Narrative:

At the conclusion of cross country flight from ZZZ to efd under good VFR conditions; I inadvertently flew into iah class B airspace to avoid deteriorating conditions. Conditions were good VFR up to that point. Eight miles east of efd; sky conditions became considerably less than 1000 ft broken although efd ATIS reported 1500 ft ceiling and 8 mi visibility. Forecast conditions were 1500 ft scattered; 3000 ft broken and visibility +6SM. The WX was good VFR at several airports between houston and beaumont so I maintained an out. After being handed off from the approach controller to the tower controller (I had class B clearance last assigned altitude at or below 2000 ft); I was unable to maintain safe VFR under a rapidly lowering cloud deck so I elected to remain VFR above them. After confirming with the tower controller that the field was VFR; I initiated a climb toward the airport whereupon I inadvertently climbed through 2000 ft to approximately 2200 ft to 2300 ft MSL. Before I realized my incursion; I was notified by the tower controller I had penetrated the floor of the class B and he requested I descend below 2000 ft; whereupon I discovered a hole in the clouds and descended in order to make visual contact with the airport. I found the airport at three miles and found conditions to be approximately 800 ft variable broken to scattered. I was cleared and landed without incident. I had been checking WX en route and found all reporting stations within mi of my destination; including my destination; calling for VFR conditions with forecasts to remain good VFR until well after my planned/actual arrival time. In retrospect; I should have informed the approach controller I did not have the airfield in sight (he didn't ask) and requested to remain in his control until I had the field in sight. I came away with several observations. First; it was no surprise the forecast was somewhat optimistic. However; watching metars for ellington and hobby for the last 100 mi (mx weather uplink) and verifying with ASOS/ATIS broadcasts; it was somewhat surprising to find actual conditions far worse than reported only a few mi from the airfield. This is attributed in part to seasonal WX and proximity to galveston bay. It seems as though the WX directly overhead the field is normally pretty consistent the ATIS reports (although it wasn't that afternoon) but can be materially different only a few mi east/south. It would have helped if the controllers would update ATIS reports more often as WX conditions are observed to be changing. Also; it would be useful if pilot reports were given more by pilots if actual conditions are considerably worse; or better; than reported conditions just a few mi from the airfield. I passed along my observations to the local controller in hopes it might have helped other arriving aircraft. If conditions are below acceptable VFR ceilings; pilots will not report actual conditions for fear of recrimination. Finally; it is important for pilots to be mindful of seasonal WX. After flying all summer under one 'set of rules;' changing seasons can impose another set of rules when you are not vigilant for these conditions. That afternoon; based on the same VFR ATIS; I observed several student pilots leaving the airport only to return immediately upon apparently learning actual conditions were not consistent with reported/forecast ones. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot stated that he flew with two hand navigation devices. One was a hand held GPS and the other a pda with a GPS and nearly real time WX reporting. The pda WX reports were 3 to 5 mins old and the moving GPS map in the pda could have WX overlaid on it. In this case the WX was not up to date and so he encountered unexpected IMC conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PLT RPTS ENTERING IAH CLASS B AIRSPACE AFTER CLBING TO 2300 FT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REMAIN VFR. FOUND VFR HOLE AND DESCENDED INTO EFD.

