Narrative:

I received a WX briefing for my continuation home from the 1992 oshkosh fly-in from a mt airport to my home base in the portland area. Pdx area was forecast as deteriorating to marginal VFR. I monitored flight watch and decided to go into the pdx area via the columbia river gorge. At hood river, the ceiling was still 6000 plus with 25 mi visibility along the river. Headwinds were becoming approximately 35 KTS. The lowering ceilings were a concern, but pdx ATIS was reporting, as I best remember, 1200 ft broken, 1700 ft measured ceiling. Not great, but seemed ok. Not quite typical aug WX, even in or! So I left the gorge area and turned 20-30 degrees south to skirt the ttd and pdx control zones, the ceiling was much more ragged and lower apparently than over pdx. I descended to 900 to 1000 MSL to maintain visual rules. Visibility below the ragged ceiling was at least 12 mi, no rain showers were noticed. By the time I realized I had probably stumbled into the control zone below VFR mins, I was past it and the ceiling was ok for the rest of the flight. I hate to admit it, but I believe my judgement was wounded by the get homeitis bug. I should have landed earlier and waited a couple of hours. Another factor was my skepticism of forecast and even current WX reports. My experience has been that conditions have been substantially better than forecast. Well, this time it was a little worse where I wanted to go. Another item is that I will get my instrument rating current.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CONTINUES INTO DETERIORATING WX. ENTERS CTL ZONE WITHOUT CONTACT.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FOR MY CONTINUATION HOME FROM THE 1992 OSHKOSH FLY-IN FROM A MT ARPT TO MY HOME BASE IN THE PORTLAND AREA. PDX AREA WAS FORECAST AS DETERIORATING TO MARGINAL VFR. I MONITORED FLT WATCH AND DECIDED TO GO INTO THE PDX AREA VIA THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE. AT HOOD RIVER, THE CEILING WAS STILL 6000 PLUS WITH 25 MI VISIBILITY ALONG THE RIVER. HEADWINDS WERE BECOMING APPROX 35 KTS. THE LOWERING CEILINGS WERE A CONCERN, BUT PDX ATIS WAS RPTING, AS I BEST REMEMBER, 1200 FT BROKEN, 1700 FT MEASURED CEILING. NOT GREAT, BUT SEEMED OK. NOT QUITE TYPICAL AUG WX, EVEN IN OR! SO I LEFT THE GORGE AREA AND TURNED 20-30 DEGS S TO SKIRT THE TTD AND PDX CTL ZONES, THE CEILING WAS MUCH MORE RAGGED AND LOWER APPARENTLY THAN OVER PDX. I DSNDED TO 900 TO 1000 MSL TO MAINTAIN VISUAL RULES. VISIBILITY BELOW THE RAGGED CEILING WAS AT LEAST 12 MI, NO RAIN SHOWERS WERE NOTICED. BY THE TIME I REALIZED I HAD PROBABLY STUMBLED INTO THE CTL ZONE BELOW VFR MINS, I WAS PAST IT AND THE CEILING WAS OK FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. I HATE TO ADMIT IT, BUT I BELIEVE MY JUDGEMENT WAS WOUNDED BY THE GET HOMEITIS BUG. I SHOULD HAVE LANDED EARLIER AND WAITED A COUPLE OF HRS. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS MY SKEPTICISM OF FORECAST AND EVEN CURRENT WX RPTS. MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT CONDITIONS HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY BETTER THAN FORECAST. WELL, THIS TIME IT WAS A LITTLE WORSE WHERE I WANTED TO GO. ANOTHER ITEM IS THAT I WILL GET MY INST RATING CURRENT.

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.