Narrative:

I planned to leave northeast philadelphia airport at XX00 am local. The briefing for my destination, int, nc, was forecast for '6500,' but I don't remember if it was broken, overcast or scattered. I only remember saying 'I'll find a break in the clouds to descend.' I filed VFR for 6500 ft. When I was going to takeoff, I found a break in the clouds and took off. I got flight following, and requested 7500 ft to maintain VFR. As I got closer to my destination, winston-salem, nc, the report was 800 overcast (IFR!). There was no break anywhere near, and I had 1 hour of fuel at best. I had to descend and land. The controller at gso said '1200 and overcast at gso.' I told him 'I would like to land at gso.' he then asked me if my aircraft I was IFR equipped, and it was, and although I'm an instrument student, I told him 'no, but I'm an instrument student.' he said I could land and to descend VFR. He told me to descend at increments that turned out to be about every 2000 ft, from 7500 ft. He asked me after every 1500-2000 ft my visibility, and I said '0 visibility.' at about 3500 ft, I asked him for vectors for the approach, he agreed. But he wanted me to have VFR visibility conditions, so it turned out that I was 800 ft AGL and got radar vectors (below MVA). I realized that it was busting regulations to penetrate IMC conditions without IFR rating. He then told me when I landed to call the tower, and I did. I believe these are the errors in my planning: 1) when the FAA WX briefer did not recommend VFR, I should have examined conditions better. 2) I decided to fly on top, to give me adequate radio navigation (VOR, DME, etc). 3) I should have gotten updates along the way for route destination. 4) just because I have 200 hours plus, and have received extensive actual simulated instrument training, I shouldn't have said to myself 'I'll find a break in the clouds, knowing that if I had to descend IMC conditions, I would be able to. (I did not expect descent through the IMC conditions to last more than 1000 ft).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT BELIEVES HE WILL FIND A BREAK IN CLOUDS AT DEST TO DSND FOR LNDG. NOT SO! FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I PLANNED TO LEAVE NE PHILADELPHIA ARPT AT XX00 AM LCL. THE BRIEFING FOR MY DEST, INT, NC, WAS FORECAST FOR '6500,' BUT I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS BROKEN, OVCST OR SCATTERED. I ONLY REMEMBER SAYING 'I'LL FIND A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS TO DSND.' I FILED VFR FOR 6500 FT. WHEN I WAS GOING TO TKOF, I FOUND A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS AND TOOK OFF. I GOT FLT FOLLOWING, AND REQUESTED 7500 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR. AS I GOT CLOSER TO MY DEST, WINSTON-SALEM, NC, THE RPT WAS 800 OVCST (IFR!). THERE WAS NO BREAK ANYWHERE NEAR, AND I HAD 1 HR OF FUEL AT BEST. I HAD TO DSND AND LAND. THE CTLR AT GSO SAID '1200 AND OVCST AT GSO.' I TOLD HIM 'I WOULD LIKE TO LAND AT GSO.' HE THEN ASKED ME IF MY ACFT I WAS IFR EQUIPPED, AND IT WAS, AND ALTHOUGH I'M AN INST STUDENT, I TOLD HIM 'NO, BUT I'M AN INST STUDENT.' HE SAID I COULD LAND AND TO DSND VFR. HE TOLD ME TO DSND AT INCREMENTS THAT TURNED OUT TO BE ABOUT EVERY 2000 FT, FROM 7500 FT. HE ASKED ME AFTER EVERY 1500-2000 FT MY VISIBILITY, AND I SAID '0 VISIBILITY.' AT ABOUT 3500 FT, I ASKED HIM FOR VECTORS FOR THE APCH, HE AGREED. BUT HE WANTED ME TO HAVE VFR VISIBILITY CONDITIONS, SO IT TURNED OUT THAT I WAS 800 FT AGL AND GOT RADAR VECTORS (BELOW MVA). I REALIZED THAT IT WAS BUSTING REGS TO PENETRATE IMC CONDITIONS WITHOUT IFR RATING. HE THEN TOLD ME WHEN I LANDED TO CALL THE TWR, AND I DID. I BELIEVE THESE ARE THE ERRORS IN MY PLANNING: 1) WHEN THE FAA WX BRIEFER DID NOT RECOMMEND VFR, I SHOULD HAVE EXAMINED CONDITIONS BETTER. 2) I DECIDED TO FLY ON TOP, TO GIVE ME ADEQUATE RADIO NAV (VOR, DME, ETC). 3) I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN UPDATES ALONG THE WAY FOR RTE DEST. 4) JUST BECAUSE I HAVE 200 HRS PLUS, AND HAVE RECEIVED EXTENSIVE ACTUAL SIMULATED INST TRAINING, I SHOULDN'T HAVE SAID TO MYSELF 'I'LL FIND A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS, KNOWING THAT IF I HAD TO DSND IMC CONDITIONS, I WOULD BE ABLE TO. (I DID NOT EXPECT DSCNT THROUGH THE IMC CONDITIONS TO LAST MORE THAN 1000 FT).

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.