Narrative: AT THE CONCLUSION OF CROSS COUNTRY FLT FROM ZZZ TO EFD UNDER GOOD VFR CONDITIONS; I INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO IAH CLASS B AIRSPACE TO AVOID DETERIORATING CONDITIONS. CONDITIONS WERE GOOD VFR UP TO THAT POINT. EIGHT MILES E OF EFD; SKY CONDITIONS BECAME CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN 1000 FT BROKEN ALTHOUGH EFD ATIS RPTED 1500 FT CEILING AND 8 MI VISIBILITY. FORECAST CONDITIONS WERE 1500 FT SCATTERED; 3000 FT BROKEN AND VISIBILITY +6SM. THE WX WAS GOOD VFR AT SEVERAL ARPTS BETWEEN HOUSTON AND BEAUMONT SO I MAINTAINED AN OUT. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF FROM THE APCH CTLR TO THE TWR CTLR (I HAD CLASS B CLRNC LAST ASSIGNED ALT AT OR BELOW 2000 FT); I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SAFE VFR UNDER A RAPIDLY LOWERING CLOUD DECK SO I ELECTED TO REMAIN VFR ABOVE THEM. AFTER CONFIRMING WITH THE TWR CTLR THAT THE FIELD WAS VFR; I INITIATED A CLB TOWARD THE ARPT WHEREUPON I INADVERTENTLY CLBED THROUGH 2000 FT TO APPROX 2200 FT TO 2300 FT MSL. BEFORE I REALIZED MY INCURSION; I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE TWR CTLR I HAD PENETRATED THE FLOOR OF THE CLASS B AND HE REQUESTED I DSND BELOW 2000 FT; WHEREUPON I DISCOVERED A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS AND DSNDED IN ORDER TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT. I FOUND THE ARPT AT THREE MILES AND FOUND CONDITIONS TO BE APPROX 800 FT VARIABLE BROKEN TO SCATTERED. I WAS CLRED AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD BEEN CHKING WX ENRTE AND FOUND ALL RPTING STATIONS WITHIN MI OF MY DEST; INCLUDING MY DEST; CALLING FOR VFR CONDITIONS WITH FORECASTS TO REMAIN GOOD VFR UNTIL WELL AFTER MY PLANNED/ACTUAL ARR TIME. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED THE APCH CTLR I DID NOT HAVE THE AIRFIELD IN SIGHT (HE DIDN'T ASK) AND REQUESTED TO REMAIN IN HIS CTL UNTIL I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I CAME AWAY WITH SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS. FIRST; IT WAS NO SURPRISE THE FORECAST WAS SOMEWHAT OPTIMISTIC. HOWEVER; WATCHING METARS FOR ELLINGTON AND HOBBY FOR THE LAST 100 MI (MX WEATHER UPLINK) AND VERIFYING WITH ASOS/ATIS BROADCASTS; IT WAS SOMEWHAT SURPRISING TO FIND ACTUAL CONDITIONS FAR WORSE THAN RPTED ONLY A FEW MI FROM THE AIRFIELD. THIS IS ATTRIBUTED IN PART TO SEASONAL WX AND PROXIMITY TO GALVESTON BAY. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE WX DIRECTLY OVERHEAD THE FIELD IS NORMALLY PRETTY CONSISTENT THE ATIS RPTS (ALTHOUGH IT WASN'T THAT AFTERNOON) BUT CAN BE MATERIALLY DIFFERENT ONLY A FEW MI E/S. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IF THE CTLRS WOULD UPDATE ATIS RPTS MORE OFTEN AS WX CONDITIONS ARE OBSERVED TO BE CHANGING. ALSO; IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF PLT RPTS WERE GIVEN MORE BY PLTS IF ACTUAL CONDITIONS ARE CONSIDERABLY WORSE; OR BETTER; THAN RPTED CONDITIONS JUST A FEW MI FROM THE AIRFIELD. I PASSED ALONG MY OBSERVATIONS TO THE LOCAL CTLR IN HOPES IT MIGHT HAVE HELPED OTHER ARRIVING ACFT. IF CONDITIONS ARE BELOW ACCEPTABLE VFR CEILINGS; PLTS WILL NOT RPT ACTUAL CONDITIONS FOR FEAR OF RECRIMINATION. FINALLY; IT IS IMPORTANT FOR PLTS TO BE MINDFUL OF SEASONAL WX. AFTER FLYING ALL SUMMER UNDER ONE 'SET OF RULES;' CHANGING SEASONS CAN IMPOSE ANOTHER SET OF RULES WHEN YOU ARE NOT VIGILANT FOR THESE CONDITIONS. THAT AFTERNOON; BASED ON THE SAME VFR ATIS; I OBSERVED SEVERAL STUDENT PLTS LEAVING THE ARPT ONLY TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY UPON APPARENTLY LEARNING ACTUAL CONDITIONS WERE NOT CONSISTENT WITH RPTED/FORECAST ONES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT STATED THAT HE FLEW WITH TWO HAND NAVIGATION DEVICES. ONE WAS A HAND HELD GPS AND THE OTHER A PDA WITH A GPS AND NEARLY REAL TIME WX RPTING. THE PDA WX RPTS WERE 3 TO 5 MINS OLD AND THE MOVING GPS MAP IN THE PDA COULD HAVE WX OVERLAID ON IT. IN THIS CASE THE WX WAS NOT UP TO DATE AND SO HE ENCOUNTERED UNEXPECTED IMC CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.