Narrative:

Jul/mon/01, my grumman lynx XXX departed washington exec/hyde (W32) approximately XA30. Scattered clouds, 10 mi visibility, 250 degree heading towards ryy marietta, GA, with planned fuel stop at lynchburg. 2 hours 45 mins of fuel aboard. Richmond approach was contacted for flight following. A few mins into the flight, I announced that I would descend to get below the scattered clouds. After further evaluation, I determined that would be too low for comfort, so I then alerted approach control that I would be flying above the scattered layer and below the broken layer above. The flight continued VFR for about 45 mins when visibility of the ground began to diminish. I again contacted approach to let them now I would be landing soon for WX and requested the WX report for lynchburg. The response was IFR. Since I had enough fuel to return to my origin, I asked for airport conditions behind me for 100 mi. I was told it was all IFR. Yet, I could still see some ground at this time. It was a position we VFR pilots always fear. Do we backtrack to known VFR, descend to lower altitude and search for that elusive VFR field? Or do we accept what well-trained professionals tell us and accept help rather than gamble our lives? I graciously accepted the controller's help in vectoring me to roanoke for a gradual descent even though it was beyond my intended stop. Along the way and since fuel was not a problem, I proceeded to descend through an opening in the clouds. About halfway down, I began to wonder if enough clearance would be available under the clouds and above the ground to make an alternate airport. The descent was aborted. The decision was made to stay with the controller and accept his help. Roanoke was only 35 mins away. He was informative, helpful, courteous, professional and a true asset to aviation. Once on long final, I descended through the clouds beginning at 3500 ft and broke out at 2700 ft. Once under the layer, I could see other areas of blue sky in the area. I'm not sure why the airport was IFR. Landing was uneventful. Fuel remaining was 6 gals or about 45 mins. My purpose in writing is simple. When flying VFR, WX can change quickly. VFR pilots often try to remedy the situation without help only to find themselves in real trouble. By announcing my concern early and with plenty of fuel, there was never any real emergency. I was able to remain calm and consider several alternatives. Pilots need assurance that they can get assistance without fear of reprimand by the FAA. Most of us assume that we'll get an 'incident report' that may cost us our license or at least a challenge in getting insurance. Should this incident become a major issue, I too, will be reluctant next time to seek the assistance that is available through this extremely valuable service. My deepest appreciation for the gentleman who helped me through the clouds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AA1 PLT CONTINUED FLT INTO IMC CONDITIONS IN VMC FLT.

Narrative: JUL/MON/01, MY GRUMMAN LYNX XXX DEPARTED WASHINGTON EXEC/HYDE (W32) APPROX XA30. SCATTERED CLOUDS, 10 MI VISIBILITY, 250 DEG HDG TOWARDS RYY MARIETTA, GA, WITH PLANNED FUEL STOP AT LYNCHBURG. 2 HRS 45 MINS OF FUEL ABOARD. RICHMOND APCH WAS CONTACTED FOR FLT FOLLOWING. A FEW MINS INTO THE FLT, I ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD DSND TO GET BELOW THE SCATTERED CLOUDS. AFTER FURTHER EVALUATION, I DETERMINED THAT WOULD BE TOO LOW FOR COMFORT, SO I THEN ALERTED APCH CTL THAT I WOULD BE FLYING ABOVE THE SCATTERED LAYER AND BELOW THE BROKEN LAYER ABOVE. THE FLT CONTINUED VFR FOR ABOUT 45 MINS WHEN VISIBILITY OF THE GND BEGAN TO DIMINISH. I AGAIN CONTACTED APCH TO LET THEM NOW I WOULD BE LNDG SOON FOR WX AND REQUESTED THE WX RPT FOR LYNCHBURG. THE RESPONSE WAS IFR. SINCE I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO RETURN TO MY ORIGIN, I ASKED FOR ARPT CONDITIONS BEHIND ME FOR 100 MI. I WAS TOLD IT WAS ALL IFR. YET, I COULD STILL SEE SOME GND AT THIS TIME. IT WAS A POS WE VFR PLTS ALWAYS FEAR. DO WE BACKTRACK TO KNOWN VFR, DSND TO LOWER ALT AND SEARCH FOR THAT ELUSIVE VFR FIELD? OR DO WE ACCEPT WHAT WELL-TRAINED PROFESSIONALS TELL US AND ACCEPT HELP RATHER THAN GAMBLE OUR LIVES? I GRACIOUSLY ACCEPTED THE CTLR'S HELP IN VECTORING ME TO ROANOKE FOR A GRADUAL DSCNT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS BEYOND MY INTENDED STOP. ALONG THE WAY AND SINCE FUEL WAS NOT A PROB, I PROCEEDED TO DSND THROUGH AN OPENING IN THE CLOUDS. ABOUT HALFWAY DOWN, I BEGAN TO WONDER IF ENOUGH CLRNC WOULD BE AVAILABLE UNDER THE CLOUDS AND ABOVE THE GND TO MAKE AN ALTERNATE ARPT. THE DSCNT WAS ABORTED. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO STAY WITH THE CTLR AND ACCEPT HIS HELP. ROANOKE WAS ONLY 35 MINS AWAY. HE WAS INFORMATIVE, HELPFUL, COURTEOUS, PROFESSIONAL AND A TRUE ASSET TO AVIATION. ONCE ON LONG FINAL, I DSNDED THROUGH THE CLOUDS BEGINNING AT 3500 FT AND BROKE OUT AT 2700 FT. ONCE UNDER THE LAYER, I COULD SEE OTHER AREAS OF BLUE SKY IN THE AREA. I'M NOT SURE WHY THE ARPT WAS IFR. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. FUEL REMAINING WAS 6 GALS OR ABOUT 45 MINS. MY PURPOSE IN WRITING IS SIMPLE. WHEN FLYING VFR, WX CAN CHANGE QUICKLY. VFR PLTS OFTEN TRY TO REMEDY THE SIT WITHOUT HELP ONLY TO FIND THEMSELVES IN REAL TROUBLE. BY ANNOUNCING MY CONCERN EARLY AND WITH PLENTY OF FUEL, THERE WAS NEVER ANY REAL EMER. I WAS ABLE TO REMAIN CALM AND CONSIDER SEVERAL ALTERNATIVES. PLTS NEED ASSURANCE THAT THEY CAN GET ASSISTANCE WITHOUT FEAR OF REPRIMAND BY THE FAA. MOST OF US ASSUME THAT WE'LL GET AN 'INCIDENT RPT' THAT MAY COST US OUR LICENSE OR AT LEAST A CHALLENGE IN GETTING INSURANCE. SHOULD THIS INCIDENT BECOME A MAJOR ISSUE, I TOO, WILL BE RELUCTANT NEXT TIME TO SEEK THE ASSISTANCE THAT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS EXTREMELY VALUABLE SVC. MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR THE GENTLEMAN WHO HELPED ME THROUGH THE CLOUDS.

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.