Narrative:

While on my cross country back from ZZZ1, there was a layer of small cumulus clouds at approximately 6000 ft MSL. It was not reported whether it was broken or scattered, but I would say it was closer to scattered because the clouds were small patches instead of a layer. My cruise altitude was 5500 ft MSL, so assuming the clouds were at exactly 6000 ft, then I was already at the VFR minimums. Moderate turbulence was reported in the area for that day, and obviously I was flying in turbulent air because I was under the cumulous clouds. It was a pretty rough flight on the way back and I spent most of my time countering the turbulence and trying to trim the aircraft out. At the time of the deviation, I had been checking my flight plan and filling in the air traffic area's and ETA's for my next chkpoint. I tried to keep control with my left hand while looking down at my flight plan, and I didn't think that I could gain so much altitude in the short time that I had been working on my flight plan. I would glance up at my visual references and it didn't seem that I was any closer to the clouds, but none were directly overhead so it most likely tricked my senses. When I noticed the altimeter I was at 6000 ft MSL, but the clouds I was approaching didn't seem any lower with reference to my plane than before. I immediately pushed the nose down and began to descend. Less than 10 seconds later, at 5700 ft, the controller asked me to state my altitude, to which I replied 'I am returning to five-five.' then the controller repeated, 'roger, maintain VFR.' I didn't know if the controller thought that I intentionally left my altitude, so I apologized for the mistake. I am sure that I broke the VFR minimums as far as spacing from the clouds, but I know for sure that I never flew through a cloud. This was my first experience flying under a layer on a cross country where altitude is fixed, and maintaining that altitude is important. Learning comes with experience, and I definitely learned something from this flight. I realize now that not only visually checking for attitude and traffic is necessary when distraction, but also to check the altimeter. Being as organized as possible on the flight plan will indeed help you in the air when you are flying by yourself as well as helping watch for traffic when in sits of distraction.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR PA28 PLT WITH RADAR FLT FOLLOWING DEVIATED FROM AN ASSIGNED ALT AND ALSO VIOLATED MINIMUM CLOUD CLRNC REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: WHILE ON MY XCOUNTRY BACK FROM ZZZ1, THERE WAS A LAYER OF SMALL CUMULUS CLOUDS AT APPROX 6000 FT MSL. IT WAS NOT RPTED WHETHER IT WAS BROKEN OR SCATTERED, BUT I WOULD SAY IT WAS CLOSER TO SCATTERED BECAUSE THE CLOUDS WERE SMALL PATCHES INSTEAD OF A LAYER. MY CRUISE ALT WAS 5500 FT MSL, SO ASSUMING THE CLOUDS WERE AT EXACTLY 6000 FT, THEN I WAS ALREADY AT THE VFR MINIMUMS. MODERATE TURB WAS RPTED IN THE AREA FOR THAT DAY, AND OBVIOUSLY I WAS FLYING IN TURBULENT AIR BECAUSE I WAS UNDER THE CUMULOUS CLOUDS. IT WAS A PRETTY ROUGH FLT ON THE WAY BACK AND I SPENT MOST OF MY TIME COUNTERING THE TURB AND TRYING TO TRIM THE ACFT OUT. AT THE TIME OF THE DEV, I HAD BEEN CHKING MY FLT PLAN AND FILLING IN THE ATA'S AND ETA'S FOR MY NEXT CHKPOINT. I TRIED TO KEEP CTL WITH MY L HAND WHILE LOOKING DOWN AT MY FLT PLAN, AND I DIDN'T THINK THAT I COULD GAIN SO MUCH ALT IN THE SHORT TIME THAT I HAD BEEN WORKING ON MY FLT PLAN. I WOULD GLANCE UP AT MY VISUAL REFS AND IT DIDN'T SEEM THAT I WAS ANY CLOSER TO THE CLOUDS, BUT NONE WERE DIRECTLY OVERHEAD SO IT MOST LIKELY TRICKED MY SENSES. WHEN I NOTICED THE ALTIMETER I WAS AT 6000 FT MSL, BUT THE CLOUDS I WAS APCHING DIDN'T SEEM ANY LOWER WITH REF TO MY PLANE THAN BEFORE. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN AND BEGAN TO DSND. LESS THAN 10 SECONDS LATER, AT 5700 FT, THE CTLR ASKED ME TO STATE MY ALT, TO WHICH I REPLIED 'I AM RETURNING TO FIVE-FIVE.' THEN THE CTLR REPEATED, 'ROGER, MAINTAIN VFR.' I DIDN'T KNOW IF THE CTLR THOUGHT THAT I INTENTIONALLY LEFT MY ALT, SO I APOLOGIZED FOR THE MISTAKE. I AM SURE THAT I BROKE THE VFR MINIMUMS AS FAR AS SPACING FROM THE CLOUDS, BUT I KNOW FOR SURE THAT I NEVER FLEW THROUGH A CLOUD. THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE FLYING UNDER A LAYER ON A XCOUNTRY WHERE ALT IS FIXED, AND MAINTAINING THAT ALT IS IMPORTANT. LEARNING COMES WITH EXPERIENCE, AND I DEFINITELY LEARNED SOMETHING FROM THIS FLT. I REALIZE NOW THAT NOT ONLY VISUALLY CHKING FOR ATTITUDE AND TFC IS NECESSARY WHEN DISTR, BUT ALSO TO CHK THE ALTIMETER. BEING AS ORGANIZED AS POSSIBLE ON THE FLT PLAN WILL INDEED HELP YOU IN THE AIR WHEN YOU ARE FLYING BY YOURSELF AS WELL AS HELPING WATCH FOR TFC WHEN IN SITS OF DISTR.

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.