Narrative:

I commute weekly in an airplane for my business and as a recently minted private pilot; just a week away from my instrument check ride; I was feeling dangerously indifferent about a current IFR airmet for my route of flight. The last 2 weeks; I had been able to easily out-climb previous IFR airmets and stay on top. The affected area covered only 25% of my route. Little did I know how quickly complacency and down-right stupidity can creep into one's aeronautical decision making when get-home-itis and 'I've done this many times before' are in full play. Here I am today penning a 'never again' story so that others can learn from my mistakes. I encountered IMC while trying to out-climb a layer of smoke coming from vegetation fires. I could not see the ground so my instrument scan was going and the forward visibility was not determinable. I was at my maximum altitude of 12500 ft; had climbed to 13500 ft to see if I could top the smoke and it was clear that I could not. I was on flight following when I turned around. Center contacted me asking why I wasn't headed towards my destination. I told the controller I could no longer maintain VFR and was going to land at a nearby airport. I canceled flight following but remained on frequency for good measure. Upon my descent through 6000 ft; the smoke cleared significantly to around 15 SM visibilities. I decided to continue my journey low since the visibility was much better. Upon continuing at a low altitude for 50 NM; the surface visibilities were dropped to 2 SM and I knew that I could go no further at that altitude. I looked up and saw a blue sky and bright sun. This indicated that the smoke layer I was currently in couldn't be very high so I initiated a climb to attempt to get on top. Upon reaching 7500 ft MSL; I was surely back in IMC and the sun above me was now a deep red. I was now in some sort of smoke plume from one of these fires and was not going to out-climb it in a C172. It was at this point that I feared I was interfering with other IFR traffic. At no time was I disoriented or unable to maintain control of the aircraft due to my fresh instrument training. I immediately descended to the 1200 ft AGL; where; ironically; the visibilities had improved to MVFR. The airport 20 NM ahead was reporting perfect VFR conditions and I elected to push forward versus do the smart thing and land immediately. As I approached the airport indicating VFR conditions; the smoke and wind had shifted making that airport MVFR too. I continued on and 10 NM past that airport I broke out in the clear. It was a very somber; pensive; and quiet ride to my fuel stop. I was horrified at how I responded to that situation and I seriously contemplated giving up flying entirely. My need to just get through it to the clear was so strong and illogical. I shouldn't have launched that afternoon but my previous successful experiences and my desire to get home were severely clouding my judgment. The experience taught me great respect for airmets and the value of sound aeronautical decision making. It was a watershed moment in my flying career; to be ever vigilant in assessing my motivations when that little voice in my head is questioning my decisions.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PRIVATE PLT ATTEMPTS TO FLY OVER; THROUGH AND UNDER WILD FIRE SMOKE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET TO DESTINATION. FAILS ALL THREE.

Narrative: I COMMUTE WEEKLY IN AN AIRPLANE FOR MY BUSINESS AND AS A RECENTLY MINTED PVT PLT; JUST A WK AWAY FROM MY INST CHK RIDE; I WAS FEELING DANGEROUSLY INDIFFERENT ABOUT A CURRENT IFR AIRMET FOR MY RTE OF FLT. THE LAST 2 WKS; I HAD BEEN ABLE TO EASILY OUT-CLB PREVIOUS IFR AIRMETS AND STAY ON TOP. THE AFFECTED AREA COVERED ONLY 25% OF MY RTE. LITTLE DID I KNOW HOW QUICKLY COMPLACENCY AND DOWN-RIGHT STUPIDITY CAN CREEP INTO ONE'S AERO DECISION MAKING WHEN GET-HOME-ITIS AND 'I'VE DONE THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE' ARE IN FULL PLAY. HERE I AM TODAY PENNING A 'NEVER AGAIN' STORY SO THAT OTHERS CAN LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES. I ENCOUNTERED IMC WHILE TRYING TO OUT-CLB A LAYER OF SMOKE COMING FROM VEGETATION FIRES. I COULD NOT SEE THE GND SO MY INST SCAN WAS GOING AND THE FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS NOT DETERMINABLE. I WAS AT MY MAX ALT OF 12500 FT; HAD CLBED TO 13500 FT TO SEE IF I COULD TOP THE SMOKE AND IT WAS CLR THAT I COULD NOT. I WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING WHEN I TURNED AROUND. CTR CONTACTED ME ASKING WHY I WASN'T HEADED TOWARDS MY DEST. I TOLD THE CTLR I COULD NO LONGER MAINTAIN VFR AND WAS GOING TO LAND AT A NEARBY ARPT. I CANCELED FLT FOLLOWING BUT REMAINED ON FREQ FOR GOOD MEASURE. UPON MY DSCNT THROUGH 6000 FT; THE SMOKE CLRED SIGNIFICANTLY TO AROUND 15 SM VISIBILITIES. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE MY JOURNEY LOW SINCE THE VISIBILITY WAS MUCH BETTER. UPON CONTINUING AT A LOW ALT FOR 50 NM; THE SURFACE VISIBILITIES WERE DROPPED TO 2 SM AND I KNEW THAT I COULD GO NO FURTHER AT THAT ALT. I LOOKED UP AND SAW A BLUE SKY AND BRIGHT SUN. THIS INDICATED THAT THE SMOKE LAYER I WAS CURRENTLY IN COULDN'T BE VERY HIGH SO I INITIATED A CLB TO ATTEMPT TO GET ON TOP. UPON REACHING 7500 FT MSL; I WAS SURELY BACK IN IMC AND THE SUN ABOVE ME WAS NOW A DEEP RED. I WAS NOW IN SOME SORT OF SMOKE PLUME FROM ONE OF THESE FIRES AND WAS NOT GOING TO OUT-CLB IT IN A C172. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT I FEARED I WAS INTERFERING WITH OTHER IFR TFC. AT NO TIME WAS I DISORIENTED OR UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CTL OF THE ACFT DUE TO MY FRESH INST TRAINING. I IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO THE 1200 FT AGL; WHERE; IRONICALLY; THE VISIBILITIES HAD IMPROVED TO MVFR. THE ARPT 20 NM AHEAD WAS RPTING PERFECT VFR CONDITIONS AND I ELECTED TO PUSH FORWARD VERSUS DO THE SMART THING AND LAND IMMEDIATELY. AS I APCHED THE ARPT INDICATING VFR CONDITIONS; THE SMOKE AND WIND HAD SHIFTED MAKING THAT ARPT MVFR TOO. I CONTINUED ON AND 10 NM PAST THAT ARPT I BROKE OUT IN THE CLR. IT WAS A VERY SOMBER; PENSIVE; AND QUIET RIDE TO MY FUEL STOP. I WAS HORRIFIED AT HOW I RESPONDED TO THAT SITUATION AND I SERIOUSLY CONTEMPLATED GIVING UP FLYING ENTIRELY. MY NEED TO JUST GET THROUGH IT TO THE CLR WAS SO STRONG AND ILLOGICAL. I SHOULDN'T HAVE LAUNCHED THAT AFTERNOON BUT MY PREVIOUS SUCCESSFUL EXPERIENCES AND MY DESIRE TO GET HOME WERE SEVERELY CLOUDING MY JUDGMENT. THE EXPERIENCE TAUGHT ME GREAT RESPECT FOR AIRMETS AND THE VALUE OF SOUND AERO DECISION MAKING. IT WAS A WATERSHED MOMENT IN MY FLYING CAREER; TO BE EVER VIGILANT IN ASSESSING MY MOTIVATIONS WHEN THAT LITTLE VOICE IN MY HEAD IS QUESTIONING MY DECISIONS.

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.