Narrative:

Being a commercial student enrolled in a college flight course, there is a special emphasis placed on timely completion of syllabus items, including several cross- countries. After obtaining a standard briefing, including some MVFR along the projected route, my instructor's judgement may have been clouded by the aforementioned condition, and mine as well, as I did to risk affecting my grade by firmly refusing to go. While my planned altitude was unattainable due to low ceilings, I had no other difficulties all the way from craig field to just past lake city, and it appeared to me that maybe I had been a little over-cautious about the WX en route when confronting my instructor. 20 mins west of lake city, a thick, low lying cloud bank became visible stretching n-s across my path. Seeing as I had not had any WX problems yet, and that the clouds were about 10 mi ahead (just before my destination of perry-foley), I decided to get closer to investigate the magnitude and depth of them before turning back. As I progressed toward the clouds, the WX behind deteriorated into IMC. After 5 mins, I was close enough to realize that making perry-foley would be impossible and began my turn back east, only to see an equally impenetrable bank blocking me. As I flew north and south probing the limits of the pocket of VMC I was stuck in, the ceiling above me continued to lower to about a thousand ft, with the clouds all around me being ground based. I continued circling in the shrinking envelope, still with plenty of landing fields. Finally, jax center (who I had been in constant contact with) declared an emergency on my behalf, and instructed me to climb through the cloud ceiling to 3000 ft and head north to valdosta. I informed jax that I had broken clear of the clouds and then proceeded, on their instructions, VFR on my own navigation to valdosta. I landed there without further incident. I believe that this experience was an isolated occurrence of quick WX and bad luck, again not discounting the somewhat questionable judgement of both me and my instructor during the go, no- go decision phase. In an environment where the instructor is considered an employee of the student, such decisions are far less complicated than the environment in which flying or failure to fly affect a grade.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT TRAINING FLT ENCOUNTERS IMC WX. FLT ASSIST BY CTR CTLR.

Narrative: BEING A COMMERCIAL STUDENT ENROLLED IN A COLLEGE FLT COURSE, THERE IS A SPECIAL EMPHASIS PLACED ON TIMELY COMPLETION OF SYLLABUS ITEMS, INCLUDING SEVERAL CROSS- COUNTRIES. AFTER OBTAINING A STANDARD BRIEFING, INCLUDING SOME MVFR ALONG THE PROJECTED RTE, MY INSTRUCTOR'S JUDGEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN CLOUDED BY THE AFOREMENTIONED CONDITION, AND MINE AS WELL, AS I DID TO RISK AFFECTING MY GRADE BY FIRMLY REFUSING TO GO. WHILE MY PLANNED ALT WAS UNATTAINABLE DUE TO LOW CEILINGS, I HAD NO OTHER DIFFICULTIES ALL THE WAY FROM CRAIG FIELD TO JUST PAST LAKE CITY, AND IT APPEARED TO ME THAT MAYBE I HAD BEEN A LITTLE OVER-CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE WX ENRTE WHEN CONFRONTING MY INSTRUCTOR. 20 MINS W OF LAKE CITY, A THICK, LOW LYING CLOUD BANK BECAME VISIBLE STRETCHING N-S ACROSS MY PATH. SEEING AS I HAD NOT HAD ANY WX PROBLEMS YET, AND THAT THE CLOUDS WERE ABOUT 10 MI AHEAD (JUST BEFORE MY DEST OF PERRY-FOLEY), I DECIDED TO GET CLOSER TO INVESTIGATE THE MAGNITUDE AND DEPTH OF THEM BEFORE TURNING BACK. AS I PROGRESSED TOWARD THE CLOUDS, THE WX BEHIND DETERIORATED INTO IMC. AFTER 5 MINS, I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO REALIZE THAT MAKING PERRY-FOLEY WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE AND BEGAN MY TURN BACK E, ONLY TO SEE AN EQUALLY IMPENETRABLE BANK BLOCKING ME. AS I FLEW N AND S PROBING THE LIMITS OF THE POCKET OF VMC I WAS STUCK IN, THE CEILING ABOVE ME CONTINUED TO LOWER TO ABOUT A THOUSAND FT, WITH THE CLOUDS ALL AROUND ME BEING GND BASED. I CONTINUED CIRCLING IN THE SHRINKING ENVELOPE, STILL WITH PLENTY OF LNDG FIELDS. FINALLY, JAX CTR (WHO I HAD BEEN IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH) DECLARED AN EMER ON MY BEHALF, AND INSTRUCTED ME TO CLB THROUGH THE CLOUD CEILING TO 3000 FT AND HEAD N TO VALDOSTA. I INFORMED JAX THAT I HAD BROKEN CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND THEN PROCEEDED, ON THEIR INSTRUCTIONS, VFR ON MY OWN NAV TO VALDOSTA. I LANDED THERE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS EXPERIENCE WAS AN ISOLATED OCCURRENCE OF QUICK WX AND BAD LUCK, AGAIN NOT DISCOUNTING THE SOMEWHAT QUESTIONABLE JUDGEMENT OF BOTH ME AND MY INSTRUCTOR DURING THE GO, NO- GO DECISION PHASE. IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE INSTRUCTOR IS CONSIDERED AN EMPLOYEE OF THE STUDENT, SUCH DECISIONS ARE FAR LESS COMPLICATED THAN THE ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH FLYING OR FAILURE TO FLY AFFECT A GRADE.

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.