Narrative:

Aircraft on VFR. First worked aircraft near dny VOR en route swbound. Aircraft encountered IFR conditions on VFR flight plan and ended up between layers. Pilot requested WX at other airports and made decision to continue based on information passed. About 45 mins later, aircraft returned to bgm, still caught between layers VFR. PIREP bases 4000 ft (2400 ft AGL). ASOS reported bgm WX as: XA00. 140 degrees at 10 KTS gusting to 8 KTS. Few 30, 18/11 altimeter 30.03 (looks like a 'nice' day). This was obviously extremely inaccurate since no sky was visible at that time, nor for 2 hours prior, nor between time of observation and when aircraft landed at XA00. Had other information pilot received been accurate, aircraft would not have had to return to bgm, hence this inaccuracy was prevalent rather than an anomaly. Forecasts and pilot briefings are based on this information and it is this which precipitated the situation in the first place. WX will always be changing and never be totally predictable, but there is no excuse for observations of current conditions to be blatantly and dangerously wrong. Supplemental information from acn 511628: I am a VFR private pilot with a VFR cherokee PA28. I have no IFR training except the 4.1 hours of hood time during my training. I prepared a 2 hour 15 min return trip to N79 from rut by checking the WX computer at rutland and calling FSS at XC30 for XC30 departure. FSS told me there was a high in the area, wind rut 360 degrees at 3 KTS, ceiling less than 12000 ft. Albany scattered 5000 ft, 140 degrees at 9 KTS. Wilkes barre scattered 2500 ft with tops of 5000 ft. The computer showed all rain to be south and west of my intended route. Based on the fact that the clouds were scattered and there was no rain in the route, the decision was made to go. I decided that I would start the trip at 4500 ft and stay below any cloud coverage until I got to the scattered clouds between albany and wilkes barre. At this point I would go above the 'scattered' clouds and climb to 6500 ft, knowing I could go through the scattered clouds at N79 to land. The trip was going as planned until I got 10 mi northwest of delancey VOR. I was flying below mild cloud cover at 4500 ft but was still VOR. Then the clouds thickened and I was in a whiteout. Knowing the highest mountains along the route were at 3800 ft, I wanted to be very careful not to descend. Upon the advice of ATC, I made the decision to climb. At 5000 ft, I was back to VFR. I climbed to the proper altitude of 6500 ft and continued. Bingamton approach was now treating the situation as an emergency and informed me of the ATIS report which reported 'few clouds at 3000 ft.' based on this, I continued on course looking for a hole to descend through and land. But as I continued the clouds at 6500 ft intensified once again and became IFR. ATC advised a heading of 360 degrees. I did so and eventually found a small hole in the clouds south of bingamton regional airport and landed there. Through the help of bingamton approach and wilkes barre approach, I got out of this situation. My decision to make this trip was based on WX reports of 'scattered clouds' on the WX computer, the FSS, and the 'few clouds' report from the ATIS. The clouds were far from scattered and few. The definition of these terms was misleading. Through the small amount of IFR training and reading numerous safety and accident reports, I trusted my attitude indicator and altimeter and finally got out of IFR conditions. Looking back, I realize that as soon as I got into the clouds, I should have turned 180 degrees instead of listening to the WX reports and continuing. But WX reports of scattered and few clouds led me to believe I could safely make this trip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BGM TRACON CTLR CONCERNED WITH ARPT ASOS WX RPTING SVC WHEN A VFR PA28 PLT INCURS ENRTE WX.

