Narrative:

I would like to report a flight which I feel constituted an unsafe experience. In 7/88 I called FSS at approximately XA00 am. I planned a flight to awm. I was told conditions were marginal but by XD00 am, forecast to be VFR. I called again at approximately XB00 am. I was told it would be VFR at awm after XD00 am. I planned my flight accordingly. I took off from plaquenine, la, at approximately XB45 am. My planned flight would have an ete of 2 hours and ETA at about XD30 am well after awm was to be VFR. My intended en route altitude was to be 5500'. To maintain forward VFR visibility, I climbed above a heavy haze condition. When the haze went to overcast I did a 180 degree turn and it was immediately apparent a line of thunderstorms made a return impossible. The only safe alternate was to return to my original heading for awm and stay above the haze. I was at 9500' MSL when 30-40 south of awm, when I contacted ZME and advised of my intent to descend and was granted permission. After starting descent I was handed off to mem approach and was vectored to awm. There were several layers of VFR and while being vectored I was vectored past several VFR areas. I assumed that once I was being vectored by approach, it would have been illegal to go VFR, so I continued the flight as instructed by mem approach. This caused me to make an approach to awm as directed by approach control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the reporter had been an instrument rated pilot in the navy and then did not fly for several yrs. Since becoming current he has not bothered to get an instrument rating. During flight crew ATC review the mem approach controller told him he would have to report the incident because the pilot had not filed a flight plan before becoming IFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA VFR IN IMC. NO FLT PLAN FILED AND PLT REPORTER NOT INSTRUMENT RATED BY FAA.

Narrative: I WOULD LIKE TO RPT A FLT WHICH I FEEL CONSTITUTED AN UNSAFE EXPERIENCE. IN 7/88 I CALLED FSS AT APPROX XA00 AM. I PLANNED A FLT TO AWM. I WAS TOLD CONDITIONS WERE MARGINAL BUT BY XD00 AM, FORECAST TO BE VFR. I CALLED AGAIN AT APPROX XB00 AM. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE VFR AT AWM AFTER XD00 AM. I PLANNED MY FLT ACCORDINGLY. I TOOK OFF FROM PLAQUENINE, LA, AT APPROX XB45 AM. MY PLANNED FLT WOULD HAVE AN ETE OF 2 HRS AND ETA AT ABOUT XD30 AM WELL AFTER AWM WAS TO BE VFR. MY INTENDED ENRTE ALT WAS TO BE 5500'. TO MAINTAIN FORWARD VFR VIS, I CLBED ABOVE A HEAVY HAZE CONDITION. WHEN THE HAZE WENT TO OVCST I DID A 180 DEG TURN AND IT WAS IMMEDIATELY APPARENT A LINE OF TSTMS MADE A RETURN IMPOSSIBLE. THE ONLY SAFE ALTERNATE WAS TO RETURN TO MY ORIGINAL HDG FOR AWM AND STAY ABOVE THE HAZE. I WAS AT 9500' MSL WHEN 30-40 S OF AWM, WHEN I CONTACTED ZME AND ADVISED OF MY INTENT TO DSND AND WAS GRANTED PERMISSION. AFTER STARTING DSCNT I WAS HANDED OFF TO MEM APCH AND WAS VECTORED TO AWM. THERE WERE SEVERAL LAYERS OF VFR AND WHILE BEING VECTORED I WAS VECTORED PAST SEVERAL VFR AREAS. I ASSUMED THAT ONCE I WAS BEING VECTORED BY APCH, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ILLEGAL TO GO VFR, SO I CONTINUED THE FLT AS INSTRUCTED BY MEM APCH. THIS CAUSED ME TO MAKE AN APCH TO AWM AS DIRECTED BY APCH CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE RPTR HAD BEEN AN INSTRUMENT RATED PLT IN THE NAVY AND THEN DID NOT FLY FOR SEVERAL YRS. SINCE BECOMING CURRENT HE HAS NOT BOTHERED TO GET AN INSTRUMENT RATING. DURING FLC ATC REVIEW THE MEM APCH CTLR TOLD HIM HE WOULD HAVE TO RPT THE INCIDENT BECAUSE THE PLT HAD NOT FILED A FLT PLAN BEFORE BECOMING IFR.

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