Narrative:

Pilot discussed flight from bna to 35Q with FSS briefer 30 mins prior to departure. Confirmed ceilings stated were AGL. Briefer cautioned many tall towers near bna. To assure avoidance pilot plotted avoidance on GPS route. Pilot received ATIS prior to taxi. This confirmed field VFR. Clearance delivery gave departure frequency cleared to 4000 ft. No mention of areas below VFR or any indication that vectors may be issued. As I crossed the hold short line tower called, right turn 290 degrees clear for takeoff. This concerned me because my plan was for left turn. Nevertheless, I started my takeoff roll thinking I would have some time to review the sectional for towers before the 290 degree turn. A few seconds after I raised the landing gears, the tower called, turn to 290 degrees. Their voice implied some urgency. Apparently a faster plane was behind me. I had not completed my wheel up list when the tower called turn 290 degrees contact departure. I had no time to review my new heading. Due a sense of urgency I complied and began the turn. And herein began a serious problem. Straight runway heading visibility looked good, adequate cloud clearance. However as I completed my turn, I ran into a scud layer. I had zero time to pilot a course to assure obstruction clearance. If I would have time to fly straight out and complete my wheels up duties then trim, I would have been mentally better prepared to deal with the stress ahead. The bottom of the cloud layer was ragged, not even. No mention of this possibility in the ATIS. Apparently ATC was unaware of this or they would not have turned me into this. Not knowing the location of the towers that lay ahead or how my visibility would be affected, put a lot of stress on me. My main thought was control the plane, look for obstructions and to get a break in the clouds to get above 2200 ft MSL to assure tower clearance. At approximately 10 mi bna departure called 12 O'clock position 2000 ft tower. I turned right to avoid it. There were some breaks in the clouds. I began to climb. Shortly after I could see some low puffy clouds with blue sky between, at 3500 ft MSL. Sky clear scattered clouds. I called departure and requested climb to 6500 ft. Approved climb and frequency change. There were several cloud clearance infractions during my departure. They were not willful nor intentional. Had I known I would be turned so early into poor visibility, I would have refused the clearance. It appeared my safety was jeopardized for someone else's convenience. Once faced with the sudden problem of scud and high towers, stress prevented me from performing. Had stress not been a problem I would have called departure and asked for return to bna.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PVT PLT DEPARTING BNA IN A PA24 ENCOUNTERS IMC WHILE ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN VMC.

Narrative: PLT DISCUSSED FLT FROM BNA TO 35Q WITH FSS BRIEFER 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. CONFIRMED CEILINGS STATED WERE AGL. BRIEFER CAUTIONED MANY TALL TWRS NEAR BNA. TO ASSURE AVOIDANCE PLT PLOTTED AVOIDANCE ON GPS RTE. PLT RECEIVED ATIS PRIOR TO TAXI. THIS CONFIRMED FIELD VFR. CLRNC DELIVERY GAVE DEP FREQ CLRED TO 4000 FT. NO MENTION OF AREAS BELOW VFR OR ANY INDICATION THAT VECTORS MAY BE ISSUED. AS I CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE TWR CALLED, R TURN 290 DEGS CLR FOR TKOF. THIS CONCERNED ME BECAUSE MY PLAN WAS FOR L TURN. NEVERTHELESS, I STARTED MY TKOF ROLL THINKING I WOULD HAVE SOME TIME TO REVIEW THE SECTIONAL FOR TWRS BEFORE THE 290 DEG TURN. A FEW SECONDS AFTER I RAISED THE LNDG GEARS, THE TWR CALLED, TURN TO 290 DEGS. THEIR VOICE IMPLIED SOME URGENCY. APPARENTLY A FASTER PLANE WAS BEHIND ME. I HAD NOT COMPLETED MY WHEEL UP LIST WHEN THE TWR CALLED TURN 290 DEGS CONTACT DEP. I HAD NO TIME TO REVIEW MY NEW HEADING. DUE A SENSE OF URGENCY I COMPLIED AND BEGAN THE TURN. AND HEREIN BEGAN A SERIOUS PROB. STRAIGHT RWY HEADING VISIBILITY LOOKED GOOD, ADEQUATE CLOUD CLRNC. HOWEVER AS I COMPLETED MY TURN, I RAN INTO A SCUD LAYER. I HAD ZERO TIME TO PLT A COURSE TO ASSURE OBSTRUCTION CLRNC. IF I WOULD HAVE TIME TO FLY STRAIGHT OUT AND COMPLETE MY WHEELS UP DUTIES THEN TRIM, I WOULD HAVE BEEN MENTALLY BETTER PREPARED TO DEAL WITH THE STRESS AHEAD. THE BOTTOM OF THE CLOUD LAYER WAS RAGGED, NOT EVEN. NO MENTION OF THIS POSSIBILITY IN THE ATIS. APPARENTLY ATC WAS UNAWARE OF THIS OR THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TURNED ME INTO THIS. NOT KNOWING THE LOCATION OF THE TWRS THAT LAY AHEAD OR HOW MY VISIBILITY WOULD BE AFFECTED, PUT A LOT OF STRESS ON ME. MY MAIN THOUGHT WAS CTL THE PLANE, LOOK FOR OBSTRUCTIONS AND TO GET A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS TO GET ABOVE 2200 FT MSL TO ASSURE TWR CLRNC. AT APPROX 10 MI BNA DEP CALLED 12 O'CLOCK POS 2000 FT TWR. I TURNED R TO AVOID IT. THERE WERE SOME BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS. I BEGAN TO CLB. SHORTLY AFTER I COULD SEE SOME LOW PUFFY CLOUDS WITH BLUE SKY BTWN, AT 3500 FT MSL. SKY CLR SCATTERED CLOUDS. I CALLED DEP AND REQUESTED CLB TO 6500 FT. APPROVED CLB AND FREQ CHANGE. THERE WERE SEVERAL CLOUD CLRNC INFRACTIONS DURING MY DEP. THEY WERE NOT WILLFUL NOR INTENTIONAL. HAD I KNOWN I WOULD BE TURNED SO EARLY INTO POOR VISIBILITY, I WOULD HAVE REFUSED THE CLRNC. IT APPEARED MY SAFETY WAS JEOPARDIZED FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S CONVENIENCE. ONCE FACED WITH THE SUDDEN PROB OF SCUD AND HIGH TWRS, STRESS PREVENTED ME FROM PERFORMING. HAD STRESS NOT BEEN A PROB I WOULD HAVE CALLED DEP AND ASKED FOR RETURN TO BNA.

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.