Unauthorized VFR departure in proximity of clouds during a night operation.

Attributes
ACN	293967
Time
Date	199501
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tpa
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial ground : preflight
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	293967
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather 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	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon calling the FSS for an airport advisory prior to departure, I must have missed the ceiling due to another aircraft transmission. Visibility was 7 plus mi. I advised FSS I would be departing to the northwest and received no response. During the departure I determined the ceiling to be at 500 ft. Not enough for VFR departures. A SVFR should have been requested and received prior to departure. Also, I should have asked for a repeat of the airport advisory and not depend on my own determination of the ceiling at night.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH VFR DEP IN PROX OF CLOUDS DURING A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: UPON CALLING THE FSS FOR AN ARPT ADVISORY PRIOR TO DEP, I MUST HAVE MISSED THE CEILING DUE TO ANOTHER ACFT XMISSION. VISIBILITY WAS 7 PLUS MI. I ADVISED FSS I WOULD BE DEPARTING TO THE NW AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. DURING THE DEP I DETERMINED THE CEILING TO BE AT 500 FT. NOT ENOUGH FOR VFR DEPS. A SVFR SHOULD HAVE BEEN REQUESTED AND RECEIVED PRIOR TO DEP. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A REPEAT OF THE ARPT ADVISORY AND NOT DEPEND ON MY OWN DETERMINATION OF THE CEILING AT NIGHT.

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.