Narrative:

We departed for the return flight which was scheduled through albany, or. A standard briefing had been obtained and there was no reason to believe that the same conditions, or better, would not exist for the return flight. The flight plan was activated upon departure and as soon as possible, flight following was requested and obtained from seattle center. Over the mountains north of medford, the WX conditions initially appeared the same, a sparse and intermittent scattered layer below and an overcast layer above. As the scattered layer below began to increase to broken, and then overcast, I obtained WX for roseburg which indicated VFR conditions with breaks in the overcast. Within a short period of time, the ceiling lowered quickly and the layer below began to rise. Before a 180 degree turn could be navigated, I was in the clouds. An immediate report of the condition was then made to ZSE. Based upon reports from other pilots in the area, it was determined that the overcast layer tops were around 10000 ft MSL. The temperature at 7000 ft MSL was around 50 degrees F, so I requested, and was granted, permission to remain on the roseburg VOR and to climb above the clouds. The controllers assisted me in the climb out and thereafter, based upon PIREPS which they solicited, a break in the overcast was found between eugene and corvallis. During the flight in IFR conditions, there were no incidents and the directions of the controllers were followed. The passenger, while alarmed at first, came through the experience with no problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NON INST RATED PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT REQUESTED AN ATC FLT ASSIST AFTER BEING CAUGHT IN THE CLOUDS ON A VFR XCOUNTRY.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED FOR THE RETURN FLT WHICH WAS SCHEDULED THROUGH ALBANY, OR. A STANDARD BRIEFING HAD BEEN OBTAINED AND THERE WAS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE SAME CONDITIONS, OR BETTER, WOULD NOT EXIST FOR THE RETURN FLT. THE FLT PLAN WAS ACTIVATED UPON DEP AND ASAP, FLT FOLLOWING WAS REQUESTED AND OBTAINED FROM SEATTLE CTR. OVER THE MOUNTAINS N OF MEDFORD, THE WX CONDITIONS INITIALLY APPEARED THE SAME, A SPARSE AND INTERMITTENT SCATTERED LAYER BELOW AND AN OVCST LAYER ABOVE. AS THE SCATTERED LAYER BELOW BEGAN TO INCREASE TO BROKEN, AND THEN OVCST, I OBTAINED WX FOR ROSEBURG WHICH INDICATED VFR CONDITIONS WITH BREAKS IN THE OVCST. WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE CEILING LOWERED QUICKLY AND THE LAYER BELOW BEGAN TO RISE. BEFORE A 180 DEG TURN COULD BE NAVIGATED, I WAS IN THE CLOUDS. AN IMMEDIATE RPT OF THE CONDITION WAS THEN MADE TO ZSE. BASED UPON RPTS FROM OTHER PLTS IN THE AREA, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE OVCST LAYER TOPS WERE AROUND 10000 FT MSL. THE TEMP AT 7000 FT MSL WAS AROUND 50 DEGS F, SO I REQUESTED, AND WAS GRANTED, PERMISSION TO REMAIN ON THE ROSEBURG VOR AND TO CLB ABOVE THE CLOUDS. THE CTLRS ASSISTED ME IN THE CLB OUT AND THEREAFTER, BASED UPON PIREPS WHICH THEY SOLICITED, A BREAK IN THE OVCST WAS FOUND BTWN EUGENE AND CORVALLIS. DURING THE FLT IN IFR CONDITIONS, THERE WERE NO INCIDENTS AND THE DIRECTIONS OF THE CTLRS WERE FOLLOWED. THE PAX, WHILE ALARMED AT FIRST, CAME THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE WITH NO PROBS.

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.