Narrative:

I flew from little rock, ar, to arkadelphia, ar, arriving at approximately A00PM, or shortly thereafter. At approximately C00PM, I call jonesboro, ar, FSS and advised that I was planning a VFR flight from arkadelphia to el dorado, ar, immediate departure. I was told that the ceiling at el dorado was 12000 ft and that visibility was good. No flight precautions were given. There was no overcast at arkadelphia and the stars were visible. I departed arkadelphia at approximately C10PM, and traveled to el dorado at 3500 ft MSL. When I arrived at el dorado, the sky was solid overcast at approximately 1100 or 1200 ft MSL. Because I was unable to land, I then decided to return to little rock. I called memphis flight watch approximately 50 mi south of little rock, and I was advised that little rock was IFR, 900 ft overcast. I was further advised that special VFR might be available at texarkana, the nearest available airport with an approach. I decided to go to texarkana. 50 mi out from texarkana I called and advised texarkana that I was VFR on top, that I was en route to texarkana, and that I would be requesting special VFR for landing at texarkana. I was advised by texarkana approach to report 6 mi. I then contacted ZFW for flight following into texarkana. Upon arriving at texarkana, I requested special VFR from texarkana approach. The request was initially granted, as I recall, but then denied. I was told that I should try to go to ft smith. I advised approach that I did not have enough fuel to go to ft smith, and that I wanted to land at texarkana. Special VFR was then granted. I then landed. The only real problem I experienced was that immediately before departure from arkadelphia, I was advised by jonesboro FSS that the ceiling in el dorado was 12000 ft and that there was no problem with VFR flight to el dorado. The ceiling was instead 1100 or 1200 ft solid overcast when I arrived 30 mins later. The WX either was incorrectly reported, or deteriorated rapidly in a very short period of time. I have no idea as which actually occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS WX AT DEST. DIVERT LAND WITH ASSIST FROM ATC.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM LITTLE ROCK, AR, TO ARKADELPHIA, AR, ARRIVING AT APPROX A00PM, OR SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AT APPROX C00PM, I CALL JONESBORO, AR, FSS AND ADVISED THAT I WAS PLANNING A VFR FLT FROM ARKADELPHIA TO EL DORADO, AR, IMMEDIATE DEP. I WAS TOLD THAT THE CEILING AT EL DORADO WAS 12000 FT AND THAT VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. NO FLT PRECAUTIONS WERE GIVEN. THERE WAS NO OVCST AT ARKADELPHIA AND THE STARS WERE VISIBLE. I DEPARTED ARKADELPHIA AT APPROX C10PM, AND TRAVELED TO EL DORADO AT 3500 FT MSL. WHEN I ARRIVED AT EL DORADO, THE SKY WAS SOLID OVCST AT APPROX 1100 OR 1200 FT MSL. BECAUSE I WAS UNABLE TO LAND, I THEN DECIDED TO RETURN TO LITTLE ROCK. I CALLED MEMPHIS FLT WATCH APPROX 50 MI S OF LITTLE ROCK, AND I WAS ADVISED THAT LITTLE ROCK WAS IFR, 900 FT OVCST. I WAS FURTHER ADVISED THAT SPECIAL VFR MIGHT BE AVAILABLE AT TEXARKANA, THE NEAREST AVAILABLE ARPT WITH AN APCH. I DECIDED TO GO TO TEXARKANA. 50 MI OUT FROM TEXARKANA I CALLED AND ADVISED TEXARKANA THAT I WAS VFR ON TOP, THAT I WAS ENRTE TO TEXARKANA, AND THAT I WOULD BE REQUESTING SPECIAL VFR FOR LNDG AT TEXARKANA. I WAS ADVISED BY TEXARKANA APCH TO RPT 6 MI. I THEN CONTACTED ZFW FOR FLT FOLLOWING INTO TEXARKANA. UPON ARRIVING AT TEXARKANA, I REQUESTED SPECIAL VFR FROM TEXARKANA APCH. THE REQUEST WAS INITIALLY GRANTED, AS I RECALL, BUT THEN DENIED. I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD TRY TO GO TO FT SMITH. I ADVISED APCH THAT I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GO TO FT SMITH, AND THAT I WANTED TO LAND AT TEXARKANA. SPECIAL VFR WAS THEN GRANTED. I THEN LANDED. THE ONLY REAL PROB I EXPERIENCED WAS THAT IMMEDIATELY BEFORE DEP FROM ARKADELPHIA, I WAS ADVISED BY JONESBORO FSS THAT THE CEILING IN EL DORADO WAS 12000 FT AND THAT THERE WAS NO PROB WITH VFR FLT TO EL DORADO. THE CEILING WAS INSTEAD 1100 OR 1200 FT SOLID OVCST WHEN I ARRIVED 30 MINS LATER. THE WX EITHER WAS INCORRECTLY RPTED, OR DETERIORATED RAPIDLY IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I HAVE NO IDEA AS WHICH ACTUALLY OCCURRED.

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.