Narrative: ACFT ON VFR. FIRST WORKED ACFT NEAR DNY VOR ENRTE SWBOUND. ACFT ENCOUNTERED IFR CONDITIONS ON VFR FLT PLAN AND ENDED UP BTWN LAYERS. PLT REQUESTED WX AT OTHER ARPTS AND MADE DECISION TO CONTINUE BASED ON INFO PASSED. ABOUT 45 MINS LATER, ACFT RETURNED TO BGM, STILL CAUGHT BTWN LAYERS VFR. PIREP BASES 4000 FT (2400 FT AGL). ASOS RPTED BGM WX AS: XA00. 140 DEGS AT 10 KTS GUSTING TO 8 KTS. FEW 30, 18/11 ALTIMETER 30.03 (LOOKS LIKE A 'NICE' DAY). THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY EXTREMELY INACCURATE SINCE NO SKY WAS VISIBLE AT THAT TIME, NOR FOR 2 HRS PRIOR, NOR BTWN TIME OF OBSERVATION AND WHEN ACFT LANDED AT XA00. HAD OTHER INFO PLT RECEIVED BEEN ACCURATE, ACFT WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO RETURN TO BGM, HENCE THIS INACCURACY WAS PREVALENT RATHER THAN AN ANOMALY. FORECASTS AND PLT BRIEFINGS ARE BASED ON THIS INFO AND IT IS THIS WHICH PRECIPITATED THE SIT IN THE FIRST PLACE. WX WILL ALWAYS BE CHANGING AND NEVER BE TOTALLY PREDICTABLE, BUT THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR OBSERVATIONS OF CURRENT CONDITIONS TO BE BLATANTLY AND DANGEROUSLY WRONG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 511628: I AM A VFR PVT PLT WITH A VFR CHEROKEE PA28. I HAVE NO IFR TRAINING EXCEPT THE 4.1 HRS OF HOOD TIME DURING MY TRAINING. I PREPARED A 2 HR 15 MIN RETURN TRIP TO N79 FROM RUT BY CHKING THE WX COMPUTER AT RUTLAND AND CALLING FSS AT XC30 FOR XC30 DEP. FSS TOLD ME THERE WAS A HIGH IN THE AREA, WIND RUT 360 DEGS AT 3 KTS, CEILING LESS THAN 12000 FT. ALBANY SCATTERED 5000 FT, 140 DEGS AT 9 KTS. WILKES BARRE SCATTERED 2500 FT WITH TOPS OF 5000 FT. THE COMPUTER SHOWED ALL RAIN TO BE S AND W OF MY INTENDED RTE. BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE CLOUDS WERE SCATTERED AND THERE WAS NO RAIN IN THE RTE, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO GO. I DECIDED THAT I WOULD START THE TRIP AT 4500 FT AND STAY BELOW ANY CLOUD COVERAGE UNTIL I GOT TO THE SCATTERED CLOUDS BTWN ALBANY AND WILKES BARRE. AT THIS POINT I WOULD GO ABOVE THE 'SCATTERED' CLOUDS AND CLB TO 6500 FT, KNOWING I COULD GO THROUGH THE SCATTERED CLOUDS AT N79 TO LAND. THE TRIP WAS GOING AS PLANNED UNTIL I GOT 10 MI NW OF DELANCEY VOR. I WAS FLYING BELOW MILD CLOUD COVER AT 4500 FT BUT WAS STILL VOR. THEN THE CLOUDS THICKENED AND I WAS IN A WHITEOUT. KNOWING THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS ALONG THE RTE WERE AT 3800 FT, I WANTED TO BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO DSND. UPON THE ADVICE OF ATC, I MADE THE DECISION TO CLB. AT 5000 FT, I WAS BACK TO VFR. I CLBED TO THE PROPER ALT OF 6500 FT AND CONTINUED. BINGAMTON APCH WAS NOW TREATING THE SIT AS AN EMER AND INFORMED ME OF THE ATIS RPT WHICH RPTED 'FEW CLOUDS AT 3000 FT.' BASED ON THIS, I CONTINUED ON COURSE LOOKING FOR A HOLE TO DSND THROUGH AND LAND. BUT AS I CONTINUED THE CLOUDS AT 6500 FT INTENSIFIED ONCE AGAIN AND BECAME IFR. ATC ADVISED A HDG OF 360 DEGS. I DID SO AND EVENTUALLY FOUND A SMALL HOLE IN THE CLOUDS S OF BINGAMTON REGIONAL ARPT AND LANDED THERE. THROUGH THE HELP OF BINGAMTON APCH AND WILKES BARRE APCH, I GOT OUT OF THIS SIT. MY DECISION TO MAKE THIS TRIP WAS BASED ON WX RPTS OF 'SCATTERED CLOUDS' ON THE WX COMPUTER, THE FSS, AND THE 'FEW CLOUDS' RPT FROM THE ATIS. THE CLOUDS WERE FAR FROM SCATTERED AND FEW. THE DEFINITION OF THESE TERMS WAS MISLEADING. THROUGH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF IFR TRAINING AND READING NUMEROUS SAFETY AND ACCIDENT RPTS, I TRUSTED MY ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND ALTIMETER AND FINALLY GOT OUT OF IFR CONDITIONS. LOOKING BACK, I REALIZE THAT AS SOON AS I GOT INTO THE CLOUDS, I SHOULD HAVE TURNED 180 DEGS INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO THE WX RPTS AND CONTINUING. BUT WX RPTS OF SCATTERED AND FEW CLOUDS LED ME TO BELIEVE I COULD SAFELY MAKE THIS TRIP.

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.