C177 pilot encounters IMC while VFR en route to ral.

Attributes
ACN	715481
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sct.tracon
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cardinal 177/177RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 950 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	715481
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After receiving an abbreviated WX briefing from FSS prescott; az; in the course of which we (another pilot/passenger got the briefing) were told that the local WX in the whp area was 2500 ft scattered. By telephone I checked the ATIS at both emt and ral which was our intended destination. Both of those reported clear skies and visibility greater than 6 mi. My observation of the sky above whp immediately prior to departure seemed to be higher than reported by FSS so we departed VFR with flight following. As we climbed to our initial altitude of 2500 ft and approached the burbank airport about 4.5 NM ese from whp the haze intensified and small clouds appeared above and lateral to our flight path. Darkness prevented an extensive view. We were cleared to climb above 2500 ft by bur tower and told to contact socal on 135.05. We began to climb to our planned altitude of 5500 ft but as we did visibility became greatly reduced. We maintained visual contact with the ground but lateral visibility was getting rapidly worse. I decided that given these conditions if we were to continue as planned to ral we might not be able to safely return to whp even IFR. I called socal on 135.05 and requested tower en route back to whp with a VOR-a approach to whp. Socal told me to turn right to a heading and maintain VFR at 4500 ft. We complied. Shortly socal came back with a new transponder code for us and another turn to a new heading of 240 degrees if I recall correctly. We were also told to climb to 5000 ft which we did. We were then switched to socal on 134.20. Upon checking in the controller scolded me for at least 45 seconds on IFR procedures. No phone numbers were offered and I responded with 'I thought we had done that; roger.' at this point we had become fully IMC. We were then handed off to socal on 124.60 and cleared for the VOR-a approach. We completed the approach as published and landed without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT ENCOUNTERS IMC WHILE VFR ENRTE TO RAL.

Narrative: AFTER RECEIVING AN ABBREVIATED WX BRIEFING FROM FSS PRESCOTT; AZ; IN THE COURSE OF WHICH WE (ANOTHER PLT/PAX GOT THE BRIEFING) WERE TOLD THAT THE LCL WX IN THE WHP AREA WAS 2500 FT SCATTERED. BY TELEPHONE I CHKED THE ATIS AT BOTH EMT AND RAL WHICH WAS OUR INTENDED DEST. BOTH OF THOSE RPTED CLR SKIES AND VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 6 MI. MY OBSERVATION OF THE SKY ABOVE WHP IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO DEP SEEMED TO BE HIGHER THAN RPTED BY FSS SO WE DEPARTED VFR WITH FLT FOLLOWING. AS WE CLBED TO OUR INITIAL ALT OF 2500 FT AND APCHED THE BURBANK ARPT ABOUT 4.5 NM ESE FROM WHP THE HAZE INTENSIFIED AND SMALL CLOUDS APPEARED ABOVE AND LATERAL TO OUR FLT PATH. DARKNESS PREVENTED AN EXTENSIVE VIEW. WE WERE CLRED TO CLB ABOVE 2500 FT BY BUR TWR AND TOLD TO CONTACT SOCAL ON 135.05. WE BEGAN TO CLB TO OUR PLANNED ALT OF 5500 FT BUT AS WE DID VISIBILITY BECAME GREATLY REDUCED. WE MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND BUT LATERAL VISIBILITY WAS GETTING RAPIDLY WORSE. I DECIDED THAT GIVEN THESE CONDITIONS IF WE WERE TO CONTINUE AS PLANNED TO RAL WE MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY RETURN TO WHP EVEN IFR. I CALLED SOCAL ON 135.05 AND REQUESTED TWR ENRTE BACK TO WHP WITH A VOR-A APCH TO WHP. SOCAL TOLD ME TO TURN R TO A HDG AND MAINTAIN VFR AT 4500 FT. WE COMPLIED. SHORTLY SOCAL CAME BACK WITH A NEW XPONDER CODE FOR US AND ANOTHER TURN TO A NEW HDG OF 240 DEGS IF I RECALL CORRECTLY. WE WERE ALSO TOLD TO CLB TO 5000 FT WHICH WE DID. WE WERE THEN SWITCHED TO SOCAL ON 134.20. UPON CHKING IN THE CTLR SCOLDED ME FOR AT LEAST 45 SECONDS ON IFR PROCS. NO PHONE NUMBERS WERE OFFERED AND I RESPONDED WITH 'I THOUGHT WE HAD DONE THAT; ROGER.' AT THIS POINT WE HAD BECOME FULLY IMC. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF TO SOCAL ON 124.60 AND CLRED FOR THE VOR-A APCH. WE COMPLETED THE APCH AS PUBLISHED AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.