Narrative:

Route of flight: (M035-top-pwe-ykn). About XX00 I called the columbia FSS and received a WX briefing. The briefer informed me that there was a stationary cold front west of olu and that there were no flight precautions along my route of flight. I departed M085 at XX40 and climbed to 6500 MSL. I remained at this altitude until crossing the pwe-VOR, at this time I could see lower layer of clouds and began descending to 4500 MSL. While descending I contacted columbus FSS to give a position report and get an en route WX brief. The person at FSS recommended that I land at the nearest airport because the WX had deteriorated to where VFR was not recommended and suggested that bie would be a good airport to land at. At that moment it still looked like it would be possible to continue VFR. I leveled off at 4500 MSL for a few seconds and then began descending with the intention of continuing at 3000 MSL, instead I had to descend to 2000 MSL to remain in VFR conditions. At this time I decided to land at bie and turned to a heading of 270 degree and put in the frequency for the bie-VOR. I was still on the frequency with FSS and before I could contact them, the FSS briefer asked my intentions and I informed him that I was going to land at bie. This took place in about 3 mins. I remained in contact with FSS while en route to bie. While en route to bie I flew between 1900-2000 MSL, visibility varied between 1/2 to 1 mi. Twice I lost visual contact with the ground for few seconds, but the remainder of the flight I had visual contact with the ground. It took about 10 mins to arrive at bie and visibility at the airport appeared to be about 3/4 to 1 mi. I landed at bie at approximately XY10 with 3 hour 30 min fuel on board. The last 5 mins of the flight, at the request of FSS, I squawked 7700 on the transponder. After landing at bie I contacted columbus FSS by phone and gave the briefer the information he requested. He was filing an aircraft saved form. After having a WX briefing that had N9O flight precautions along my route of flight I was surprised that the WX had changed to such a degree that I could not divert around it or turn 180 degree and fly out of it. Only 15-20 mins prior I had been flying at 6500 MSL, though there was an overcast at a higher altitude. The briefer at columbus FSS gave me the impression that I could not divert or turn 180 degree and fly out of it. I then proceeded to the closest airport as the briefer had suggested. In my phone conversation with the briefer at columbus FSS, he stated that the stationary front had started moving and that they had not forecast it to move in this period of time.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLIES TOWARD STATIONARY FRONT WHICH STARTS TO MOVE. MAKES 180 DEG TURN TO LAND NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: RTE OF FLT: (M035-TOP-PWE-YKN). ABOUT XX00 I CALLED THE COLUMBIA FSS AND RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING. THE BRIEFER INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A STATIONARY COLD FRONT W OF OLU AND THAT THERE WERE NO FLT PRECAUTIONS ALONG MY RTE OF FLT. I DEPARTED M085 AT XX40 AND CLBED TO 6500 MSL. I REMAINED AT THIS ALT UNTIL XING THE PWE-VOR, AT THIS TIME I COULD SEE LOWER LAYER OF CLOUDS AND BEGAN DSNDING TO 4500 MSL. WHILE DSNDING I CONTACTED COLUMBUS FSS TO GIVE A POS RPT AND GET AN ENRTE WX BRIEF. THE PERSON AT FSS RECOMMENDED THAT I LAND AT THE NEAREST ARPT BECAUSE THE WX HAD DETERIORATED TO WHERE VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED AND SUGGESTED THAT BIE WOULD BE A GOOD ARPT TO LAND AT. AT THAT MOMENT IT STILL LOOKED LIKE IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE VFR. I LEVELED OFF AT 4500 MSL FOR A FEW SECONDS AND THEN BEGAN DSNDING WITH THE INTENTION OF CONTINUING AT 3000 MSL, INSTEAD I HAD TO DSND TO 2000 MSL TO REMAIN IN VFR CONDITIONS. AT THIS TIME I DECIDED TO LAND AT BIE AND TURNED TO A HDG OF 270 DEG AND PUT IN THE FREQ FOR THE BIE-VOR. I WAS STILL ON THE FREQ WITH FSS AND BEFORE I COULD CONTACT THEM, THE FSS BRIEFER ASKED MY INTENTIONS AND I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS GOING TO LAND AT BIE. THIS TOOK PLACE IN ABOUT 3 MINS. I REMAINED IN CONTACT WITH FSS WHILE ENRTE TO BIE. WHILE ENRTE TO BIE I FLEW BTWN 1900-2000 MSL, VISIBILITY VARIED BTWN 1/2 TO 1 MI. TWICE I LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND FOR FEW SECONDS, BUT THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. IT TOOK ABOUT 10 MINS TO ARRIVE AT BIE AND VISIBILITY AT THE ARPT APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 3/4 TO 1 MI. I LANDED AT BIE AT APPROX XY10 WITH 3 HR 30 MIN FUEL ON BOARD. THE LAST 5 MINS OF THE FLT, AT THE REQUEST OF FSS, I SQUAWKED 7700 ON THE TRANSPONDER. AFTER LNDG AT BIE I CONTACTED COLUMBUS FSS BY PHONE AND GAVE THE BRIEFER THE INFO HE REQUESTED. HE WAS FILING AN ACFT SAVED FORM. AFTER HAVING A WX BRIEFING THAT HAD N9O FLT PRECAUTIONS ALONG MY RTE OF FLT I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE WX HAD CHANGED TO SUCH A DEG THAT I COULD NOT DIVERT AROUND IT OR TURN 180 DEG AND FLY OUT OF IT. ONLY 15-20 MINS PRIOR I HAD BEEN FLYING AT 6500 MSL, THOUGH THERE WAS AN OVCST AT A HIGHER ALT. THE BRIEFER AT COLUMBUS FSS GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT I COULD NOT DIVERT OR TURN 180 DEG AND FLY OUT OF IT. I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE CLOSEST ARPT AS THE BRIEFER HAD SUGGESTED. IN MY PHONE CONVERSATION WITH THE BRIEFER AT COLUMBUS FSS, HE STATED THAT THE STATIONARY FRONT HAD STARTED MOVING AND THAT THEY HAD NOT FORECAST IT TO MOVE IN THIS PERIOD OF TIME.

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.