C180 pilot descended to 500 ft to attempt to stay clear of the clouds in S46 class east airspace.

Attributes
ACN	541032
Time
Date	200203
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : s43.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 180 Skywagon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 187 flight time type : 67
ASRS Report	541032
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on a VFR flight from S43 (harvey field) to ors (orcas island) to return home with my family. I received a WX briefing from seattle FSS and filed a VFR flight plan. The report included a WX observation of 6 mi visibility and few clouds at 100 ft, 1100 ft, and a ceiling of 1700 ft at arlington airport (awo) which is about 15 mi north of S43. The briefing also included a report of a band of showers in the area around arlington. We took off and headed north on our route of flight. A few mi north of S43 there were some clouds down to about 600 ft MSL, but the sky appeared lighter beyond them. I descended down below the clouds and tried to skirt between the tfr around the everett, wa, navy base and the rising terrain to the east. When we descended under the cloud we saw that the clouds remained low to the north. From the chart it appeared that we were now north of the tfr, so I started to turn to the west to do a 180 degree turn and return to S43. When I had turned to a heading of about 250 degrees, I saw what appeared to be some clearing to the north in the direction of awo. I turned north and overflew marysville, wa, at about 500 ft AGL. The clearing to the north proved short-lived. I listened to the awo ASOS and they were reporting 3/4 mi visibility. Hearing that, I made a 180 degree turn to the east and returned to S43 again trying to skirt between the terrain and the everett tfr. I was at 500 ft MSL to remain clear of the clouds returning. When we got south of highway 2, the ceiling rose to 3000+ ft and the visibility was unlimited. After I had made my 180 degree turn, I had contacted seattle FSS to amend my flight plan destination and to give them a PIREP. Once we had S43 in sight and we were in clear WX, we closed our flight plan. At that time the FSS briefer told us that several other flts were having better conditions flying north on the west side of whidbey island. We decided to try that and flew south of the paine field class D airspace then flew north to orcas island in 1500+ ft ceilings and 5-7 mi visibility. In hindsight, ducking below the first cloud was a mistake. I expected there to be decent visibility under the cloud and for the WX to improve shortly in the vicinity of awo, but it didn't.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C180 PLT DSNDED TO 500 FT TO ATTEMPT TO STAY CLR OF THE CLOUDS IN S46 CLASS E AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A VFR FLT FROM S43 (HARVEY FIELD) TO ORS (ORCAS ISLAND) TO RETURN HOME WITH MY FAMILY. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FROM SEATTLE FSS AND FILED A VFR FLT PLAN. THE RPT INCLUDED A WX OBSERVATION OF 6 MI VISIBILITY AND FEW CLOUDS AT 100 FT, 1100 FT, AND A CEILING OF 1700 FT AT ARLINGTON ARPT (AWO) WHICH IS ABOUT 15 MI N OF S43. THE BRIEFING ALSO INCLUDED A RPT OF A BAND OF SHOWERS IN THE AREA AROUND ARLINGTON. WE TOOK OFF AND HEADED N ON OUR RTE OF FLT. A FEW MI N OF S43 THERE WERE SOME CLOUDS DOWN TO ABOUT 600 FT MSL, BUT THE SKY APPEARED LIGHTER BEYOND THEM. I DSNDED DOWN BELOW THE CLOUDS AND TRIED TO SKIRT BTWN THE TFR AROUND THE EVERETT, WA, NAVY BASE AND THE RISING TERRAIN TO THE E. WHEN WE DSNDED UNDER THE CLOUD WE SAW THAT THE CLOUDS REMAINED LOW TO THE N. FROM THE CHART IT APPEARED THAT WE WERE NOW N OF THE TFR, SO I STARTED TO TURN TO THE W TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AND RETURN TO S43. WHEN I HAD TURNED TO A HDG OF ABOUT 250 DEGS, I SAW WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOME CLRING TO THE N IN THE DIRECTION OF AWO. I TURNED N AND OVERFLEW MARYSVILLE, WA, AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL. THE CLRING TO THE N PROVED SHORT-LIVED. I LISTENED TO THE AWO ASOS AND THEY WERE RPTING 3/4 MI VISIBILITY. HEARING THAT, I MADE A 180 DEG TURN TO THE E AND RETURNED TO S43 AGAIN TRYING TO SKIRT BTWN THE TERRAIN AND THE EVERETT TFR. I WAS AT 500 FT MSL TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS RETURNING. WHEN WE GOT S OF HWY 2, THE CEILING ROSE TO 3000+ FT AND THE VISIBILITY WAS UNLIMITED. AFTER I HAD MADE MY 180 DEG TURN, I HAD CONTACTED SEATTLE FSS TO AMEND MY FLT PLAN DEST AND TO GIVE THEM A PIREP. ONCE WE HAD S43 IN SIGHT AND WE WERE IN CLR WX, WE CLOSED OUR FLT PLAN. AT THAT TIME THE FSS BRIEFER TOLD US THAT SEVERAL OTHER FLTS WERE HAVING BETTER CONDITIONS FLYING N ON THE W SIDE OF WHIDBEY ISLAND. WE DECIDED TO TRY THAT AND FLEW S OF THE PAINE FIELD CLASS D AIRSPACE THEN FLEW N TO ORCAS ISLAND IN 1500+ FT CEILINGS AND 5-7 MI VISIBILITY. IN HINDSIGHT, DUCKING BELOW THE FIRST CLOUD WAS A MISTAKE. I EXPECTED THERE TO BE DECENT VISIBILITY UNDER THE CLOUD AND FOR THE WX TO IMPROVE SHORTLY IN THE VICINITY OF AWO, BUT IT DIDN'T.

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.