Narrative:

This is probably a classic case of get homeitis. Three friends and I had returned to florida after a wonderful week in the bahamas, hopping from island to island. We had planned to fly to savannah on saturday and on to virginia on sunday, arriving in time for celebrations in the early afternoon. However, we got a late start leaving the bahamas on saturday and I was tired, so we decided to overnight in florida and make the entire flight back to virginia on sunday. I checked WX on sunday morning and learned everything was good for the trip home except for an occasional isolated thunderstorm around southern florida. I filed IFR for XA30 but it was XB00 before I was ready to depart. Unfortunately, one of those isolated thunderstorms was about 1 mi off the departure end of runway 9 at pbi. I called tower for takeoff and requested an immediate turn to the north to avoid the storm. This request was granted and I took off. In my concentration to avoid the storm, I turned left soon after liftoff. Once established on a northerly heading, I glanced down and was astonished to see how low I was! I overflew buildings at an altitude of maybe 300 ft. Why did this happen? I felt enormous pressure to get all my passenger and myself home for celebrations in the evening. The storm was approaching the airport and I feared if I delayed departure it would be another 45 mins to 1 hour before the storm cleared the area. All my attention was focused on getting in the air and avoiding the storm. I wasn't aware enough of the 'big picture' during departure. This was entirely an error in pilot judgement. I should have stayed on the ground until the storm passed. I never thought I would succumb to the pressure to get home as I've been more responsible in the past. I've learned a valuable lesson and this won't happen again.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL FLEW BELOW THE MSA DURING DEP CLB FROM ARPT DUE TO TSTMS NEARBY THE NORMAL DEP PATH.

Narrative: THIS IS PROBABLY A CLASSIC CASE OF GET HOMEITIS. THREE FRIENDS AND I HAD RETURNED TO FLORIDA AFTER A WONDERFUL WK IN THE BAHAMAS, HOPPING FROM ISLAND TO ISLAND. WE HAD PLANNED TO FLY TO SAVANNAH ON SATURDAY AND ON TO VIRGINIA ON SUNDAY, ARRIVING IN TIME FOR CELEBRATIONS IN THE EARLY AFTERNOON. HOWEVER, WE GOT A LATE START LEAVING THE BAHAMAS ON SATURDAY AND I WAS TIRED, SO WE DECIDED TO OVERNIGHT IN FLORIDA AND MAKE THE ENTIRE FLT BACK TO VIRGINIA ON SUNDAY. I CHKED WX ON SUNDAY MORNING AND LEARNED EVERYTHING WAS GOOD FOR THE TRIP HOME EXCEPT FOR AN OCCASIONAL ISOLATED TSTM AROUND SOUTHERN FLORIDA. I FILED IFR FOR XA30 BUT IT WAS XB00 BEFORE I WAS READY TO DEPART. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OF THOSE ISOLATED TSTMS WAS ABOUT 1 MI OFF THE DEP END OF RWY 9 AT PBI. I CALLED TWR FOR TKOF AND REQUESTED AN IMMEDIATE TURN TO THE N TO AVOID THE STORM. THIS REQUEST WAS GRANTED AND I TOOK OFF. IN MY CONCENTRATION TO AVOID THE STORM, I TURNED L SOON AFTER LIFTOFF. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON A NORTHERLY HDG, I GLANCED DOWN AND WAS ASTONISHED TO SEE HOW LOW I WAS! I OVERFLEW BUILDINGS AT AN ALT OF MAYBE 300 FT. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? I FELT ENORMOUS PRESSURE TO GET ALL MY PAX AND MYSELF HOME FOR CELEBRATIONS IN THE EVENING. THE STORM WAS APCHING THE ARPT AND I FEARED IF I DELAYED DEP IT WOULD BE ANOTHER 45 MINS TO 1 HR BEFORE THE STORM CLRED THE AREA. ALL MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON GETTING IN THE AIR AND AVOIDING THE STORM. I WASN'T AWARE ENOUGH OF THE 'BIG PICTURE' DURING DEP. THIS WAS ENTIRELY AN ERROR IN PLT JUDGEMENT. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE GND UNTIL THE STORM PASSED. I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD SUCCUMB TO THE PRESSURE TO GET HOME AS I'VE BEEN MORE RESPONSIBLE IN THE PAST. I'VE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON AND THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.