Narrative:

I was instructor on a flight that was supposed to be a daytime VFR first dual cross country using only pilotage. We were departing a class D airport underneath a class B shelf and heading to a class G airport approximately 64 NM away. Student had received full WX briefing from FSS for an early afternoon departure. Expected airmets were out for IFR and conditions deteriorating toward the later part of the day. The current conditions were rain and lowering ceilings but still VFR. 2 flight plans were filed for destination and back. The conditions were just slightly better than the school's minimum requirements for VFR practice area flying of overcast 25 mi. Skies were rainy with mist with unseasonably warm temperatures for michigan winter. We had not lifted off until XB55Z and immediately thereafter we realized we could not achieve our flight planned altitude due to dense mist above us. We maintained between 1000-1500 ft AGL. Our flight visibility seemed between 3-5 mi. I thought it would be a good training exercise for flying in lower visibilities and using pilotage. We were about 3/4 of the way to our destination but the visibility was getting worse. We adjusted our heading to fly directly over the freeway as it would be a good guide to the destination. We were occasionally rocked by moderate turbulence and the overcast layer seemed to be getting lower as we approached. We found the airport without too much difficulty (besides the low visibility) and made a proper pattern entry and normal landing. After touchdown and pulling off the active, I was concerned about my student's stress level and asked him if he wanted a break or to return home. He requested a break. We were probably inside for 15 mins. We returned to the aircraft, checked fuel, oil, and did a re-sump of the tanks. Taxiing out to the run-up area the ASOS reported 2 1/2 SM broken overcast. We did our run-up and then I checked the ASOS again. It reported 3 mi visibility, but clouds were still at 700 ft AGL. I decided it was time for me to do all the flying and I informed the student to situation back and keep track of our position with the sectional chart. An IFR flight for the trip home would have been most appropriate, but my currency was not logged and I was trying to avoid violating a regulation. I believed at the time that the low overcast was localized and we could get out of it pretty easily with our return course. When we took off, the overcast layer came up quick, so we maintained approximately 500 ft AGL and turned immediately to intercept the freeway for the best navigation home. I circled in the area over the freeway while contacting the local approach facility. They assigned me a squawk code, but were not able to give me an instrument clearance until they could see me on their radar. I asked what altitude they needed and they themselves did not know. There was no way for me to climb and remain VFR. I decided to return back to the class D airport at about the 1/2 way point and I turned the aircraft in that direction. The approach facility suggested I contact another nearby facility as maybe they could get me on their radar instead. I complied but the second facility was also not able to pick me up. They recommended I just contact the (midpoint) class D airport which was about 15 mi away. I complied and this airport's controller reported that they did not have any radar. I was cleared to land. Fortunately the airport was right off the freeway and after several mins of tense flying, we found the runway and landed. The controller had me taxi back to the hold short and after retrieving flight plan information, she tried to file it. She was unable and suggested I contact the FSS directly. I did so and filed my IFR flight plan. I again contacted the tower and received my clearance. I made a normal takeoff and climbed to an IFR altitude approximately 2200 ft AGL. I was in the clouds for the entire route back and made an ILS approach almost down to minimums at my destination. Problems: 1) I missed lunch on this day and substituted a quickly eaten bag of chips. 2) I was trying to avoid yet another cancellation and delay of the student's training. 3) with my 1600+ hours of experience I was letting the taf reports, departure's ATIS, and destination airport's ASOS be my guide as if they could keep me legal and safe. 4) the WX conditions at the trip's start were simply not appropriate for a student to fly in and may inadvertently teach the wrong message about personal limitations. 5) after arriving at the destination I was too casual about getting out of there on a timely basis. 6) the WX conditions were worse than forecast and apparently worse than reported even by the measuring equipment. 7) I was not willing to be stranded at another airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 INSTRUCTOR PLT AND STUDENT LAUNCH INTO MVFR WX AND SUBSEQUENTLY FLY IFR WITHOUT REQUIRED CURRENCY LOGGED.