Pilots operating a VFR flight become IMC and unable to maintain MSA.

Attributes
ACN	544758
Time
Date	200204
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cew.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl single value : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : p31.tracon
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 830 flight time type : 720
ASRS Report	544758
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On apr/sat/02, a student and I departed for destin, dts. An airmet was out for IFR, but conditions were expected to end by our arrival time. We departed on the day dual commercial cross country which must be over 100 NM. En route conditions became marginal and we were VFR on top of a thin broken layer for about 20 mins. Destin was reporting 500 ft broken while crestview was varying between 500-900 ft broken. We decided cew was worth a shot since destin was not VFR. We found a large hole in the clouds west of cew and descended. We were scud running to the airport and had the airport in sight at 5 mi out. Cew is class east to the surface but having flown there many times before, I was under the impression that it was class G until 700 ft AGL. We were unable to maintain VFR and our MSA at the same time. In hindsight, we should have circled on top for a while because conditions improved within 20 mins. We also could have landed elsewhere or gotten an SVFR clearance since it was a class east surface area airport. That would have made us legal. This was my first time scud running and definitely my last. It was a very uncomfortable situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLTS OPERATING A VFR FLT BECOME IMC AND UNABLE TO MAINTAIN MSA.

Narrative: ON APR/SAT/02, A STUDENT AND I DEPARTED FOR DESTIN, DTS. AN AIRMET WAS OUT FOR IFR, BUT CONDITIONS WERE EXPECTED TO END BY OUR ARR TIME. WE DEPARTED ON THE DAY DUAL COMMERCIAL XCOUNTRY WHICH MUST BE OVER 100 NM. ENRTE CONDITIONS BECAME MARGINAL AND WE WERE VFR ON TOP OF A THIN BROKEN LAYER FOR ABOUT 20 MINS. DESTIN WAS RPTING 500 FT BROKEN WHILE CRESTVIEW WAS VARYING BTWN 500-900 FT BROKEN. WE DECIDED CEW WAS WORTH A SHOT SINCE DESTIN WAS NOT VFR. WE FOUND A LARGE HOLE IN THE CLOUDS W OF CEW AND DSNDED. WE WERE SCUD RUNNING TO THE ARPT AND HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT 5 MI OUT. CEW IS CLASS E TO THE SURFACE BUT HAVING FLOWN THERE MANY TIMES BEFORE, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS CLASS G UNTIL 700 FT AGL. WE WERE UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR AND OUR MSA AT THE SAME TIME. IN HINDSIGHT, WE SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED ON TOP FOR A WHILE BECAUSE CONDITIONS IMPROVED WITHIN 20 MINS. WE ALSO COULD HAVE LANDED ELSEWHERE OR GOTTEN AN SVFR CLRNC SINCE IT WAS A CLASS E SURFACE AREA ARPT. THAT WOULD HAVE MADE US LEGAL. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME SCUD RUNNING AND DEFINITELY MY LAST. IT WAS A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SIT.

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.