Narrative:

I had departed shell lake, wi (ssq) on morning of jul/sat/93 en route to montrose, co (mtj). First leg - SS1 to aberdeen, sd, was filed and flown IFR. Pierre FSS in phone WX briefing received at aberdeen had reported scattered through broken ceilings in west, northeast and southeast, wy for midday and good WX at destination, so second leg was filed VFR. After passing scottsbluff at 6500 ft MSL, the ceiling became overcast, but I continued southwest on course expecting the forecast WX of scattered to broken clouds to recur. The overcast condition continued and became darker as I proceeded southwest, while the terrain continued to rise. At a point then determined to be at about 33 NM from bff VOR on the 232 degree radial and understood to represent uncontrolled airspace, I determined that it would be safer to climb to VFR conditions on top rather than to continue in unforecast low ceilings over rising terrain and executed a climb on course, breaking out at approximately 10500 ft MSL. The rest of the flight was carried out in good VFR. I am completing this report because if my determinations as to my location were not accurate, it is possible that my brief climb in IMC intruded unintentionally into controled airspace. Fortunately, no other aircraft were observed and no problem of any kind was encountered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT CLBED THROUGH AN OVCST AFTER BECOMING CAUGHT UNDER THE OVCST TOWARD HIGHER RISING TERRAIN WITHOUT AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: I HAD DEPARTED SHELL LAKE, WI (SSQ) ON MORNING OF JUL/SAT/93 ENRTE TO MONTROSE, CO (MTJ). FIRST LEG - SS1 TO ABERDEEN, SD, WAS FILED AND FLOWN IFR. PIERRE FSS IN PHONE WX BRIEFING RECEIVED AT ABERDEEN HAD RPTED SCATTERED THROUGH BROKEN CEILINGS IN W, NE AND SE, WY FOR MIDDAY AND GOOD WX AT DEST, SO SECOND LEG WAS FILED VFR. AFTER PASSING SCOTTSBLUFF AT 6500 FT MSL, THE CEILING BECAME OVCST, BUT I CONTINUED SW ON COURSE EXPECTING THE FORECAST WX OF SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS TO RECUR. THE OVCST CONDITION CONTINUED AND BECAME DARKER AS I PROCEEDED SW, WHILE THE TERRAIN CONTINUED TO RISE. AT A POINT THEN DETERMINED TO BE AT ABOUT 33 NM FROM BFF VOR ON THE 232 DEG RADIAL AND UNDERSTOOD TO REPRESENT UNCTLED AIRSPACE, I DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE SAFER TO CLB TO VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP RATHER THAN TO CONTINUE IN UNFORECAST LOW CEILINGS OVER RISING TERRAIN AND EXECUTED A CLB ON COURSE, BREAKING OUT AT APPROX 10500 FT MSL. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS CARRIED OUT IN GOOD VFR. I AM COMPLETING THIS RPT BECAUSE IF MY DETERMINATIONS AS TO MY LOCATION WERE NOT ACCURATE, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT MY BRIEF CLB IN IMC INTRUDED UNINTENTIONALLY INTO CTLED AIRSPACE. FORTUNATELY, NO OTHER ACFT WERE OBSERVED AND NO PROB OF ANY KIND WAS ENCOUNTERED.

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.