Narrative:

Before departing sua on day of flight; I checked WX for destination that had a ceiling of 4400 ft broken. I filed an IFR flight plan to ZZZ at 9000 ft. When ready for departure; I started the engines and called for clearance. I was informed that they had nothing on file. This is the third time in 2 weeks that the FSS has not properly completed and filed a flight plan. I was informed that I would have to call the FSS to find out what was wrong. My batteries were weak and I did not want to shut down the engines and risk a hot start; so I requested flight following and that I would pick up a clearance once airborne. I was assigned a code and departed VFR. Once airborne; I requested an IFR clearance and was informed by the palm beach controller that she had no time to help me but that I was to proceed sbound over the shoreline and maintain 2500 ft VFR. Approaching fort lauderdale; palm beach handed me off to miami who directed me to fly overhead fxe at 2500 ft. I encountered heavy rain when reaching fxe at the same time as miami xferred me to the fxe control tower. I reached back to turn on the continuous ignitions which created significant interference in my headset. I understood fxe to confirm me at 2500 ft VFR. I replied roger 2500 ft overhead fort lauderdale. A couple of mins later he asked why I was not headed direct south overhead fort lauderdale international and I replied that I had not understood that instruction but would comply immediately and began a turn southeast from a southwest heading. 1/2 way through the direction change; he asked if I had approaching traffic into fll in sight; and I confirmed that I did; and at that point I was handed off to miami approach control who gave me radar vectors toward ZZZ. The rest of the flight proceeded without incident. When approaching fxe; it appeared as if I was going to remain clear of the clouds and heavy rain. The distraction of the sudden heavy rain (very loud on the windshield) and the noise from the ignition at the same time as controller gave me a new instruction left me without fully understanding the instruction that I had been given. I should have requested that he repeat it a second time so that I understood him clearly and I should have informed him that I did not hear him clearly. I was IMC for about 1 min. I should have informed control that the requested direction would take me close to or into IFR conditions and requested a clearance from this controller who might have had time or they could have approved a different direction of flight. I always fly IFR and from now on will not start my engines until I have my clearance. When flying VFR I must inform control immediately of any possibility of entering IMC and not be complacent of the possibility of light rain becoming so heavy that I wind up in IMC. If an instruction is not crystal clear to me I will request it repeated until it is.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENROUTE VFR; SW4 PLT ENTERS IMC WHEN ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE FLT ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO BE IFR.

Narrative: BEFORE DEPARTING SUA ON DAY OF FLT; I CHKED WX FOR DEST THAT HAD A CEILING OF 4400 FT BROKEN. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ZZZ AT 9000 FT. WHEN READY FOR DEP; I STARTED THE ENGS AND CALLED FOR CLRNC. I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY HAD NOTHING ON FILE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME IN 2 WKS THAT THE FSS HAS NOT PROPERLY COMPLETED AND FILED A FLT PLAN. I WAS INFORMED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CALL THE FSS TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG. MY BATTERIES WERE WEAK AND I DID NOT WANT TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGS AND RISK A HOT START; SO I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING AND THAT I WOULD PICK UP A CLRNC ONCE AIRBORNE. I WAS ASSIGNED A CODE AND DEPARTED VFR. ONCE AIRBORNE; I REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC AND WAS INFORMED BY THE PALM BEACH CTLR THAT SHE HAD NO TIME TO HELP ME BUT THAT I WAS TO PROCEED SBOUND OVER THE SHORELINE AND MAINTAIN 2500 FT VFR. APCHING FORT LAUDERDALE; PALM BEACH HANDED ME OFF TO MIAMI WHO DIRECTED ME TO FLY OVERHEAD FXE AT 2500 FT. I ENCOUNTERED HVY RAIN WHEN REACHING FXE AT THE SAME TIME AS MIAMI XFERRED ME TO THE FXE CTL TWR. I REACHED BACK TO TURN ON THE CONTINUOUS IGNITIONS WHICH CREATED SIGNIFICANT INTERFERENCE IN MY HEADSET. I UNDERSTOOD FXE TO CONFIRM ME AT 2500 FT VFR. I REPLIED ROGER 2500 FT OVERHEAD FORT LAUDERDALE. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER HE ASKED WHY I WAS NOT HEADED DIRECT S OVERHEAD FORT LAUDERDALE INTL AND I REPLIED THAT I HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD THAT INSTRUCTION BUT WOULD COMPLY IMMEDIATELY AND BEGAN A TURN SE FROM A SW HDG. 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE DIRECTION CHANGE; HE ASKED IF I HAD APCHING TFC INTO FLL IN SIGHT; AND I CONFIRMED THAT I DID; AND AT THAT POINT I WAS HANDED OFF TO MIAMI APCH CTL WHO GAVE ME RADAR VECTORS TOWARD ZZZ. THE REST OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHEN APCHING FXE; IT APPEARED AS IF I WAS GOING TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND HVY RAIN. THE DISTR OF THE SUDDEN HVY RAIN (VERY LOUD ON THE WINDSHIELD) AND THE NOISE FROM THE IGNITION AT THE SAME TIME AS CTLR GAVE ME A NEW INSTRUCTION LEFT ME WITHOUT FULLY UNDERSTANDING THE INSTRUCTION THAT I HAD BEEN GIVEN. I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED THAT HE REPEAT IT A SECOND TIME SO THAT I UNDERSTOOD HIM CLEARLY AND I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED HIM THAT I DID NOT HEAR HIM CLEARLY. I WAS IMC FOR ABOUT 1 MIN. I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED CTL THAT THE REQUESTED DIRECTION WOULD TAKE ME CLOSE TO OR INTO IFR CONDITIONS AND REQUESTED A CLRNC FROM THIS CTLR WHO MIGHT HAVE HAD TIME OR THEY COULD HAVE APPROVED A DIFFERENT DIRECTION OF FLT. I ALWAYS FLY IFR AND FROM NOW ON WILL NOT START MY ENGS UNTIL I HAVE MY CLRNC. WHEN FLYING VFR I MUST INFORM CTL IMMEDIATELY OF ANY POSSIBILITY OF ENTERING IMC AND NOT BE COMPLACENT OF THE POSSIBILITY OF LIGHT RAIN BECOMING SO HVY THAT I WIND UP IN IMC. IF AN INSTRUCTION IS NOT CRYSTAL CLR TO ME I WILL REQUEST IT REPEATED UNTIL IT IS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.