Narrative:

I planned an IFR flight plan from uao to hqm and then fly VFR to S16. I was planning to departure approximately XA30 local time and filed direct from uao to hqm to S16 at 6000 ft. I departed XA40 VFR and about 30 mins into my flight, I activated my IFR flight plan with portland approach. I entered into IMC about XB00. About an hour into the flight (approximately XB40) I requested a descent at 500 FPM and thought I was cleared to 5000 ft and began descending. About 15 mins later, I thought the controller instructed me to cross over hqm to 5000 ft and I was unsure of this instruction so I asked for him to repeat instructions. I continued to go to the hqm airport at 5000 ft and I thought he said I was east of the hqm airport about 12 miles and thought that didn't seem correct. He suggested that I had the aircraft GPS tuned to the hqm airport and then I figured out he wanted me to navigation to the hqm VOR. Then I turned to the hqm VOR and confirmed that I was 12.4 miles east of the VOR. The GPS showed 12.4 miles bearing 235 degrees. I began navigating toward the VOR as instructed and he asked if I wanted vectors to the ILS at hqm, in which I said yes. He gave me a phone number to call when I landed. I didn't see any FBO, just a card lock self serve gas pump. I took off 15 mins later and safely returned to uao on a pre-filed IFR flight plan. After I landed in uao, I called the phone number given by ATC and was questioned what I was doing and what my intentions were when I flew directly to the hqm airport. I explained that I thought I was cleared to the hqm airport. She then asked something about why I was planning to fly VFR in IFR conditions. I responded by saying that at the time I departed, FSS provided me with a 2500 ft ceiling in hqm, but the ceilings came down to 700 ft by the time I got to the hqm airport. He basically said I was unsafe and not proficient. He then said I had an altitude deviation when I descended to 5000 ft because he said I was not cleared to 5000 ft when I began descending. I was under the impression that I was cleared to 5000 ft, then began the descent but he disagreed. I have since contacted a flight instructor to practice cross country flts into IMC this week and plan to review procedures, far's, flight planning and actual flying in IMC.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ALT EXCURSION AND TRACK DEV BY A RELATIVELY INEXPERIENCED PLT ON AN IFR FLT IN IMC CONDITIONS CAUSE ATC, IN A FOLLOW-UP CONTACT, TO SUGGEST LACK OF PROFICIENCY. THE PLT RPTS SEEKING FURTHER INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: I PLANNED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM UAO TO HQM AND THEN FLY VFR TO S16. I WAS PLANNING TO DEP APPROX XA30 LCL TIME AND FILED DIRECT FROM UAO TO HQM TO S16 AT 6000 FT. I DEPARTED XA40 VFR AND ABOUT 30 MINS INTO MY FLT, I ACTIVATED MY IFR FLT PLAN WITH PORTLAND APCH. I ENTERED INTO IMC ABOUT XB00. ABOUT AN HOUR INTO THE FLT (APPROX XB40) I REQUESTED A DESCENT AT 500 FPM AND THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT AND BEGAN DSNDING. ABOUT 15 MINS LATER, I THOUGHT THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO CROSS OVER HQM TO 5000 FT AND I WAS UNSURE OF THIS INSTRUCTION SO I ASKED FOR HIM TO REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS. I CONTINUED TO GO TO THE HQM ARPT AT 5000 FT AND I THOUGHT HE SAID I WAS E OF THE HQM ARPT ABOUT 12 MILES AND THOUGHT THAT DIDN'T SEEM CORRECT. HE SUGGESTED THAT I HAD THE ACFT GPS TUNED TO THE HQM ARPT AND THEN I FIGURED OUT HE WANTED ME TO NAV TO THE HQM VOR. THEN I TURNED TO THE HQM VOR AND CONFIRMED THAT I WAS 12.4 MILES E OF THE VOR. THE GPS SHOWED 12.4 MILES BEARING 235 DEGS. I BEGAN NAVING TOWARD THE VOR AS INSTRUCTED AND HE ASKED IF I WANTED VECTORS TO THE ILS AT HQM, IN WHICH I SAID YES. HE GAVE ME A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL WHEN I LANDED. I DIDN'T SEE ANY FBO, JUST A CARD LOCK SELF SERVE GAS PUMP. I TOOK OFF 15 MINS LATER AND SAFELY RETURNED TO UAO ON A PRE-FILED IFR FLT PLAN. AFTER I LANDED IN UAO, I CALLED THE PHONE NUMBER GIVEN BY ATC AND WAS QUESTIONED WHAT I WAS DOING AND WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE WHEN I FLEW DIRECTLY TO THE HQM ARPT. I EXPLAINED THAT I THOUGHT I WAS CLRED TO THE HQM ARPT. SHE THEN ASKED SOMETHING ABOUT WHY I WAS PLANNING TO FLY VFR IN IFR CONDITIONS. I RESPONDED BY SAYING THAT AT THE TIME I DEPARTED, FSS PROVIDED ME WITH A 2500 FT CEILING IN HQM, BUT THE CEILINGS CAME DOWN TO 700 FT BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE HQM ARPT. HE BASICALLY SAID I WAS UNSAFE AND NOT PROFICIENT. HE THEN SAID I HAD AN ALT DEV WHEN I DSNDED TO 5000 FT BECAUSE HE SAID I WAS NOT CLRED TO 5000 FT WHEN I BEGAN DSNDING. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT I WAS CLRED TO 5000 FT, THEN BEGAN THE DSCNT BUT HE DISAGREED. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED A FLT INSTRUCTOR TO PRACTICE CROSS COUNTRY FLTS INTO IMC THIS WEEK AND PLAN TO REVIEW PROCS, FAR'S, FLT PLANNING AND ACTUAL FLYING IN IMC.

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.