Narrative:

I informed the WX briefers that I was looking for a VFR route between or around the clouds and precipitation. They informed me that VFR flight was not recommended due to MVFR conditions, but that if I were going to try it, traveling west between bands of clouds and rain via valdosta and tallahassee looked like it could work. Conditions were also forecast to improve by XF00. I departed jax solo (my wife and children were to follow in a rental car in case I was unable to make the flight under VFR and had to land and leave the plane for someone else to pick up) and headed west after leaving jax airspace. I contacted ZJX for flight following. The ceiling gradually dropped and center informed me that I was no longer in radar contact and flight following was terminated. (This was the first indication that I should have aborted the flight.) I continued under VFR into the area of lower ceilings. Dark clouds and low ceilings to the north around valdosta prevented me from reaching the airports in the area. (This was the second indication that I should have aborted the flight.) I continued westward expecting conditions to improve farther to the west. I found a hole in the overcast and climbed above hoping to be able to get beyond the area with clouds and rain. After 2 hours of flight with no airports at which I could land, I informed ZJX of my situation: VFR over the top of an overcast layer with 90-120 mins of fuel remaining, no VFR landing sites nearby, and that I wanted to declare an emergency. I started a climb to approximately 10000 ft and reduced power to 55% to conserve fuel. Center worked with flight service and found VFR conditions to the south and to the east. Cloud tops looked higher to the south and to the west, so I chose the easterly route toward savannah. Center provided heading and distance information. Center then informed me that ags was VFR and closer to my position, and again provided heading and distance information. I proceeded toward ags but encountered cloud tops higher than my altitude, and informed the center controller of my situation. I began an emergency descent through the undercast and broke out at approximately 3000 ft and continued my descent to approximately 2000 ft into VFR conditions about 15-20 mi from ags airport. The lure of improving conditions and clear WX to the west were factors in both initiating and continuing the flight. Other factors included the desire to get home, and the inconvenience and expense of having the club aircraft being ferried back to mgy.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VERY LOW TIME PLT UTILIZED POOR DECISION MAKING SKILLS AND CREATED AN EMER SIT DURING WHICH HE DSNDED THROUGH CLOUDS AFTER GETTING CAUGHT ON TOP OF A SOLID LAYER.

Narrative: I INFORMED THE WX BRIEFERS THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR A VFR RTE BTWN OR AROUND THE CLOUDS AND PRECIP. THEY INFORMED ME THAT VFR FLT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED DUE TO MVFR CONDITIONS, BUT THAT IF I WERE GOING TO TRY IT, TRAVELING W BTWN BANDS OF CLOUDS AND RAIN VIA VALDOSTA AND TALLAHASSEE LOOKED LIKE IT COULD WORK. CONDITIONS WERE ALSO FORECAST TO IMPROVE BY XF00. I DEPARTED JAX SOLO (MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE TO FOLLOW IN A RENTAL CAR IN CASE I WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE FLT UNDER VFR AND HAD TO LAND AND LEAVE THE PLANE FOR SOMEONE ELSE TO PICK UP) AND HEADED W AFTER LEAVING JAX AIRSPACE. I CONTACTED ZJX FOR FLT FOLLOWING. THE CEILING GRADUALLY DROPPED AND CTR INFORMED ME THAT I WAS NO LONGER IN RADAR CONTACT AND FLT FOLLOWING WAS TERMINATED. (THIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION THAT I SHOULD HAVE ABORTED THE FLT.) I CONTINUED UNDER VFR INTO THE AREA OF LOWER CEILINGS. DARK CLOUDS AND LOW CEILINGS TO THE N AROUND VALDOSTA PREVENTED ME FROM REACHING THE ARPTS IN THE AREA. (THIS WAS THE SECOND INDICATION THAT I SHOULD HAVE ABORTED THE FLT.) I CONTINUED WESTWARD EXPECTING CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE FARTHER TO THE W. I FOUND A HOLE IN THE OVCST AND CLBED ABOVE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO GET BEYOND THE AREA WITH CLOUDS AND RAIN. AFTER 2 HRS OF FLT WITH NO ARPTS AT WHICH I COULD LAND, I INFORMED ZJX OF MY SIT: VFR OVER THE TOP OF AN OVCST LAYER WITH 90-120 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING, NO VFR LNDG SITES NEARBY, AND THAT I WANTED TO DECLARE AN EMER. I STARTED A CLB TO APPROX 10000 FT AND REDUCED PWR TO 55% TO CONSERVE FUEL. CTR WORKED WITH FLT SVC AND FOUND VFR CONDITIONS TO THE S AND TO THE E. CLOUD TOPS LOOKED HIGHER TO THE S AND TO THE W, SO I CHOSE THE EASTERLY RTE TOWARD SAVANNAH. CTR PROVIDED HDG AND DISTANCE INFO. CTR THEN INFORMED ME THAT AGS WAS VFR AND CLOSER TO MY POS, AND AGAIN PROVIDED HDG AND DISTANCE INFO. I PROCEEDED TOWARD AGS BUT ENCOUNTERED CLOUD TOPS HIGHER THAN MY ALT, AND INFORMED THE CTR CTLR OF MY SIT. I BEGAN AN EMER DSCNT THROUGH THE UNDERCAST AND BROKE OUT AT APPROX 3000 FT AND CONTINUED MY DSCNT TO APPROX 2000 FT INTO VFR CONDITIONS ABOUT 15-20 MI FROM AGS ARPT. THE LURE OF IMPROVING CONDITIONS AND CLR WX TO THE W WERE FACTORS IN BOTH INITIATING AND CONTINUING THE FLT. OTHER FACTORS INCLUDED THE DESIRE TO GET HOME, AND THE INCONVENIENCE AND EXPENSE OF HAVING THE CLUB ACFT BEING FERRIED BACK TO MGY.

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.