Narrative:

I took a friend (and prospective student) up for a demonstration flight. Throughout the day, I updated my WX information through duats, ATIS, and FSS recorded briefings. Conditions seemed to match the forecast: visibility +6 mi, 2500 ft scattered to broken, 4000 ft broken overcast, light surface winds from the south. Temporarily 500 ft scattered. I decided to stay local. I did not get a standard briefing, but relied on duats/FSS recorded briefs. Takeoff/departure was uneventful. Flew out to the northeast towards arlington municipal airport (awo), lowest ceiling seemed to be about 2500 ft broken. I cruised about 1500- 2000 ft AGL. Visibility was +6 mi. En route back to the airport (near marysville, wa) I tuned up ATIS. Visibility 20 mi, 2500 ft scattered ceiling 4000 ft broken(?). I was about 1500 ft AGL. I reported in to tower about 7 mi northeast (north everett). A low stratus layer was beginning to form, and an area of rain was north and east of the airport (between us and the airport). Tower told me to report straight in over the boeing plant (1-2 mi north of runway 16L/34R). As I continued swbound from everett, it began to rain. Visibility decreased to about 3 mi. I kept visual contact with the ground, flying out over the water (gardner bay, west of everett) at 900 ft. I still had the boeing plant in sight. I followed the shoreline until I was on an extended final about 2-3 mi north of runway 16L. I continued in for a normal landing. About 6- 10 mins after landing, the beacon was on and pae was reporting visibility 5 mi, ceiling 500 ft broken. I called sea FSS on a cell phone to verify that they had pae's WX report and that local WX was marginal VMC and now IMC. What did I learn from this? Several things. We made it back ok and the successful outcome of the flight was never in doubt. However, as a CFI, I set a crummy example for my prospective student! First, I should have gotten a standard briefing from sea FSS. However, the IMC had been unforecast so I'm not sure how much it really would have helped. I should have paid more attention to the temperature/dewpoint spread! I believe the temperature was just 1 degree F warmer than the dewpoint. Even as I climbed into the airplane before takeoff, I felt the air getting a little cooler. I should have noticed. I should have listened to that 'chicken little' voice that said 'maybe we should just stay in the pattern today.' being 'chicken' is a good thing -- it keeps you out of trouble. Get homeitis can hit anybody! I never thought it would be me! I could have landed at arlington municipal airport (awo) instead of pushing on through marginal VMC to pae. My wife could have driven to awo to pick us up. I could have flown the airplane back to pae the next afternoon. Finally, it would have been nice to have heard an amended forecast at least mentioning the existence of localized IMC. Despite my PIREP and pae's WX report, the forecast was never updated. Every little piece of information helps!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT OF A PIPER PA28-180 BECAME CAUGHT IN MARGINAL VFR WX CONDITIONS WHEN RETURNING FROM A LCL DEMONSTRATION FLT TO A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT.

Narrative: I TOOK A FRIEND (AND PROSPECTIVE STUDENT) UP FOR A DEMONSTRATION FLT. THROUGHOUT THE DAY, I UPDATED MY WX INFO THROUGH DUATS, ATIS, AND FSS RECORDED BRIEFINGS. CONDITIONS SEEMED TO MATCH THE FORECAST: VISIBILITY +6 MI, 2500 FT SCATTERED TO BROKEN, 4000 FT BROKEN OVCST, LIGHT SURFACE WINDS FROM THE S. TEMPORARILY 500 FT SCATTERED. I DECIDED TO STAY LCL. I DID NOT GET A STANDARD BRIEFING, BUT RELIED ON DUATS/FSS RECORDED BRIEFS. TKOF/DEP WAS UNEVENTFUL. FLEW OUT TO THE NE TOWARDS ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL ARPT (AWO), LOWEST CEILING SEEMED TO BE ABOUT 2500 FT BROKEN. I CRUISED ABOUT 1500- 2000 FT AGL. VISIBILITY WAS +6 MI. ENRTE BACK TO THE ARPT (NEAR MARYSVILLE, WA) I TUNED UP ATIS. VISIBILITY 20 MI, 2500 FT SCATTERED CEILING 4000 FT BROKEN(?). I WAS ABOUT 1500 FT AGL. I RPTED IN TO TWR ABOUT 7 MI NE (NORTH EVERETT). A LOW STRATUS LAYER WAS BEGINNING TO FORM, AND AN AREA OF RAIN WAS N AND E OF THE ARPT (BTWN US AND THE ARPT). TWR TOLD ME TO RPT STRAIGHT IN OVER THE BOEING PLANT (1-2 MI N OF RWY 16L/34R). AS I CONTINUED SWBOUND FROM EVERETT, IT BEGAN TO RAIN. VISIBILITY DECREASED TO ABOUT 3 MI. I KEPT VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND, FLYING OUT OVER THE WATER (GARDNER BAY, W OF EVERETT) AT 900 FT. I STILL HAD THE BOEING PLANT IN SIGHT. I FOLLOWED THE SHORELINE UNTIL I WAS ON AN EXTENDED FINAL ABOUT 2-3 MI N OF RWY 16L. I CONTINUED IN FOR A NORMAL LNDG. ABOUT 6- 10 MINS AFTER LNDG, THE BEACON WAS ON AND PAE WAS RPTING VISIBILITY 5 MI, CEILING 500 FT BROKEN. I CALLED SEA FSS ON A CELL PHONE TO VERIFY THAT THEY HAD PAE'S WX RPT AND THAT LCL WX WAS MARGINAL VMC AND NOW IMC. WHAT DID I LEARN FROM THIS? SEVERAL THINGS. WE MADE IT BACK OK AND THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THE FLT WAS NEVER IN DOUBT. HOWEVER, AS A CFI, I SET A CRUMMY EXAMPLE FOR MY PROSPECTIVE STUDENT! FIRST, I SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A STANDARD BRIEFING FROM SEA FSS. HOWEVER, THE IMC HAD BEEN UNFORECAST SO I'M NOT SURE HOW MUCH IT REALLY WOULD HAVE HELPED. I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO THE TEMPERATURE/DEWPOINT SPREAD! I BELIEVE THE TEMPERATURE WAS JUST 1 DEG F WARMER THAN THE DEWPOINT. EVEN AS I CLBED INTO THE AIRPLANE BEFORE TKOF, I FELT THE AIR GETTING A LITTLE COOLER. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED. I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THAT 'CHICKEN LITTLE' VOICE THAT SAID 'MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST STAY IN THE PATTERN TODAY.' BEING 'CHICKEN' IS A GOOD THING -- IT KEEPS YOU OUT OF TROUBLE. GET HOMEITIS CAN HIT ANYBODY! I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE ME! I COULD HAVE LANDED AT ARLINGTON MUNICIPAL ARPT (AWO) INSTEAD OF PUSHING ON THROUGH MARGINAL VMC TO PAE. MY WIFE COULD HAVE DRIVEN TO AWO TO PICK US UP. I COULD HAVE FLOWN THE AIRPLANE BACK TO PAE THE NEXT AFTERNOON. FINALLY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE HEARD AN AMENDED FORECAST AT LEAST MENTIONING THE EXISTENCE OF LOCALIZED IMC. DESPITE MY PIREP AND PAE'S WX RPT, THE FORECAST WAS NEVER UPDATED. EVERY LITTLE PIECE OF INFO HELPS!

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.