Narrative:

I departed dvt (deer valley, az). Did not call FSS, used WX channel and relatives at aus (destination) for information, thinking I could use burnett, tx, as near alternate if needed. Trip usually takes 3.5 hours and I carry 5.5 hours fuel. I used flight following entire trip, usually don't. When I got to san angelo, tx, I called FSS for WX at aus (mainly because of unexpected lower level clouds ahead). FSS reported aus with 1 hour old 'special' 800 ft ceiling overcast. Proceeded to jct and asked FSS for aus update. WX had not improved as expected. Asked FSS to recommend VFR alternate, they recommended waco, tx (WAC). Stated the front was moving to the south. I obviously filtered any additional information assuming that I would be okay to get down safely since I asked for 'VFR alternate.' I reported back on frequency to ZHU and told them I was changing destination from aus to WAC. She changed me to another controller/frequency. He soon asked me if I was IFR rated. I told him 'no.' he told me waco was IFR and suggested I head towards rock springs, tx, after he had checked some satellite pictures for VFR landing. Soon switched me back to earlier controller after asking fuel on board and providing heading for rock springs. This controller started asking more about fuel. With each response I would give fuel in gallons and fuel burn. I should have told them 1.5 hours remaining. 15 gallons sounded too low to them. I burn between 7-9 gph, I was initially going 265 plus mph across ground west to east. When I turned to 235 degree heading and pulled throttle back I was burning 7 gph going 177 mph across ground, showing 20 mins to rock springs. She asked all the 'flight plan' information, continued to ask about fuel and told me to go northwest of rock springs, that a pilot had reported seeing the ground from 7000 ft (top of overcast). As I got near rock springs, I spotted the ground through several openings in the clouds. I reported I had clear view of ground and was going to descend and turn back to jct, that rock springs did not have fuel. I had visual with ground entire time by making tight turns and had clear visibility below 3200 ft (jct elevation 1750 ft). I told the controller this and that I was 6 mi from mct and wanted to change to jct unicom for airport advisory. She would let me do this but to report back. I called jct unicom, lined up on left base, reported position and reported back to center that I was turning final. She asked me to report back to her if able when on ground or relay through overhead light transport and call san angelo FSS to report safely on ground. I called light transport on taxi back, he relayed to center. When I got inside terminal, I called san angelo FSS and was going through automated voice maze when FAA san angelo FSDO inspector called me on office phone. He asked for pilot information and mentioned 'incident' along with below minimum fuel and going into IMC. I explained that I had more than an hour's usable fuel upon landing and that I did not descend until I had clear view of ground. He said that maybe this could be written up as an 'assist' rather than an 'incident,' to send him my statement within 5 days and they would decide. Relevant items: I did not check FSS before departing because I was relying on WX channel and farmer relatives in aus. When I called san angelo FSS and requested VFR alternative, I was expecting 'nearest VFR is' rather than rapid fire, multi level cloud reports for waco, tx. I filtered the information thinking they were giving me VFR location. If they had included 'VFR not recommended west of junction' or 'VFR not recommended at waco' I would have turned directly back to west and saved time, fuel, and controller workload. I should have reported usable fuel in hours, obviously the controllers could not comprehend the speed I was going with the fuel consumption being so low. They were filtering the information I was providing them. I assumed the WX would improve or clouds would have breaks to get down (past experience).

