Narrative:

I taxied for departure after receiving ATIS that stated '300 ft thin broken 500 ft overcast visibility 10 mi.' I requested and was given a SVFR clearance I held for approximately 15 mins before departing the bethel airport. Apparently sometime between taxiing for departure and takeoff the ceiling went to a 300 ft broken ceiling. I thought it was still being called 'thin.' I became aware of the change shortly after departure when company called me and advised me that someone from the FAA had been sitting in the FSS and watched me depart and he wanted to know my name and to talk to me as soon as I got back. Company flight profiles call for me to climb to 500 ft AGL before turning, I was able to do this and remain clear of clouds even though they were calling for a 300 ft layer. As a result I thought I was legal to continue my flight because the cloud bases sloped sharply upwards to the northeast which was the direction I was going. I guess to be truly legal I should have requested the most current official WX before accepting the takeoff clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT DEPARTS WITH SVFR CLRNC. DISCOVERS CEILING HAD CHANGED PRIOR TO DEP AND FAA REPRESENTATIVE SAW THE TKOF AND WANTS TO TALK TO HIM.

Narrative: I TAXIED FOR DEP AFTER RECEIVING ATIS THAT STATED '300 FT THIN BROKEN 500 FT OVCST VISIBILITY 10 MI.' I REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN A SVFR CLRNC I HELD FOR APPROX 15 MINS BEFORE DEPARTING THE BETHEL ARPT. APPARENTLY SOMETIME BTWN TAXIING FOR DEP AND TKOF THE CEILING WENT TO A 300 FT BROKEN CEILING. I THOUGHT IT WAS STILL BEING CALLED 'THIN.' I BECAME AWARE OF THE CHANGE SHORTLY AFTER DEP WHEN COMPANY CALLED ME AND ADVISED ME THAT SOMEONE FROM THE FAA HAD BEEN SITTING IN THE FSS AND WATCHED ME DEPART AND HE WANTED TO KNOW MY NAME AND TO TALK TO ME AS SOON AS I GOT BACK. COMPANY FLT PROFILES CALL FOR ME TO CLB TO 500 FT AGL BEFORE TURNING, I WAS ABLE TO DO THIS AND REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE CALLING FOR A 300 FT LAYER. AS A RESULT I THOUGHT I WAS LEGAL TO CONTINUE MY FLT BECAUSE THE CLOUD BASES SLOPED SHARPLY UPWARDS TO THE NE WHICH WAS THE DIRECTION I WAS GOING. I GUESS TO BE TRULY LEGAL I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED THE MOST CURRENT OFFICIAL WX BEFORE ACCEPTING THE TKOF CLRNC.

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.