Narrative:

I flew to san antonio to attend a friend's wedding. I left the wedding party (no alcohol consumed) and returned to sat shortly before midnight. Sjt FSS provided a briefing for VFR flight to F67 in dallas. The briefing indicated ceilings in the san antonio area were 1000 ft AGL, with tops reported at 3000 ft. The ceilings in the san antonio area were predicted to get worse as the night wore on. The northern portion of the trip was reported as 10000 ft to 12000 ft scattered, deteriorating to 4000 ft broken to overcast. I felt that if I could get out of the san antonio area, it would be possible to land safely at grand prairie. I decided to takeoff. The intended route of flight was sat, sat VOR, tpl VOR, act VOR, to grand prairie, I requested a special VFR clearance from sat clearance delivery. This clearance was approved. Departure frequency was sat tower. I heard only one other aircraft on this frequency. On takeoff, I found ceilings running about 1000 ft AGL. I proceeded towards the sat VOR. Just prior to the VOR, I found a hole and climbed above the cloud layer. The flight was uneventful through to waco. Nearing waco, I began to search for dallas WX information. I checked the dal ATIS report which reported ceilings of 25000 ft overcast. Conditions around me continued to be thin overcast, top estimated at 3000 ft. A hole was apparent over hillsboro (nnw of waco). Obviously, conditions had changed radically from the briefing. It is also possible that the love field ATIS was incorrect, and should have reported 2500 ft overcast. As I continued towards dallas, I listened to dallas regional (TCA) approach 125.2. I heard one other plane being directed to spinks (ssw of dallas), and reporting VFR conditions there. I planned to fly to grand prairie, and use spinks if conditions at grand prairie were too poor. Over joe poole lake, 10 mi south of grand prairie, I found a hole and descended. The ceiling was running 1200 ft to 1400 ft AGL. I landed at grand prairie without incident. The problems: I requested special VFR at night. I later discovered that far 91.107 requires an instrument rating for this. I do not have an instrument rating. Assuming that my special VFR departure was legal, this was a stupid flight to make. Contributing factors: I did not want to spend the night in san antonio, even though a friend had a spare bedroom. This was the basic problem leading to the others. I should have been more flexible in my mind, to allow for the possibility that I would stay overnight. My briefing from dallas down to san antonio had indicated that the WX would be clear all night, so in my mind I had determined to make the return flight. I realized when I got the return briefing that this was not exactly the best of times to fly VFR. My decision to fly was influenced in part by the fact that I was alone, and therefore risking only my own life. With the exception of the special VFR at night, I believe that everything I did was within the rules. (I had simply forgotten the requirement for special VFR at night. I did not have a copy of the FARS with me. I looked up the rule when I got home, and discovered my error). Nonetheless, it was dumb. The only good thing about this flight is that it did not end in a tree somewhere. I should have left myself a much greater safety margin. Corrective action: this incident points up the need for better judgement, a review of the FARS pertaining to VFR flight, and an instrument rating. It has been said that wisdom comes from experience, and experience from a lack of wisdom. I am fortunate that I survived the experience. Some pilots pay with their lives for this. Takeoff under such conditions is not a mistake I intend to make again. I also intend to obtain an instrument rating this summer, after upgrading the radios in my plane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED GSA PLT DEPARTS SAT, TX, SPECIAL VFR AT NIGHT. PLT DOES NOT HOLD INSTRUMENT RATING AND THEREFORE IN VIOLATION OF FAR 91 POINT 107 (E) 1, 2.

