Narrative:

Planned route was from jackson, ms, to montgomery, al; part of trip from southern ca to orlando, fl. Called for WX brief at XA30 from jan. Very marginal VFR to IFR at meridian, ms. Waited and called again at XC30. WX was slightly better, but still marginal VFR. Thunderstorms were south of jackson, moving northeast. Decided that WX might be good enough to complete some of the trip, to at least meridian (now marginal VFR)--if we waited for thunderstorms to arrive, it would be days until we could depart (vacation-trip-itis). After takeoff, WX looked very menacing to southeast. Takeoff from hawkins field, northwest of jackson. Hawkins tower handed me to jackson approach and began flying east. Jan approach turned me to heading of 310 degrees to clear other traffic. When traffic passed, told to 'resume own navigation.' turned left to east heading and saw visibility dropping extremely rapidly. Hawkins issued special WX--field now 3 mi visibility in rain. I requested return to hawkins from approach--cleared to hawkins. I turned to heading of 150 thinking I was north of hawkins. Rain began very hard on airplane and visibility kept dropping. Due to lack of familiarity with area, I was unsure of position. Jan approach advised turn to northeast or northwest. Unable due to turbulence and low visibility in rain. Approach advised I was on final approach fix for thompson field (southeast of jan). I requested landing at thompson. Cleared and given special VFR clearance. Altitude deteriorated to 675' MSL and I climbed back up. Had difficulty keeping plane level in heavy rain. Approach called runway 2 1/4 mi ahead; I spotted at 2 mi. Landed uneventfully; but rattled by rain and low visibility, and forgot to change to tower before requesting parking (taxi) instructions. I cannot see how I decided to try this flight. Contributing factors were pressure to continue trip (to make motel reservations), to leave before thunderstorms closed airport to VFR departures, another airplane leaving hawkins field to southeast, overconfidence in my ability to handle deteriorating WX, and lack of understanding of just how fast rain can reduce visibility. I'd recommend that if a pilot is unfamiliar with area, use much higher VFR WX minimums, or get an instrument rating before trying to make schedules when traveling by personal aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH DETERIORATING WX. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: PLANNED ROUTE WAS FROM JACKSON, MS, TO MONTGOMERY, AL; PART OF TRIP FROM SOUTHERN CA TO ORLANDO, FL. CALLED FOR WX BRIEF AT XA30 FROM JAN. VERY MARGINAL VFR TO IFR AT MERIDIAN, MS. WAITED AND CALLED AGAIN AT XC30. WX WAS SLIGHTLY BETTER, BUT STILL MARGINAL VFR. TSTMS WERE S OF JACKSON, MOVING NE. DECIDED THAT WX MIGHT BE GOOD ENOUGH TO COMPLETE SOME OF THE TRIP, TO AT LEAST MERIDIAN (NOW MARGINAL VFR)--IF WE WAITED FOR TSTMS TO ARRIVE, IT WOULD BE DAYS UNTIL WE COULD DEPART (VACATION-TRIP-ITIS). AFTER TKOF, WX LOOKED VERY MENACING TO SE. TKOF FROM HAWKINS FIELD, NW OF JACKSON. HAWKINS TWR HANDED ME TO JACKSON APCH AND BEGAN FLYING E. JAN APCH TURNED ME TO HDG OF 310 DEGS TO CLR OTHER TFC. WHEN TFC PASSED, TOLD TO 'RESUME OWN NAV.' TURNED LEFT TO E HDG AND SAW VISIBILITY DROPPING EXTREMELY RAPIDLY. HAWKINS ISSUED SPECIAL WX--FIELD NOW 3 MI VISIBILITY IN RAIN. I REQUESTED RETURN TO HAWKINS FROM APCH--CLRED TO HAWKINS. I TURNED TO HDG OF 150 THINKING I WAS N OF HAWKINS. RAIN BEGAN VERY HARD ON AIRPLANE AND VISIBILITY KEPT DROPPING. DUE TO LACK OF FAMILIARITY WITH AREA, I WAS UNSURE OF POS. JAN APCH ADVISED TURN TO NE OR NW. UNABLE DUE TO TURB AND LOW VISIBILITY IN RAIN. APCH ADVISED I WAS ON FINAL APCH FIX FOR THOMPSON FIELD (SE OF JAN). I REQUESTED LNDG AT THOMPSON. CLRED AND GIVEN SPECIAL VFR CLRNC. ALT DETERIORATED TO 675' MSL AND I CLBED BACK UP. HAD DIFFICULTY KEEPING PLANE LEVEL IN HEAVY RAIN. APCH CALLED RWY 2 1/4 MI AHEAD; I SPOTTED AT 2 MI. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY; BUT RATTLED BY RAIN AND LOW VISIBILITY, AND FORGOT TO CHANGE TO TWR BEFORE REQUESTING PARKING (TAXI) INSTRUCTIONS. I CANNOT SEE HOW I DECIDED TO TRY THIS FLT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE PRESSURE TO CONTINUE TRIP (TO MAKE MOTEL RESERVATIONS), TO LEAVE BEFORE TSTMS CLOSED ARPT TO VFR DEPS, ANOTHER AIRPLANE LEAVING HAWKINS FIELD TO SE, OVERCONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITY TO HANDLE DETERIORATING WX, AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF JUST HOW FAST RAIN CAN REDUCE VISIBILITY. I'D RECOMMEND THAT IF A PLT IS UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA, USE MUCH HIGHER VFR WX MINIMUMS, OR GET AN INSTRUMENT RATING BEFORE TRYING TO MAKE SCHEDULES WHEN TRAVELING BY PERSONAL ACFT.

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.