Narrative:

Departed talladega, al, airport in VFR conditions late afternoon with dozens of other aircraft. My intention was to fly north toward gadsden, al, and pick up an IFR clearance. The phones and FSS lines were jammed. When I was about 20 mi north of talladega, I called atl approach with my request. Controller informed me he couldn't pick me up on his radar at that altitude (2000 ft MSL), and could I climb VFR to approximately 3000 ft MSL? I told him I didn't think so and he asked me to contact bhm approach. They were very busy with departing traffic and said he couldn't see me at that altitude either. While I was circling and deciding what to do, the atl controller came back on his own to try and help. He asked me if I wanted to declare an emergency and I replied negative. He informed me of several towers and obstructions in the area and I told him I had good situational awareness with my GPS. I also told him I was IFR rated, current and equipped, and if I couldn't get an IFR clearance I would have to proceed direct gad VFR in marginal conditions. The ceiling looked lower over toward gadsden. He came back and said he was declaring an emergency and gave me a heading, a transponder code, an altitude to report and a clearance limit (lvt VOR). With that, I headed up into the clouds and reported on top around 4000 ft. This is exactly the clearance I wanted to begin with and by far the safer of the options. This was a very helpful controller and I thanked him for the service. I asked him if he wanted the rest of my flight plan and he said he would hand me off shortly and to give it to the next facility. He made no mention of the declaration or any reporting responsibility on my behalf. In retrospect, there are lots of things I could have done differently and better. This incident will serve as a reminder to me for yrs to come. One thing that could be improved is the radar coverage in that area. This is a busy area of alabama with numerous towers and rising terrain to the north and east. After returning home, I called my instructor of 20 yrs and a local ATC supervisor and discussed the situation with them. They both had never run into just that kind of occurrence before and were not aware of any reporting requirements on my part. They both suggested I fill out the NASA form in the interest of safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL INST RATED PLT FLYING A C210 ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING MVFR CONDITIONS NEAR GAD THAT REQUIRED EMER INTERVENTION AND IFR CLRNC FROM ATC.

Narrative: DEPARTED TALLADEGA, AL, ARPT IN VFR CONDITIONS LATE AFTERNOON WITH DOZENS OF OTHER ACFT. MY INTENTION WAS TO FLY N TOWARD GADSDEN, AL, AND PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC. THE PHONES AND FSS LINES WERE JAMMED. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 20 MI N OF TALLADEGA, I CALLED ATL APCH WITH MY REQUEST. CTLR INFORMED ME HE COULDN'T PICK ME UP ON HIS RADAR AT THAT ALT (2000 FT MSL), AND COULD I CLB VFR TO APPROX 3000 FT MSL? I TOLD HIM I DIDN'T THINK SO AND HE ASKED ME TO CONTACT BHM APCH. THEY WERE VERY BUSY WITH DEPARTING TFC AND SAID HE COULDN'T SEE ME AT THAT ALT EITHER. WHILE I WAS CIRCLING AND DECIDING WHAT TO DO, THE ATL CTLR CAME BACK ON HIS OWN TO TRY AND HELP. HE ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER AND I REPLIED NEGATIVE. HE INFORMED ME OF SEVERAL TWRS AND OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE AREA AND I TOLD HIM I HAD GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS WITH MY GPS. I ALSO TOLD HIM I WAS IFR RATED, CURRENT AND EQUIPPED, AND IF I COULDN'T GET AN IFR CLRNC I WOULD HAVE TO PROCEED DIRECT GAD VFR IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS. THE CEILING LOOKED LOWER OVER TOWARD GADSDEN. HE CAME BACK AND SAID HE WAS DECLARING AN EMER AND GAVE ME A HDG, A XPONDER CODE, AN ALT TO RPT AND A CLRNC LIMIT (LVT VOR). WITH THAT, I HEADED UP INTO THE CLOUDS AND RPTED ON TOP AROUND 4000 FT. THIS IS EXACTLY THE CLRNC I WANTED TO BEGIN WITH AND BY FAR THE SAFER OF THE OPTIONS. THIS WAS A VERY HELPFUL CTLR AND I THANKED HIM FOR THE SVC. I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED THE REST OF MY FLT PLAN AND HE SAID HE WOULD HAND ME OFF SHORTLY AND TO GIVE IT TO THE NEXT FACILITY. HE MADE NO MENTION OF THE DECLARATION OR ANY RPTING RESPONSIBILITY ON MY BEHALF. IN RETROSPECT, THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY AND BETTER. THIS INCIDENT WILL SERVE AS A REMINDER TO ME FOR YRS TO COME. ONE THING THAT COULD BE IMPROVED IS THE RADAR COVERAGE IN THAT AREA. THIS IS A BUSY AREA OF ALABAMA WITH NUMEROUS TWRS AND RISING TERRAIN TO THE N AND E. AFTER RETURNING HOME, I CALLED MY INSTRUCTOR OF 20 YRS AND A LCL ATC SUPVR AND DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THEM. THEY BOTH HAD NEVER RUN INTO JUST THAT KIND OF OCCURRENCE BEFORE AND WERE NOT AWARE OF ANY RPTING REQUIREMENTS ON MY PART. THEY BOTH SUGGESTED I FILL OUT THE NASA FORM IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY.

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.