : svfr
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	199389
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Get homeitis! Took off in good VFR unforecasted. WX moved in. Called destination, they reported 1200/2 mi. Asked for SVFR and was granted. Followed known road, but ceiling and visibility both marginal. Made a bad decision and pressed on. Flew through a snow shower with visibility varying between 1/2 mi to 1 1/4 mi. Did not want to lose sight of the road. VFR airplane only. Had to drop to 200-600 AGL to stay VFR. I was cleared to enter control zone on first contact. It took about 15 min before I got there. In the meantime ann arbor tower had microphone problems and I couldn't raise them. I did contact another airplane who was also trying to talk to them because he was IFR on the approach. I explained to him that I was getting in trouble and asked him to break off the approach, which he did. About that time the tower called me and explained they had microphone problems and asked if I would circle. I told them I would rather not and the other guy was going to break off the approach. He then reclred me into the control zone. I followed known roads and landed in very marginal 1 mi visibility. To get home I used poor judgement to press on in a VFR airplane and didn't leave myself enough 'outs.' I watched 'murphy' keep chipping away at my poor judgement. It was my experience that allowed this flight to terminate without injury but it was my poor judgement that created the situation. My experience should have told me better.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA SVFR IN IMC.

Narrative: GET HOMEITIS! TOOK OFF IN GOOD VFR UNFORECASTED. WX MOVED IN. CALLED DEST, THEY RPTED 1200/2 MI. ASKED FOR SVFR AND WAS GRANTED. FOLLOWED KNOWN ROAD, BUT CEILING AND VISIBILITY BOTH MARGINAL. MADE A BAD DECISION AND PRESSED ON. FLEW THROUGH A SNOW SHOWER WITH VISIBILITY VARYING BTWN 1/2 MI TO 1 1/4 MI. DID NOT WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THE ROAD. VFR AIRPLANE ONLY. HAD TO DROP TO 200-600 AGL TO STAY VFR. I WAS CLRED TO ENTER CTL ZONE ON FIRST CONTACT. IT TOOK ABOUT 15 MIN BEFORE I GOT THERE. IN THE MEANTIME ANN ARBOR TWR HAD MICROPHONE PROBLEMS AND I COULDN'T RAISE THEM. I DID CONTACT ANOTHER AIRPLANE WHO WAS ALSO TRYING TO TALK TO THEM BECAUSE HE WAS IFR ON THE APCH. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I WAS GETTING IN TROUBLE AND ASKED HIM TO BREAK OFF THE APCH, WHICH HE DID. ABOUT THAT TIME THE TWR CALLED ME AND EXPLAINED THEY HAD MICROPHONE PROBLEMS AND ASKED IF I WOULD CIRCLE. I TOLD THEM I WOULD RATHER NOT AND THE OTHER GUY WAS GOING TO BREAK OFF THE APCH. HE THEN RECLRED ME INTO THE CTL ZONE. I FOLLOWED KNOWN ROADS AND LANDED IN VERY MARGINAL 1 MI VISIBILITY. TO GET HOME I USED POOR JUDGEMENT TO PRESS ON IN A VFR AIRPLANE AND DIDN'T LEAVE MYSELF ENOUGH 'OUTS.' I WATCHED 'MURPHY' KEEP CHIPPING AWAY AT MY POOR JUDGEMENT. IT WAS MY EXPERIENCE THAT ALLOWED THIS FLT TO TERMINATE WITHOUT INJURY BUT IT WAS MY POOR JUDGEMENT THAT CREATED THE SITUATION. MY EXPERIENCE SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME BETTER.

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.