Narrative:

FSS called it MVFR, and tower called it MVFR. The ceiling was broken, consisting of low clouds which had unexpectedly rolled in off the ocean. It took everyone by surprise, including FSS, which couldn't even issue an outlook. I was concerned about encountering IMC on climb out, and was hesitant to depart. I waited about 20 mins. At that point, the clouds appeared to be dissipating, and I could see no clouds at all off the departure end. I already knew that my destination was VFR, with VFR en route. I decided to go. Less than a minute off the departure end, I was in the soup. First lesson: inability to see clouds at night doesn't mean they aren't there. I spent a few seconds debating whether to reverse course, and by then I was so deep in the cloud that my attempt to turn just made things worse. Second lesson: in the time it takes to think about making a '180,' make a '180.' I was probably in the cloud for less than 1 min, but pretty much the whole time was spent in 1 unusual attitude or another. I nearly stalled, but noticed the attitude indicator just in time and pushed the nose down. I then focused all my attention on the INS, and gradually started regaining control. Departure noticed my gyrations, and asked what was happening. I was just on the point of admitting my predicament when I broke into the clear at around 2500' MSL. Get homeitis? Sure. But there was another, more subtle human factor involved as well--I'm itching to get my INS rating, and on my last few flts I've noticed a tendency to challenge the limits of VFR. It's not something I do out of spite or bravado, but rather in anticipation of INS training. I find myself wondering what would I do if conditions got just a bit worse? How would I handle it? If this kind of incident had to happen at all, I suppose I couldn't have asked for better conditions. The cloud wasn't very thick, and all of the facs of an arsa were there to help me. But make no mistake, it was dumb. It was dumb to take off, and dumber still not to turn back. If I hadn't happened to notice that impending stall, who's to say it wouldn't have developed into a spin? The underlying moral of my story, of course, is to know your limits--but knowing them doesn't mean you have to be content with them. I had been planning to start INS training in march. After this episode, I've scheduled my first lesson for next week.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR FLT IN IMC LEADS TO LOSS OF ACFT CONTROL.

Narrative: FSS CALLED IT MVFR, AND TWR CALLED IT MVFR. THE CEILING WAS BROKEN, CONSISTING OF LOW CLOUDS WHICH HAD UNEXPECTEDLY ROLLED IN OFF THE OCEAN. IT TOOK EVERYONE BY SURPRISE, INCLUDING FSS, WHICH COULDN'T EVEN ISSUE AN OUTLOOK. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT ENCOUNTERING IMC ON CLBOUT, AND WAS HESITANT TO DEPART. I WAITED ABOUT 20 MINS. AT THAT POINT, THE CLOUDS APPEARED TO BE DISSIPATING, AND I COULD SEE NO CLOUDS AT ALL OFF THE DEP END. I ALREADY KNEW THAT MY DEST WAS VFR, WITH VFR ENRTE. I DECIDED TO GO. LESS THAN A MINUTE OFF THE DEP END, I WAS IN THE SOUP. FIRST LESSON: INABILITY TO SEE CLOUDS AT NIGHT DOESN'T MEAN THEY AREN'T THERE. I SPENT A FEW SECS DEBATING WHETHER TO REVERSE COURSE, AND BY THEN I WAS SO DEEP IN THE CLOUD THAT MY ATTEMPT TO TURN JUST MADE THINGS WORSE. SECOND LESSON: IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO THINK ABOUT MAKING A '180,' MAKE A '180.' I WAS PROBABLY IN THE CLOUD FOR LESS THAN 1 MIN, BUT PRETTY MUCH THE WHOLE TIME WAS SPENT IN 1 UNUSUAL ATTITUDE OR ANOTHER. I NEARLY STALLED, BUT NOTICED THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR JUST IN TIME AND PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN. I THEN FOCUSED ALL MY ATTN ON THE INS, AND GRADUALLY STARTED REGAINING CTL. DEP NOTICED MY GYRATIONS, AND ASKED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I WAS JUST ON THE POINT OF ADMITTING MY PREDICAMENT WHEN I BROKE INTO THE CLR AT AROUND 2500' MSL. GET HOMEITIS? SURE. BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER, MORE SUBTLE HUMAN FACTOR INVOLVED AS WELL--I'M ITCHING TO GET MY INS RATING, AND ON MY LAST FEW FLTS I'VE NOTICED A TENDENCY TO CHALLENGE THE LIMITS OF VFR. IT'S NOT SOMETHING I DO OUT OF SPITE OR BRAVADO, BUT RATHER IN ANTICIPATION OF INS TRNING. I FIND MYSELF WONDERING WHAT WOULD I DO IF CONDITIONS GOT JUST A BIT WORSE? HOW WOULD I HANDLE IT? IF THIS KIND OF INCIDENT HAD TO HAPPEN AT ALL, I SUPPOSE I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR BETTER CONDITIONS. THE CLOUD WASN'T VERY THICK, AND ALL OF THE FACS OF AN ARSA WERE THERE TO HELP ME. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, IT WAS DUMB. IT WAS DUMB TO TAKE OFF, AND DUMBER STILL NOT TO TURN BACK. IF I HADN'T HAPPENED TO NOTICE THAT IMPENDING STALL, WHO'S TO SAY IT WOULDN'T HAVE DEVELOPED INTO A SPIN? THE UNDERLYING MORAL OF MY STORY, OF COURSE, IS TO KNOW YOUR LIMITS--BUT KNOWING THEM DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO BE CONTENT WITH THEM. I HAD BEEN PLANNING TO START INS TRNING IN MARCH. AFTER THIS EPISODE, I'VE SCHEDULED MY FIRST LESSON FOR NEXT WK.

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