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTOR ON A FLT THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DAYTIME VFR FIRST DUAL XCOUNTRY USING ONLY PILOTAGE. WE WERE DEPARTING A CLASS D ARPT UNDERNEATH A CLASS B SHELF AND HEADING TO A CLASS G ARPT APPROX 64 NM AWAY. STUDENT HAD RECEIVED FULL WX BRIEFING FROM FSS FOR AN EARLY AFTERNOON DEP. EXPECTED AIRMETS WERE OUT FOR IFR AND CONDITIONS DETERIORATING TOWARD THE LATER PART OF THE DAY. THE CURRENT CONDITIONS WERE RAIN AND LOWERING CEILINGS BUT STILL VFR. 2 FLT PLANS WERE FILED FOR DEST AND BACK. THE CONDITIONS WERE JUST SLIGHTLY BETTER THAN THE SCHOOL'S MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR VFR PRACTICE AREA FLYING OF OVCST 25 MI. SKIES WERE RAINY WITH MIST WITH UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPS FOR MICHIGAN WINTER. WE HAD NOT LIFTED OFF UNTIL XB55Z AND IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER WE REALIZED WE COULD NOT ACHIEVE OUR FLT PLANNED ALT DUE TO DENSE MIST ABOVE US. WE MAINTAINED BTWN 1000-1500 FT AGL. OUR FLT VISIBILITY SEEMED BTWN 3-5 MI. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD TRAINING EXERCISE FOR FLYING IN LOWER VISIBILITIES AND USING PILOTAGE. WE WERE ABOUT 3/4 OF THE WAY TO OUR DEST BUT THE VISIBILITY WAS GETTING WORSE. WE ADJUSTED OUR HDG TO FLY DIRECTLY OVER THE FREEWAY AS IT WOULD BE A GOOD GUIDE TO THE DEST. WE WERE OCCASIONALLY ROCKED BY MODERATE TURB AND THE OVCST LAYER SEEMED TO BE GETTING LOWER AS WE APCHED. WE FOUND THE ARPT WITHOUT TOO MUCH DIFFICULTY (BESIDES THE LOW VISIBILITY) AND MADE A PROPER PATTERN ENTRY AND NORMAL LNDG. AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND PULLING OFF THE ACTIVE, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT MY STUDENT'S STRESS LEVEL AND ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED A BREAK OR TO RETURN HOME. HE REQUESTED A BREAK. WE WERE PROBABLY INSIDE FOR 15 MINS. WE RETURNED TO THE ACFT, CHKED FUEL, OIL, AND DID A RE-SUMP OF THE TANKS. TAXIING OUT TO THE RUN-UP AREA THE ASOS RPTED 2 1/2 SM BROKEN OVCST. WE DID OUR RUN-UP AND THEN I CHKED THE ASOS AGAIN. IT RPTED 3 MI VISIBILITY, BUT CLOUDS WERE STILL AT 700 FT AGL. I DECIDED IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO DO ALL THE FLYING AND I INFORMED THE STUDENT TO SIT BACK AND KEEP TRACK OF OUR POS WITH THE SECTIONAL CHART. AN IFR FLT FOR THE TRIP HOME WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST APPROPRIATE, BUT MY CURRENCY WAS NOT LOGGED AND I WAS TRYING TO AVOID VIOLATING A REG. I BELIEVED AT THE TIME THAT THE LOW OVCST WAS LOCALIZED AND WE COULD GET OUT OF IT PRETTY EASILY WITH OUR RETURN COURSE. WHEN WE TOOK OFF, THE OVCST LAYER CAME UP QUICK, SO WE MAINTAINED APPROX 500 FT AGL AND TURNED IMMEDIATELY TO INTERCEPT THE FREEWAY FOR THE BEST NAV HOME. I CIRCLED IN THE AREA OVER THE FREEWAY WHILE CONTACTING THE LCL APCH FACILITY. THEY ASSIGNED ME A SQUAWK CODE, BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO GIVE ME AN INST CLRNC UNTIL THEY COULD SEE ME ON THEIR RADAR. I ASKED WHAT ALT THEY NEEDED AND THEY THEMSELVES DID NOT KNOW. THERE WAS NO WAY FOR ME TO CLB AND REMAIN VFR. I DECIDED TO RETURN BACK TO THE CLASS D ARPT AT ABOUT THE 1/2 WAY POINT AND I TURNED THE ACFT IN THAT DIRECTION. THE APCH FACILITY SUGGESTED I CONTACT ANOTHER NEARBY FACILITY AS MAYBE THEY COULD GET ME ON THEIR RADAR INSTEAD. I COMPLIED BUT THE SECOND FACILITY WAS ALSO NOT ABLE TO PICK ME UP. THEY RECOMMENDED I JUST CONTACT THE (MIDPOINT) CLASS D ARPT WHICH WAS ABOUT 15 MI AWAY. I COMPLIED AND THIS ARPT'S CTLR RPTED THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY RADAR. I WAS CLRED TO LAND. FORTUNATELY THE ARPT WAS RIGHT OFF THE FREEWAY AND AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF TENSE FLYING, WE FOUND THE RWY AND LANDED. THE CTLR HAD ME TAXI BACK TO THE HOLD SHORT AND AFTER RETRIEVING FLT PLAN INFO, SHE TRIED TO FILE IT. SHE WAS UNABLE AND SUGGESTED I CONTACT THE FSS DIRECTLY. I DID SO AND FILED MY IFR FLT PLAN. I AGAIN CONTACTED THE TWR AND RECEIVED MY CLRNC. I MADE A NORMAL TKOF AND CLBED TO AN IFR ALT APPROX 2200 FT AGL. I WAS IN THE CLOUDS FOR THE ENTIRE RTE BACK AND MADE AN ILS APCH ALMOST DOWN TO MINIMUMS AT MY DEST. PROBS: 1) I MISSED LUNCH ON THIS DAY AND SUBSTITUTED A QUICKLY EATEN BAG OF CHIPS. 2) I WAS TRYING TO AVOID YET ANOTHER CANCELLATION AND DELAY OF THE STUDENT'S TRAINING. 3) WITH MY 1600+ HRS OF EXPERIENCE I WAS LETTING THE TAF RPTS, DEP'S ATIS, AND DEST ARPT'S ASOS BE MY GUIDE AS IF THEY COULD KEEP ME LEGAL AND SAFE. 4) THE WX CONDITIONS AT THE TRIP'S START WERE SIMPLY NOT APPROPRIATE FOR A STUDENT TO FLY IN AND MAY INADVERTENTLY TEACH THE WRONG MESSAGE ABOUT PERSONAL LIMITATIONS. 5) AFTER ARRIVING AT THE DEST I WAS TOO CASUAL ABOUT GETTING OUT OF THERE ON A TIMELY BASIS. 6) THE WX CONDITIONS WERE WORSE THAN FORECAST AND APPARENTLY WORSE THAN RPTED EVEN BY THE MEASURING EQUIP. 7) I WAS NOT WILLING TO BE STRANDED AT ANOTHER ARPT.

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.