A CH200 private, non IFR rated pilot goes IMC in VFR flight during a climb to on top conditions when...

Attributes
ACN	573233
Time
Date	200302
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
State Reference	IA
Altitude	msl single value : 3200
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Ice Fog
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dsm.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 58 flight time total : 168 flight time type : 39
ASRS Report	573233
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Prior to departure from fairfield, ia, I had checked the AWOS, NOAA WX radio, and WX channel, but neglected to check with FSS. WX was clear with no fog forecasted within my 106 mi route. We definitely had VFR in fairfield when I departed. As best as I could remember, ceiling was 4500 ft. I departed around XA00 with a course towards winterset (3y3) to undercast south of des moines airspace with intention of turning north from there towards my final destination at the private airstrip in de soto (IA51). Visibility and ceilings were good until I got within about 5 mi of winterset. My radio was tuned to 117.5 -- VOR des moines for alternate navigation verification. And I could barely make out a voice on the channel with some recorded advisory about rime ice and perhaps I could make out top but wasn't sure and I wasn't over an airport. Then off in the distance to the north and west where I was headed, things looked a little hazy. Then I noticed the hazy condition seemed to be moving towards me a lot faster than I was moving towards it. And I suddenly found myself in haze with poor ground visibility. I turned 180 degrees, maintaining 3200 ft MSL. But the clear airspace I had just flown through was now haze also. The haze almost instantly seemed to turn to fog and the ground disappeared. I was 2000 ft AGL, but I was afraid to descend without visibility. I climbed to about 6000 ft MSL and was then above the cloud deck and I couldn't see a hole in any direction. I made an emergency call on 121.5 and received help from fort dodge FSS and priority handling from des moines approach. Also, a private aircraft flew up from amw to help as an escort. I was told to fly west where there was a hole in the clouds 5-10 mi wide. I descended through the hole and flew to a landing at ames airport (amw). I met another pilot on the ground who had also gotten caught in the same fog, but he said he had gotten out of it by descending. But I didn't feel that was an option at the time. I received phone calls on the ground from des moines approach and fort dodge FSS while at ames and was told that this form should be filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CH200 PVT, NON IFR RATED PLT GOES IMC IN VFR FLT DURING A CLB TO ON TOP CONDITIONS WHEN TRAPPED BY SUDDEN CLOUD FORMATIONS ON A VFR FLT NEAR TO AND DIVERTING TO AMW, IA.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP FROM FAIRFIELD, IA, I HAD CHKED THE AWOS, NOAA WX RADIO, AND WX CHANNEL, BUT NEGLECTED TO CHK WITH FSS. WX WAS CLR WITH NO FOG FORECASTED WITHIN MY 106 MI RTE. WE DEFINITELY HAD VFR IN FAIRFIELD WHEN I DEPARTED. AS BEST AS I COULD REMEMBER, CEILING WAS 4500 FT. I DEPARTED AROUND XA00 WITH A COURSE TOWARDS WINTERSET (3Y3) TO UNDERCAST S OF DES MOINES AIRSPACE WITH INTENTION OF TURNING N FROM THERE TOWARDS MY FINAL DEST AT THE PVT AIRSTRIP IN DE SOTO (IA51). VISIBILITY AND CEILINGS WERE GOOD UNTIL I GOT WITHIN ABOUT 5 MI OF WINTERSET. MY RADIO WAS TUNED TO 117.5 -- VOR DES MOINES FOR ALTERNATE NAV VERIFICATION. AND I COULD BARELY MAKE OUT A VOICE ON THE CHANNEL WITH SOME RECORDED ADVISORY ABOUT RIME ICE AND PERHAPS I COULD MAKE OUT TOP BUT WASN'T SURE AND I WASN'T OVER AN ARPT. THEN OFF IN THE DISTANCE TO THE N AND W WHERE I WAS HEADED, THINGS LOOKED A LITTLE HAZY. THEN I NOTICED THE HAZY CONDITION SEEMED TO BE MOVING TOWARDS ME A LOT FASTER THAN I WAS MOVING TOWARDS IT. AND I SUDDENLY FOUND MYSELF IN HAZE WITH POOR GND VISIBILITY. I TURNED 180 DEGS, MAINTAINING 3200 FT MSL. BUT THE CLR AIRSPACE I HAD JUST FLOWN THROUGH WAS NOW HAZE ALSO. THE HAZE ALMOST INSTANTLY SEEMED TO TURN TO FOG AND THE GND DISAPPEARED. I WAS 2000 FT AGL, BUT I WAS AFRAID TO DSND WITHOUT VISIBILITY. I CLBED TO ABOUT 6000 FT MSL AND WAS THEN ABOVE THE CLOUD DECK AND I COULDN'T SEE A HOLE IN ANY DIRECTION. I MADE AN EMER CALL ON 121.5 AND RECEIVED HELP FROM FORT DODGE FSS AND PRIORITY HANDLING FROM DES MOINES APCH. ALSO, A PVT ACFT FLEW UP FROM AMW TO HELP AS AN ESCORT. I WAS TOLD TO FLY W WHERE THERE WAS A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS 5-10 MI WIDE. I DSNDED THROUGH THE HOLE AND FLEW TO A LNDG AT AMES ARPT (AMW). I MET ANOTHER PLT ON THE GND WHO HAD ALSO GOTTEN CAUGHT IN THE SAME FOG, BUT HE SAID HE HAD GOTTEN OUT OF IT BY DSNDING. BUT I DIDN'T FEEL THAT WAS AN OPTION AT THE TIME. I RECEIVED PHONE CALLS ON THE GND FROM DES MOINES APCH AND FORT DODGE FSS WHILE AT AMES AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS FORM SHOULD BE FILED.

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.

A CH200 private, non IFR rated pilot goes IMC in VFR flight during a climb to on top conditions when trapped by sudden cloud formations on a VFR flight near to and diverting to amw, ia.