Narrative:

VFR flight las cruces (lru) to coronado (4AC). At XA30 am, WX briefing indicated abq to be 500 ft scattered, 1000 ft broken, 2300 ft overcast. Left lru and up to 8500 ft. Around tcs, cloud layers were at 7500 ft and clearings or holes to the west of the flight path and around belen. I continued to aeg and area north and northwest to find hole to get under clouds. I continued for 1 1/2 hours to find holes to descend to and under cloud layer. I found several but clouds were too close to ground to get under. After several attempts of up and down through holes, one was found where I was able to maintain 500-1000 ft AGL and went to destination and landed. Whether briefing said VFR not recommended, however, improving conditions after XC00 am flight to belen about 30 mi south of destination was not a problem. I should have descended there through a clear area instead of continuing VFR above clouds. At that point, I could have determined WX safe VFR flight could be continued. I did have full tanks anticipating returning to lru and did in fact land with 2 hours of fuel left. I did know where I was the whole time. I did navigate around abq class C airspace and was VFR all the time. However, may at times violated cloud clrncs. I should not have allowed myself to continue looking for a way down. I should have done a 180 degrees sooner back to better cloud conditions at belen and landed till things improved. Even though this flight ended successfully and without an incident or accident, I should not have allowed myself to get into these conditions. In previous times, I have left my plane and gone home on a commercial flight because of questionable WX. However, this time was a look and see and obviously I pushed my limits too far.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR IN IMC. ERROR ADMITTED.

Narrative: VFR FLT LAS CRUCES (LRU) TO CORONADO (4AC). AT XA30 AM, WX BRIEFING INDICATED ABQ TO BE 500 FT SCATTERED, 1000 FT BROKEN, 2300 FT OVCST. LEFT LRU AND UP TO 8500 FT. AROUND TCS, CLOUD LAYERS WERE AT 7500 FT AND CLEARINGS OR HOLES TO THE W OF THE FLT PATH AND AROUND BELEN. I CONTINUED TO AEG AND AREA N AND NW TO FIND HOLE TO GET UNDER CLOUDS. I CONTINUED FOR 1 1/2 HRS TO FIND HOLES TO DSND TO AND UNDER CLOUD LAYER. I FOUND SEVERAL BUT CLOUDS WERE TOO CLOSE TO GND TO GET UNDER. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF UP AND DOWN THROUGH HOLES, ONE WAS FOUND WHERE I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN 500-1000 FT AGL AND WENT TO DEST AND LANDED. WHETHER BRIEFING SAID VFR NOT RECOMMENDED, HOWEVER, IMPROVING CONDITIONS AFTER XC00 AM FLT TO BELEN ABOUT 30 MI S OF DEST WAS NOT A PROB. I SHOULD HAVE DSNDED THERE THROUGH A CLEAR AREA INSTEAD OF CONTINUING VFR ABOVE CLOUDS. AT THAT POINT, I COULD HAVE DETERMINED WX SAFE VFR FLT COULD BE CONTINUED. I DID HAVE FULL TANKS ANTICIPATING RETURNING TO LRU AND DID IN FACT LAND WITH 2 HRS OF FUEL LEFT. I DID KNOW WHERE I WAS THE WHOLE TIME. I DID NAVIGATE AROUND ABQ CLASS C AIRSPACE AND WAS VFR ALL THE TIME. HOWEVER, MAY AT TIMES VIOLATED CLOUD CLRNCS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MYSELF TO CONTINUE LOOKING FOR A WAY DOWN. I SHOULD HAVE DONE A 180 DEGS SOONER BACK TO BETTER CLOUD CONDITIONS AT BELEN AND LANDED TILL THINGS IMPROVED. EVEN THOUGH THIS FLT ENDED SUCCESSFULLY AND WITHOUT AN INCIDENT OR ACCIDENT, I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MYSELF TO GET INTO THESE CONDITIONS. IN PREVIOUS TIMES, I HAVE LEFT MY PLANE AND GONE HOME ON A COMMERCIAL FLT BECAUSE OF QUESTIONABLE WX. HOWEVER, THIS TIME WAS A LOOK AND SEE AND OBVIOUSLY I PUSHED MY LIMITS TOO FAR.

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.