SVFR clearance but flying in below minimum conditions.

Attributes
ACN	234147
Time
Date	199302
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ddc
State Reference	KS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 250 agl bound upper : 250
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : svfr enroute : direct
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 1200 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	234147
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was just coming back on a cross country with one of my students. We were about 15 mi out of dodge city when we noticed a layer of scattered clouds around 800 ft AGL. The forecast was for clear skies all day. I decided to call flight service and ask what the current conditions at dodge were. They replied 300 ft ceiling and 3 mi. I then told flight service I would call back to get a SVFR clearance when I got a little closer. We got about 7 mi out of dodge. I called flight service back and received my SVFR clearance. We proceeded on to dodge. Around 3 mi from dodge we were having to fly around 250 ft AGL to avoid the clouds. As we approached a landmark that I was familiar with, which was about a mi from the airport, I noticed that the visibility at this point was under a mi. We proceeded along a road to the airport, landed and cancelled the clearance. I think that this situation could have been avoided if I had not have had the 'I need to get back' attitude. Instead, we could have just landed at another airport that was only about 10 mi from dodge and had someone come pick us up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SVFR CLRNC BUT FLYING IN BELOW MINIMUM CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I WAS JUST COMING BACK ON A XCOUNTRY WITH ONE OF MY STUDENTS. WE WERE ABOUT 15 MI OUT OF DODGE CITY WHEN WE NOTICED A LAYER OF SCATTERED CLOUDS AROUND 800 FT AGL. THE FORECAST WAS FOR CLR SKIES ALL DAY. I DECIDED TO CALL FLT SVC AND ASK WHAT THE CURRENT CONDITIONS AT DODGE WERE. THEY REPLIED 300 FT CEILING AND 3 MI. I THEN TOLD FLT SVC I WOULD CALL BACK TO GET A SVFR CLRNC WHEN I GOT A LITTLE CLOSER. WE GOT ABOUT 7 MI OUT OF DODGE. I CALLED FLT SVC BACK AND RECEIVED MY SVFR CLRNC. WE PROCEEDED ON TO DODGE. AROUND 3 MI FROM DODGE WE WERE HAVING TO FLY AROUND 250 FT AGL TO AVOID THE CLOUDS. AS WE APCHED A LANDMARK THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH, WHICH WAS ABOUT A MI FROM THE ARPT, I NOTICED THAT THE VISIBILITY AT THIS POINT WAS UNDER A MI. WE PROCEEDED ALONG A ROAD TO THE ARPT, LANDED AND CANCELLED THE CLRNC. I THINK THAT THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD NOT HAVE HAD THE 'I NEED TO GET BACK' ATTITUDE. INSTEAD, WE COULD HAVE JUST LANDED AT ANOTHER ARPT THAT WAS ONLY ABOUT 10 MI FROM DODGE AND HAD SOMEONE COME PICK US UP.

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.