IMC in VFR flight by private pilot on a cross country flight.

Attributes
ACN	303066
Time
Date	199504
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : kls
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 170 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	303066
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The morning of the flight, I called for WX 3 different times over the period of 3 or 4 hours. Each time there was an improvement in the WX reports for my route. My final call showed en route ceiling of 5000 ft in olympia, as I recall, with good visibility and renton reporting better WX than olympia. The WX report stated that VFR was not recommended, I assume, because of low ceiling in portland and poor visibility due to rain. However, at our location in hillsborough, ATIS was reporting a 2800 ft ceiling with approximately 10 mi visibility. Based on WX reports, I made a decision to takeoff in good VFR. Proceeding north, avoiding the poor WX to the east, both the ceiling and visibility improved. As I reared kelso, the ceiling became increasingly ragged and dropping from the smooth 3000 ft ceiling to approximately 2500 ft. I was in good VFR WX and had kelso in sight. My passenger and I were having a very comfortable conversation about how the ceiling was dropping and becoming very ragged with heavy rain fall over kelso. At this time I was approximately 2 mi south of kelso. Under no pressure to continue our flight, although it appeared as though a marginal VFR flight could continue north at a lower altitude, I made the decision to return to my point of origin, hillsborough. While turning around, in good VFR and in a 10-20 mi visibility, the ceiling literally fell on me. I had marginal VFR conditions in seconds. I descended rapidly to stay VFR, but the WX overtook us from above and I was loosing sight of the river at approximately 1000 ft AGL. By the count of 3 it was a total white-out. I was in IMC conditions. Because I have tried to read every accident report I knew I had to stay calm. I set wings level and a climb at 500 FPM after realizing somehow I had gotten the plane into an unusual attitude. The moment I was stable, I called center, and at that point, they had me squawk 7700. From that point I worked hard to stay calm, level, and on whatever course center gave. Center had us climb to 6000 ft and fly direct to olympia where we descended and resumed VFR. I am a fairly new pilot, 1 yr, and calling center on the radio is intimidating. Looking back that calm voice at center saved my life. I love flying but I am one who is going to go learn how to fly IFR.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT BY PVT PLT ON A XCOUNTRY FLT.

Narrative: THE MORNING OF THE FLT, I CALLED FOR WX 3 DIFFERENT TIMES OVER THE PERIOD OF 3 OR 4 HRS. EACH TIME THERE WAS AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE WX RPTS FOR MY RTE. MY FINAL CALL SHOWED ENRTE CEILING OF 5000 FT IN OLYMPIA, AS I RECALL, WITH GOOD VISIBILITY AND RENTON RPTING BETTER WX THAN OLYMPIA. THE WX RPT STATED THAT VFR WAS NOT RECOMMENDED, I ASSUME, BECAUSE OF LOW CEILING IN PORTLAND AND POOR VISIBILITY DUE TO RAIN. HOWEVER, AT OUR LOCATION IN HILLSBOROUGH, ATIS WAS RPTING A 2800 FT CEILING WITH APPROX 10 MI VISIBILITY. BASED ON WX RPTS, I MADE A DECISION TO TKOF IN GOOD VFR. PROCEEDING N, AVOIDING THE POOR WX TO THE E, BOTH THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY IMPROVED. AS I REARED KELSO, THE CEILING BECAME INCREASINGLY RAGGED AND DROPPING FROM THE SMOOTH 3000 FT CEILING TO APPROX 2500 FT. I WAS IN GOOD VFR WX AND HAD KELSO IN SIGHT. MY PAX AND I WERE HAVING A VERY COMFORTABLE CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE CEILING WAS DROPPING AND BECOMING VERY RAGGED WITH HVY RAIN FALL OVER KELSO. AT THIS TIME I WAS APPROX 2 MI S OF KELSO. UNDER NO PRESSURE TO CONTINUE OUR FLT, ALTHOUGH IT APPEARED AS THOUGH A MARGINAL VFR FLT COULD CONTINUE N AT A LOWER ALT, I MADE THE DECISION TO RETURN TO MY POINT OF ORIGIN, HILLSBOROUGH. WHILE TURNING AROUND, IN GOOD VFR AND IN A 10-20 MI VISIBILITY, THE CEILING LITERALLY FELL ON ME. I HAD MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS IN SECONDS. I DSNDED RAPIDLY TO STAY VFR, BUT THE WX OVERTOOK US FROM ABOVE AND I WAS LOOSING SIGHT OF THE RIVER AT APPROX 1000 FT AGL. BY THE COUNT OF 3 IT WAS A TOTAL WHITE-OUT. I WAS IN IMC CONDITIONS. BECAUSE I HAVE TRIED TO READ EVERY ACCIDENT RPT I KNEW I HAD TO STAY CALM. I SET WINGS LEVEL AND A CLB AT 500 FPM AFTER REALIZING SOMEHOW I HAD GOTTEN THE PLANE INTO AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. THE MOMENT I WAS STABLE, I CALLED CTR, AND AT THAT POINT, THEY HAD ME SQUAWK 7700. FROM THAT POINT I WORKED HARD TO STAY CALM, LEVEL, AND ON WHATEVER COURSE CTR GAVE. CTR HAD US CLB TO 6000 FT AND FLY DIRECT TO OLYMPIA WHERE WE DSNDED AND RESUMED VFR. I AM A FAIRLY NEW PLT, 1 YR, AND CALLING CTR ON THE RADIO IS INTIMIDATING. LOOKING BACK THAT CALM VOICE AT CTR SAVED MY LIFE. I LOVE FLYING BUT I AM ONE WHO IS GOING TO GO LEARN HOW TO FLY IFR.

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.