Narrative:

Arrived at prior regional (DCU) at XA30. My normal practice is to obtain dtn and duats WX reports prior to departure but the FBO was closed. I decided to depart and obtain WX broadcasts at reporting stations along the route. The folsom (3a1) AWOS broadcast was favorable and the flight continued at 4500 ft MSL/heading 181 degrees. Tried to contact ZJX for flight following unsuccessfully. Contacted birmingham approach and obtained flight following. No additional WX information was obtained. Southwest of birmingham the ceiling and visibility rapidly deteriorated and the wind increased. The decision was made to land at bessemer (eky). Flight following was terminated and I entered the pattern to land. On final approach to bessemer the wind was substantial and at a 90 degree angle to the only runway. The landing was aborted. The ceiling and visibility at 2000 ft MSL was poor and the decision was made to turn north towards birmingham and climb into known IMC conditions to avoid contact with terrain. Birmingham approach was contacted, apprised of the situation and requested to provide vectors to birmingham international. The controller provided WX information and vectors that resulted in a safe landing at birmingham international. In retrospect, additional WX information from FSS, duats or dtn more than likely would have yielded information concerning the WX conditions along the route thus avoiding the deviation from VFR to IMC. It has now become my normal practice to obtain a standard WX briefing from FSS prior to any flight whether local or cross country. At the time of the deviation, I had begun IFR rating training with the intention of obtaining same within the following 6 months. As a relatively new GA pilot, each flight is a learning experience as conditions are never the same. A good pilot learns from mistakes made and takes positive action to ensure they are not repeated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AA5 ENCOUNTERS ADVERSE WX ON XCOUNTRY, INITIATES CLB THROUGH CLOUDS WHEN UNABLE TO MAKE AN APCH TO EKY, CALLING BHM APCH FOR DIVERT CLRNC TO EXIT WX AND LAND.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT PRIOR REGIONAL (DCU) AT XA30. MY NORMAL PRACTICE IS TO OBTAIN DTN AND DUATS WX RPTS PRIOR TO DEP BUT THE FBO WAS CLOSED. I DECIDED TO DEPART AND OBTAIN WX BROADCASTS AT RPTING STATIONS ALONG THE RTE. THE FOLSOM (3A1) AWOS BROADCAST WAS FAVORABLE AND THE FLT CONTINUED AT 4500 FT MSL/HEADING 181 DEGS. TRIED TO CONTACT ZJX FOR FLT FOLLOWING UNSUCCESSFULLY. CONTACTED BIRMINGHAM APCH AND OBTAINED FLT FOLLOWING. NO ADDITIONAL WX INFO WAS OBTAINED. SW OF BIRMINGHAM THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY RAPIDLY DETERIORATED AND THE WIND INCREASED. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO LAND AT BESSEMER (EKY). FLT FOLLOWING WAS TERMINATED AND I ENTERED THE PATTERN TO LAND. ON FINAL APCH TO BESSEMER THE WIND WAS SUBSTANTIAL AND AT A 90 DEG ANGLE TO THE ONLY RWY. THE LNDG WAS ABORTED. THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY AT 2000 FT MSL WAS POOR AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO TURN N TOWARDS BIRMINGHAM AND CLB INTO KNOWN IMC CONDITIONS TO AVOID CONTACT WITH TERRAIN. BIRMINGHAM APCH WAS CONTACTED, APPRISED OF THE SIT AND REQUESTED TO PROVIDE VECTORS TO BIRMINGHAM INTL. THE CTLR PROVIDED WX INFO AND VECTORS THAT RESULTED IN A SAFE LNDG AT BIRMINGHAM INTL. IN RETROSPECT, ADDITIONAL WX INFO FROM FSS, DUATS OR DTN MORE THAN LIKELY WOULD HAVE YIELDED INFO CONCERNING THE WX CONDITIONS ALONG THE RTE THUS AVOIDING THE DEV FROM VFR TO IMC. IT HAS NOW BECOME MY NORMAL PRACTICE TO OBTAIN A STANDARD WX BRIEFING FROM FSS PRIOR TO ANY FLT WHETHER LCL OR XCOUNTRY. AT THE TIME OF THE DEV, I HAD BEGUN IFR RATING TRAINING WITH THE INTENTION OF OBTAINING SAME WITHIN THE FOLLOWING 6 MONTHS. AS A RELATIVELY NEW GA PLT, EACH FLT IS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AS CONDITIONS ARE NEVER THE SAME. A GOOD PLT LEARNS FROM MISTAKES MADE AND TAKES POSITIVE ACTION TO ENSURE THEY ARE NOT REPEATED.

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.