Narrative:

Pilot obtained an outlook briefing the evening before the intended flight from amarillo international to albuquerque double eagle ii. The amarillo terminal forecast was for a 600 ft ceiling with 2 mi visibility in mist expected at sunrise. By XC00 am a broken ceiling of 1500 ft with unrestr visibility was expected. At XA30 am on the day of the flight a standard WX briefing from FSS indicated conditions at amarillo international to be 1700 ft overcast with 8 mi visibility. The next reporting station (tcc) to the west on the intended flight path (V12) was also VFR with improving conditions and albuquerque had good solid VFR conditions reported and expected to continue. The final destination for the day was to be sez and late-morning to early-afternoon convective activity was expected to occur along the V12 route of flight to the final destination of the day. A VFR flight plan was filed from amarillo international to albuquerque-double eagle ii.at approximately XB30 am we departed amarillo international and activated our VFR flight plan. After establishing our flight track on V12 and remaining below the ceiling, we were with amarillo departure and transmitting the assigned transponder code. About 17 NM west of ama, VFR conditions began to deteriorate significantly and it became obvious VFR conditions could not be maintained with a safe altitude above the prevailing and rising terrain. A climb was initiated and we advised amarillo departure of the encountered condition, by this time we were in solid IMC. An IFR clearance to albuquerque double eagle ii was obtained. On reaching tcc, conditions had improved to good VFR. At this point the IFR flight plan was canceled and a landing at tcc was made to reassess the WX conditions to the final destination of sez. The WX obtained from FSS at this time indicated good VFR conditions along the intended route of flight with no significant convective activity expected within the flight time to our final destination. A VFR flight plan was filed (tcc to sez) and the flight completed. Factors related to the VFR operation into IFR conditions: considerable distance between reporting stations (amarillo to tucumcari). Effect of a rising terrain and heavily moisture laden air. Speed with which the conditions changed left little time for a course reversal. Pilot wishing to complete the flight before the on-set of convective activity. Conditions were improving and a delay probably would have resulted in an avoidance of the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLIES INTO IMC ON VFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: PLT OBTAINED AN OUTLOOK BRIEFING THE EVENING BEFORE THE INTENDED FLT FROM AMARILLO INTL TO ALBUQUERQUE DOUBLE EAGLE II. THE AMARILLO TERMINAL FORECAST WAS FOR A 600 FT CEILING WITH 2 MI VISIBILITY IN MIST EXPECTED AT SUNRISE. BY XC00 AM A BROKEN CEILING OF 1500 FT WITH UNRESTR VISIBILITY WAS EXPECTED. AT XA30 AM ON THE DAY OF THE FLT A STANDARD WX BRIEFING FROM FSS INDICATED CONDITIONS AT AMARILLO INTL TO BE 1700 FT OVCST WITH 8 MI VISIBILITY. THE NEXT RPTING STATION (TCC) TO THE W ON THE INTENDED FLT PATH (V12) WAS ALSO VFR WITH IMPROVING CONDITIONS AND ALBUQUERQUE HAD GOOD SOLID VFR CONDITIONS RPTED AND EXPECTED TO CONTINUE. THE FINAL DEST FOR THE DAY WAS TO BE SEZ AND LATE-MORNING TO EARLY-AFTERNOON CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS EXPECTED TO OCCUR ALONG THE V12 RTE OF FLT TO THE FINAL DEST OF THE DAY. A VFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED FROM AMARILLO INTL TO ALBUQUERQUE-DOUBLE EAGLE II.AT APPROX XB30 AM WE DEPARTED AMARILLO INTL AND ACTIVATED OUR VFR FLT PLAN. AFTER ESTABLISHING OUR FLT TRACK ON V12 AND REMAINING BELOW THE CEILING, WE WERE WITH AMARILLO DEP AND XMITTING THE ASSIGNED XPONDER CODE. ABOUT 17 NM W OF AMA, VFR CONDITIONS BEGAN TO DETERIORATE SIGNIFICANTLY AND IT BECAME OBVIOUS VFR CONDITIONS COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED WITH A SAFE ALT ABOVE THE PREVAILING AND RISING TERRAIN. A CLB WAS INITIATED AND WE ADVISED AMARILLO DEP OF THE ENCOUNTERED CONDITION, BY THIS TIME WE WERE IN SOLID IMC. AN IFR CLRNC TO ALBUQUERQUE DOUBLE EAGLE II WAS OBTAINED. ON REACHING TCC, CONDITIONS HAD IMPROVED TO GOOD VFR. AT THIS POINT THE IFR FLT PLAN WAS CANCELED AND A LNDG AT TCC WAS MADE TO REASSESS THE WX CONDITIONS TO THE FINAL DEST OF SEZ. THE WX OBTAINED FROM FSS AT THIS TIME INDICATED GOOD VFR CONDITIONS ALONG THE INTENDED RTE OF FLT WITH NO SIGNIFICANT CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY EXPECTED WITHIN THE FLT TIME TO OUR FINAL DEST. A VFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED (TCC TO SEZ) AND THE FLT COMPLETED. FACTORS RELATED TO THE VFR OP INTO IFR CONDITIONS: CONSIDERABLE DISTANCE BTWN RPTING STATIONS (AMARILLO TO TUCUMCARI). EFFECT OF A RISING TERRAIN AND HEAVILY MOISTURE LADEN AIR. SPD WITH WHICH THE CONDITIONS CHANGED LEFT LITTLE TIME FOR A COURSE REVERSAL. PLT WISHING TO COMPLETE THE FLT BEFORE THE ON-SET OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. CONDITIONS WERE IMPROVING AND A DELAY PROBABLY WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN AVOIDANCE OF THE PROB.

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.