Heading track deviation and IMC during VFR flight in VFR departure in a PA32 from grb, wi.

Attributes
ACN	589669
Time
Date	200308
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grb.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	msl single value : 900
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : grb.tracon tower : grb.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : vacating altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	589669
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Assigned runway 6 for my departure. Got instructions from clearance delivery which did not include a departure frequency. Prior to calling ground control, I looked up and dialed in approach/departure 119.4 in anticipation of requesting flight following. My takeoff clearance from runway 6 included instructions to turn to heading 360 degrees when able. At about 900 ft MSL, I was given a control instruction to turn to heading 360 degrees and contact departure. I was glad I had looked up the frequency. Upon contacting departure with my altitude and assigned heading, I was told to contact the tower, something about departure not having me. I remembered thinking at the time, 'well, I'm too low for them to have me.' at this point, I was uncomfortable with the cloud ht in relation to my altitude for the assigned heading. I made a climbing right turn back to grb while contacting the tower. I told tower, 'departure wouldn't accept me and I'm about to go IMC and I am declaring an emergency. I have 4 souls, 4 hours 42 mins fuel and I'd like to climb to VFR on top.' tower said to get back on the 360 degree heading and they could only give me services back to the airport or I could contact departure. I chose to re-contact departure. This time they had me just as I was coming on top at 2800 ft MSL. Departure asked me to advise canceling IFR, which I did prior to reaching 4500 ft MSL. I would like to know, if I'm not given a departure frequency upon clearance, but then instructed to contact departure, if I'm then free (under VFR) to proceed on course? Prior to contacting departure, I wanted to turn to my on-course heading of 240 degrees, but didn't because that flight path would have had me crossing the approach end of runway 36, also an active runway. I wondered, too, if the local (tower) controller told me to 'contact departure' out of habit and without consideration of my mere 90 KIAS climb.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV AND IMC DURING VFR FLT IN VFR DEP IN A PA32 FROM GRB, WI.

Narrative: ASSIGNED RWY 6 FOR MY DEP. GOT INSTRUCTIONS FROM CLRNC DELIVERY WHICH DID NOT INCLUDE A DEP FREQ. PRIOR TO CALLING GND CTL, I LOOKED UP AND DIALED IN APCH/DEP 119.4 IN ANTICIPATION OF REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING. MY TKOF CLRNC FROM RWY 6 INCLUDED INSTRUCTIONS TO TURN TO HDG 360 DEGS WHEN ABLE. AT ABOUT 900 FT MSL, I WAS GIVEN A CTL INSTRUCTION TO TURN TO HDG 360 DEGS AND CONTACT DEP. I WAS GLAD I HAD LOOKED UP THE FREQ. UPON CONTACTING DEP WITH MY ALT AND ASSIGNED HDG, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR, SOMETHING ABOUT DEP NOT HAVING ME. I REMEMBERED THINKING AT THE TIME, 'WELL, I'M TOO LOW FOR THEM TO HAVE ME.' AT THIS POINT, I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE CLOUD HT IN RELATION TO MY ALT FOR THE ASSIGNED HDG. I MADE A CLBING R TURN BACK TO GRB WHILE CONTACTING THE TWR. I TOLD TWR, 'DEP WOULDN'T ACCEPT ME AND I'M ABOUT TO GO IMC AND I AM DECLARING AN EMER. I HAVE 4 SOULS, 4 HRS 42 MINS FUEL AND I'D LIKE TO CLB TO VFR ON TOP.' TWR SAID TO GET BACK ON THE 360 DEG HDG AND THEY COULD ONLY GIVE ME SVCS BACK TO THE ARPT OR I COULD CONTACT DEP. I CHOSE TO RE-CONTACT DEP. THIS TIME THEY HAD ME JUST AS I WAS COMING ON TOP AT 2800 FT MSL. DEP ASKED ME TO ADVISE CANCELING IFR, WHICH I DID PRIOR TO REACHING 4500 FT MSL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, IF I'M NOT GIVEN A DEP FREQ UPON CLRNC, BUT THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT DEP, IF I'M THEN FREE (UNDER VFR) TO PROCEED ON COURSE? PRIOR TO CONTACTING DEP, I WANTED TO TURN TO MY ON-COURSE HDG OF 240 DEGS, BUT DIDN'T BECAUSE THAT FLT PATH WOULD HAVE HAD ME XING THE APCH END OF RWY 36, ALSO AN ACTIVE RWY. I WONDERED, TOO, IF THE LCL (TWR) CTLR TOLD ME TO 'CONTACT DEP' OUT OF HABIT AND WITHOUT CONSIDERATION OF MY MERE 90 KIAS CLB.

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.