Narrative:

I was on VFR cross country flight 5b6 to iag. Departed home field IFR to VFR on top, due to coastal stratus around cape cod. General destination was oshkosh, wi. Conditions on top at 5500 ft were hazy, 3-7 mi visibility. About 30 NM west of hartford, a line of WX appeared which seemed impassable. I decided to return to hartford area and land at simsbury, ct, a GA reliever in the bdl area. The WX and visibility got somewhat worse. I had been talking to hartford approach, and as I and the aircraft were IFR certified I felt it was better to get IFR vectors to a visual approach at simsbury, which had no approach procedure. There was some confusion about what I was asking for and what I was cleared to do, and it was possible I entered an area of less than VFR conditions prior to approach control clearly picking up the IFR airspace and blocking same for me. The conditions were rapidly deteriorating and basic aircraft safety was my #1 priority at that time. I did receive WX brief prior to departure, but it seemed VFR on top would be ok. It was very marginal and got worse. Conditions at simsbury were VFR at 2000 ft and 5 mi. It was getting there that was the problem. After vectors, I canceled IFR and landed VFR ok.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF BE17B ENCOUNTERS WX ENRTE WHEN VFR ON TOP AND DURING DSCNT AND REQUEST TO FILE IFR ENTERS IMC. RECEIVES VECTORS AND LANDS.

Narrative: I WAS ON VFR XCOUNTRY FLT 5B6 TO IAG. DEPARTED HOME FIELD IFR TO VFR ON TOP, DUE TO COASTAL STRATUS AROUND CAPE COD. GENERAL DEST WAS OSHKOSH, WI. CONDITIONS ON TOP AT 5500 FT WERE HAZY, 3-7 MI VISIBILITY. ABOUT 30 NM W OF HARTFORD, A LINE OF WX APPEARED WHICH SEEMED IMPASSABLE. I DECIDED TO RETURN TO HARTFORD AREA AND LAND AT SIMSBURY, CT, A GA RELIEVER IN THE BDL AREA. THE WX AND VISIBILITY GOT SOMEWHAT WORSE. I HAD BEEN TALKING TO HARTFORD APCH, AND AS I AND THE ACFT WERE IFR CERTIFIED I FELT IT WAS BETTER TO GET IFR VECTORS TO A VISUAL APCH AT SIMSBURY, WHICH HAD NO APCH PROC. THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR AND WHAT I WAS CLRED TO DO, AND IT WAS POSSIBLE I ENTERED AN AREA OF LESS THAN VFR CONDITIONS PRIOR TO APCH CTL CLRLY PICKING UP THE IFR AIRSPACE AND BLOCKING SAME FOR ME. THE CONDITIONS WERE RAPIDLY DETERIORATING AND BASIC ACFT SAFETY WAS MY #1 PRIORITY AT THAT TIME. I DID RECEIVE WX BRIEF PRIOR TO DEP, BUT IT SEEMED VFR ON TOP WOULD BE OK. IT WAS VERY MARGINAL AND GOT WORSE. CONDITIONS AT SIMSBURY WERE VFR AT 2000 FT AND 5 MI. IT WAS GETTING THERE THAT WAS THE PROB. AFTER VECTORS, I CANCELED IFR AND LANDED VFR OK.

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.