Commuter aircraft departs VFR with IMC at the time.

Attributes
ACN	274489
Time
Date	199406
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ena
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Twin Otter DHC-6
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : holding
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 10000
ASRS Report	274489
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

XA15 a -- checked local (kenai) WX and anc WX for flight ena to anc. Ena WX 900 scattered 20 mi visibility. XA30 am -- obtained wind and altimeter from ena radio and departed. XA45 am -- I heard an aircraft obtain special to land ena. XY15 am -- after arrival in anc, checked WX in ena and found it had been 900 broken at time of my departure. So, WX had gone very briefly from VFR to IFR and back to VFR at time of departure without my knowing. Actual flight conditions gave no hint of this as it appeared to be a very thin scattered layer at 900-1200 ft AGL when departing ena.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT DEPARTS VFR WITH IMC AT THE TIME.

Narrative: XA15 A -- CHKED LCL (KENAI) WX AND ANC WX FOR FLT ENA TO ANC. ENA WX 900 SCATTERED 20 MI VISIBILITY. XA30 AM -- OBTAINED WIND AND ALTIMETER FROM ENA RADIO AND DEPARTED. XA45 AM -- I HEARD AN ACFT OBTAIN SPECIAL TO LAND ENA. XY15 AM -- AFTER ARR IN ANC, CHKED WX IN ENA AND FOUND IT HAD BEEN 900 BROKEN AT TIME OF MY DEP. SO, WX HAD GONE VERY BRIEFLY FROM VFR TO IFR AND BACK TO VFR AT TIME OF DEP WITHOUT MY KNOWING. ACTUAL FLT CONDITIONS GAVE NO HINT OF THIS AS IT APPEARED TO BE A VERY THIN SCATTERED LAYER AT 900-1200 FT AGL WHEN DEPARTING ENA.

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.