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS WX ENRTE, REQUESTS VFR ALT. GIVEN AREA WITH WX, NEEDS FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I DEPARTED DVT (DEER VALLEY, AZ). DID NOT CALL FSS, USED WX CHANNEL AND RELATIVES AT AUS (DEST) FOR INFO, THINKING I COULD USE BURNETT, TX, AS NEAR ALTERNATE IF NEEDED. TRIP USUALLY TAKES 3.5 HRS AND I CARRY 5.5 HRS FUEL. I USED FLT FOLLOWING ENTIRE TRIP, USUALLY DON'T. WHEN I GOT TO SAN ANGELO, TX, I CALLED FSS FOR WX AT AUS (MAINLY BECAUSE OF UNEXPECTED LOWER LEVEL CLOUDS AHEAD). FSS RPTED AUS WITH 1 HR OLD 'SPECIAL' 800 FT CEILING OVCST. PROCEEDED TO JCT AND ASKED FSS FOR AUS UPDATE. WX HAD NOT IMPROVED AS EXPECTED. ASKED FSS TO RECOMMEND VFR ALTERNATE, THEY RECOMMENDED WACO, TX (WAC). STATED THE FRONT WAS MOVING TO THE S. I OBVIOUSLY FILTERED ANY ADDITIONAL INFO ASSUMING THAT I WOULD BE OKAY TO GET DOWN SAFELY SINCE I ASKED FOR 'VFR ALTERNATE.' I RPTED BACK ON FREQ TO ZHU AND TOLD THEM I WAS CHANGING DEST FROM AUS TO WAC. SHE CHANGED ME TO ANOTHER CTLR/FREQ. HE SOON ASKED ME IF I WAS IFR RATED. I TOLD HIM 'NO.' HE TOLD ME WACO WAS IFR AND SUGGESTED I HEAD TOWARDS ROCK SPRINGS, TX, AFTER HE HAD CHKED SOME SATELLITE PICTURES FOR VFR LNDG. SOON SWITCHED ME BACK TO EARLIER CTLR AFTER ASKING FUEL ON BOARD AND PROVIDING HDG FOR ROCK SPRINGS. THIS CTLR STARTED ASKING MORE ABOUT FUEL. WITH EACH RESPONSE I WOULD GIVE FUEL IN GALLONS AND FUEL BURN. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THEM 1.5 HRS REMAINING. 15 GALLONS SOUNDED TOO LOW TO THEM. I BURN BTWN 7-9 GPH, I WAS INITIALLY GOING 265 PLUS MPH ACROSS GND W TO E. WHEN I TURNED TO 235 DEG HDG AND PULLED THROTTLE BACK I WAS BURNING 7 GPH GOING 177 MPH ACROSS GND, SHOWING 20 MINS TO ROCK SPRINGS. SHE ASKED ALL THE 'FLT PLAN' INFO, CONTINUED TO ASK ABOUT FUEL AND TOLD ME TO GO NW OF ROCK SPRINGS, THAT A PLT HAD RPTED SEEING THE GND FROM 7000 FT (TOP OF OVCST). AS I GOT NEAR ROCK SPRINGS, I SPOTTED THE GND THROUGH SEVERAL OPENINGS IN THE CLOUDS. I RPTED I HAD CLR VIEW OF GND AND WAS GOING TO DSND AND TURN BACK TO JCT, THAT ROCK SPRINGS DID NOT HAVE FUEL. I HAD VISUAL WITH GND ENTIRE TIME BY MAKING TIGHT TURNS AND HAD CLR VISIBILITY BELOW 3200 FT (JCT ELEVATION 1750 FT). I TOLD THE CTLR THIS AND THAT I WAS 6 MI FROM MCT AND WANTED TO CHANGE TO JCT UNICOM FOR ARPT ADVISORY. SHE WOULD LET ME DO THIS BUT TO RPT BACK. I CALLED JCT UNICOM, LINED UP ON L BASE, RPTED POS AND RPTED BACK TO CTR THAT I WAS TURNING FINAL. SHE ASKED ME TO RPT BACK TO HER IF ABLE WHEN ON GND OR RELAY THROUGH OVERHEAD LTT AND CALL SAN ANGELO FSS TO RPT SAFELY ON GND. I CALLED LTT ON TAXI BACK, HE RELAYED TO CTR. WHEN I GOT INSIDE TERMINAL, I CALLED SAN ANGELO FSS AND WAS GOING THROUGH AUTOMATED VOICE MAZE WHEN FAA SAN ANGELO FSDO INSPECTOR CALLED ME ON OFFICE PHONE. HE ASKED FOR PLT INFO AND MENTIONED 'INCIDENT' ALONG WITH BELOW MINIMUM FUEL AND GOING INTO IMC. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD MORE THAN AN HR'S USABLE FUEL UPON LNDG AND THAT I DID NOT DSND UNTIL I HAD CLR VIEW OF GND. HE SAID THAT MAYBE THIS COULD BE WRITTEN UP AS AN 'ASSIST' RATHER THAN AN 'INCIDENT,' TO SEND HIM MY STATEMENT WITHIN 5 DAYS AND THEY WOULD DECIDE. RELEVANT ITEMS: I DID NOT CHK FSS BEFORE DEPARTING BECAUSE I WAS RELYING ON WX CHANNEL AND FARMER RELATIVES IN AUS. WHEN I CALLED SAN ANGELO FSS AND REQUESTED VFR ALTERNATIVE, I WAS EXPECTING 'NEAREST VFR IS' RATHER THAN RAPID FIRE, MULTI LEVEL CLOUD RPTS FOR WACO, TX. I FILTERED THE INFO THINKING THEY WERE GIVING ME VFR LOCATION. IF THEY HAD INCLUDED 'VFR NOT RECOMMENDED W OF JUNCTION' OR 'VFR NOT RECOMMENDED AT WACO' I WOULD HAVE TURNED DIRECTLY BACK TO W AND SAVED TIME, FUEL, AND CTLR WORKLOAD. I SHOULD HAVE RPTED USABLE FUEL IN HRS, OBVIOUSLY THE CTLRS COULD NOT COMPREHEND THE SPD I WAS GOING WITH THE FUEL CONSUMPTION BEING SO LOW. THEY WERE FILTERING THE INFO I WAS PROVIDING THEM. I ASSUMED THE WX WOULD IMPROVE OR CLOUDS WOULD HAVE BREAKS TO GET DOWN (PAST EXPERIENCE).

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.