Narrative:

Currently I am a VFR sel rated pilot with about 500 hours experience. On may/xx/94 at approximately XA00 am I called the local FSS for a WX briefing for a trip from cameron park california to livermore, california. The briefer said that conditions were VFR, but there was a cloud layer at 5500-6500 ft level. At about XC00 am I departed cameron park. Upon climb out the local FBO called and asked if I could determine the altitude of the cloud layer. I said that I would report back to them. At about 2500 ft the FBO called me again, I told him that the cloud layer looked to be about 5000 ft MSL, but to the south it seemed to be a bit lower visibility. I then contacted sacramento approach to ask for flight following. The controller told me that I had traffic (I think it was my 12 O'clock position) and within a mi. Then he told me to make a left turn to a heading of 150 degrees. At this point I was still climbing and holding the new course. The visibility was diminishing, but it was still in VFR conditions. Then the controller said that I could resume my own navigation. So I scanned the instrument panel and then watched the compass to get back on the correct heading for livermore. While I was still trying to get the plane set up on its new course, the controller requested that I change to a new frequency. I tried to enter to the new frequency, but the radio would not accept the new frequency. After several attempts to get the radio to work, I looked outside to find that I was in IMC. The first thing that flashed through my mind was an article that I read several months ago in a newsletter. The article discussed VFR pilots inadvertently going into IMC. It said that the average VFR pilot would be in trouble within something like 240 seconds. I could hear the clock ticking! I also remembered my flight instructor saying, when you have a problem admit and confess to it. Since I was already in contact with the controller for flight following, I called and told him that I was a VFR pilot that had ventured into IMC conditions. He responded with a heading and told me to start a descent. I followed his directions and returned to cameron park.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: CURRENTLY I AM A VFR SEL RATED PLT WITH ABOUT 500 HRS EXPERIENCE. ON MAY/XX/94 AT APPROX XA00 AM I CALLED THE LCL FSS FOR A WX BRIEFING FOR A TRIP FROM CAMERON PARK CALIFORNIA TO LIVERMORE, CALIFORNIA. THE BRIEFER SAID THAT CONDITIONS WERE VFR, BUT THERE WAS A CLOUD LAYER AT 5500-6500 FT LEVEL. AT ABOUT XC00 AM I DEPARTED CAMERON PARK. UPON CLB OUT THE LCL FBO CALLED AND ASKED IF I COULD DETERMINE THE ALT OF THE CLOUD LAYER. I SAID THAT I WOULD RPT BACK TO THEM. AT ABOUT 2500 FT THE FBO CALLED ME AGAIN, I TOLD HIM THAT THE CLOUD LAYER LOOKED TO BE ABOUT 5000 FT MSL, BUT TO THE S IT SEEMED TO BE A BIT LOWER VISIBILITY. I THEN CONTACTED SACRAMENTO APCH TO ASK FOR FLT FOLLOWING. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT I HAD TFC (I THINK IT WAS MY 12 O'CLOCK POS) AND WITHIN A MI. THEN HE TOLD ME TO MAKE A L TURN TO A HDG OF 150 DEGS. AT THIS POINT I WAS STILL CLBING AND HOLDING THE NEW COURSE. THE VISIBILITY WAS DIMINISHING, BUT IT WAS STILL IN VFR CONDITIONS. THEN THE CTLR SAID THAT I COULD RESUME MY OWN NAV. SO I SCANNED THE INST PANEL AND THEN WATCHED THE COMPASS TO GET BACK ON THE CORRECT HDG FOR LIVERMORE. WHILE I WAS STILL TRYING TO GET THE PLANE SET UP ON ITS NEW COURSE, THE CTLR REQUESTED THAT I CHANGE TO A NEW FREQ. I TRIED TO ENTER TO THE NEW FREQ, BUT THE RADIO WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE NEW FREQ. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO GET THE RADIO TO WORK, I LOOKED OUTSIDE TO FIND THAT I WAS IN IMC. THE FIRST THING THAT FLASHED THROUGH MY MIND WAS AN ARTICLE THAT I READ SEVERAL MONTHS AGO IN A NEWSLETTER. THE ARTICLE DISCUSSED VFR PLTS INADVERTENTLY GOING INTO IMC. IT SAID THAT THE AVERAGE VFR PLT WOULD BE IN TROUBLE WITHIN SOMETHING LIKE 240 SECONDS. I COULD HEAR THE CLOCK TICKING! I ALSO REMEMBERED MY FLT INSTRUCTOR SAYING, WHEN YOU HAVE A PROB ADMIT AND CONFESS TO IT. SINCE I WAS ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH THE CTLR FOR FLT FOLLOWING, I CALLED AND TOLD HIM THAT I WAS A VFR PLT THAT HAD VENTURED INTO IMC CONDITIONS. HE RESPONDED WITH A HDG AND TOLD ME TO START A DSCNT. I FOLLOWED HIS DIRECTIONS AND RETURNED TO CAMERON PARK.

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.