A PA28 pilot VFR in IMC.

Attributes
ACN	536387
Time
Date	200201
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : act.vortac
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : act.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2300 flight time type : 140
ASRS Report	536387
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I took off VFR and planned to circle around outskirts of city to stay over less populated and uncontrolled areas at 500 ft AGL. The WX at pwg mcgreggor was 800 ft overcast. As I was heading east to go to 73F wings for christ, I started getting boxed in by clouds and realized that I could no longer maintain VFR so I called approach and told them my problem and he said I would need to climb to 2800 ft VFR before they could get me a pop-up IFR to get into waco or tstc. Then another controller, probably the supervisor, asked if I could maintain my own obstruction clearance to 2800 ft and I said I could, so he told me to do that and at 2800 ft go direct to the waco VOR. Then they put me on a squawk and I got vectors for the ILS into cnw but I did not feel comfortable with the instruments so I requested an ASR into waco and landed there until the WX cleared up a few days later. What will prevent a recurrence is just filing IFR into an IFR airport and not going VFR when the WX is that low.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF VFR AND PLANNED TO CIRCLE AROUND OUTSKIRTS OF CITY TO STAY OVER LESS POPULATED AND UNCTLED AREAS AT 500 FT AGL. THE WX AT PWG MCGREGGOR WAS 800 FT OVCST. AS I WAS HDG E TO GO TO 73F WINGS FOR CHRIST, I STARTED GETTING BOXED IN BY CLOUDS AND REALIZED THAT I COULD NO LONGER MAINTAIN VFR SO I CALLED APCH AND TOLD THEM MY PROB AND HE SAID I WOULD NEED TO CLB TO 2800 FT VFR BEFORE THEY COULD GET ME A POP-UP IFR TO GET INTO WACO OR TSTC. THEN ANOTHER CTLR, PROBABLY THE SUPVR, ASKED IF I COULD MAINTAIN MY OWN OBSTRUCTION CLRNC TO 2800 FT AND I SAID I COULD, SO HE TOLD ME TO DO THAT AND AT 2800 FT GO DIRECT TO THE WACO VOR. THEN THEY PUT ME ON A SQUAWK AND I GOT VECTORS FOR THE ILS INTO CNW BUT I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE INSTS SO I REQUESTED AN ASR INTO WACO AND LANDED THERE UNTIL THE WX CLRED UP A FEW DAYS LATER. WHAT WILL PREVENT A RECURRENCE IS JUST FILING IFR INTO AN IFR ARPT AND NOT GOING VFR WHEN THE WX IS THAT LOW.

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.