Narrative: I FLEW TO SAN ANTONIO TO ATTEND A FRIEND'S WEDDING. I LEFT THE WEDDING PARTY (NO ALCOHOL CONSUMED) AND RETURNED TO SAT SHORTLY BEFORE MIDNIGHT. SJT FSS PROVIDED A BRIEFING FOR VFR FLT TO F67 IN DALLAS. THE BRIEFING INDICATED CEILINGS IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA WERE 1000 FT AGL, WITH TOPS RPTED AT 3000 FT. THE CEILINGS IN THE SAN ANTONIO AREA WERE PREDICTED TO GET WORSE AS THE NIGHT WORE ON. THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TRIP WAS RPTED AS 10000 FT TO 12000 FT SCATTERED, DETERIORATING TO 4000 FT BROKEN TO OVCST. I FELT THAT IF I COULD GET OUT OF THE SAN ANTONIO AREA, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO LAND SAFELY AT GRAND PRAIRIE. I DECIDED TO TKOF. THE INTENDED RTE OF FLT WAS SAT, SAT VOR, TPL VOR, ACT VOR, TO GRAND PRAIRIE, I REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC FROM SAT CLRNC DELIVERY. THIS CLRNC WAS APPROVED. DEP FREQ WAS SAT TWR. I HEARD ONLY ONE OTHER ACFT ON THIS FREQ. ON TKOF, I FOUND CEILINGS RUNNING ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. I PROCEEDED TOWARDS THE SAT VOR. JUST PRIOR TO THE VOR, I FOUND A HOLE AND CLBED ABOVE THE CLOUD LAYER. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL THROUGH TO WACO. NEARING WACO, I BEGAN TO SEARCH FOR DALLAS WX INFO. I CHKED THE DAL ATIS RPT WHICH RPTED CEILINGS OF 25000 FT OVCST. CONDITIONS AROUND ME CONTINUED TO BE THIN OVCST, TOP ESTIMATED AT 3000 FT. A HOLE WAS APPARENT OVER HILLSBORO (NNW OF WACO). OBVIOUSLY, CONDITIONS HAD CHANGED RADICALLY FROM THE BRIEFING. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE THAT THE LOVE FIELD ATIS WAS INCORRECT, AND SHOULD HAVE RPTED 2500 FT OVCST. AS I CONTINUED TOWARDS DALLAS, I LISTENED TO DALLAS REGIONAL (TCA) APCH 125.2. I HEARD ONE OTHER PLANE BEING DIRECTED TO SPINKS (SSW OF DALLAS), AND RPTING VFR CONDITIONS THERE. I PLANNED TO FLY TO GRAND PRAIRIE, AND USE SPINKS IF CONDITIONS AT GRAND PRAIRIE WERE TOO POOR. OVER JOE POOLE LAKE, 10 MI S OF GRAND PRAIRIE, I FOUND A HOLE AND DSNDED. THE CEILING WAS RUNNING 1200 FT TO 1400 FT AGL. I LANDED AT GRAND PRAIRIE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PROBS: I REQUESTED SPECIAL VFR AT NIGHT. I LATER DISCOVERED THAT FAR 91.107 REQUIRES AN INSTRUMENT RATING FOR THIS. I DO NOT HAVE AN INSTRUMENT RATING. ASSUMING THAT MY SPECIAL VFR DEP WAS LEGAL, THIS WAS A STUPID FLT TO MAKE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I DID NOT WANT TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN SAN ANTONIO, EVEN THOUGH A FRIEND HAD A SPARE BEDROOM. THIS WAS THE BASIC PROB LEADING TO THE OTHERS. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE FLEXIBLE IN MY MIND, TO ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY THAT I WOULD STAY OVERNIGHT. MY BRIEFING FROM DALLAS DOWN TO SAN ANTONIO HAD INDICATED THAT THE WX WOULD BE CLR ALL NIGHT, SO IN MY MIND I HAD DETERMINED TO MAKE THE RETURN FLT. I REALIZED WHEN I GOT THE RETURN BRIEFING THAT THIS WAS NOT EXACTLY THE BEST OF TIMES TO FLY VFR. MY DECISION TO FLY WAS INFLUENCED IN PART BY THE FACT THAT I WAS ALONE, AND THEREFORE RISKING ONLY MY OWN LIFE. WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SPECIAL VFR AT NIGHT, I BELIEVE THAT EVERYTHING I DID WAS WITHIN THE RULES. (I HAD SIMPLY FORGOTTEN THE REQUIREMENT FOR SPECIAL VFR AT NIGHT. I DID NOT HAVE A COPY OF THE FARS WITH ME. I LOOKED UP THE RULE WHEN I GOT HOME, AND DISCOVERED MY ERROR). NONETHELESS, IT WAS DUMB. THE ONLY GOOD THING ABOUT THIS FLT IS THAT IT DID NOT END IN A TREE SOMEWHERE. I SHOULD HAVE LEFT MYSELF A MUCH GREATER SAFETY MARGIN. CORRECTIVE ACTION: THIS INCIDENT POINTS UP THE NEED FOR BETTER JUDGEMENT, A REVIEW OF THE FARS PERTAINING TO VFR FLT, AND AN INSTRUMENT RATING. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT WISDOM COMES FROM EXPERIENCE, AND EXPERIENCE FROM A LACK OF WISDOM. I AM FORTUNATE THAT I SURVIVED THE EXPERIENCE. SOME PLTS PAY WITH THEIR LIVES FOR THIS. TKOF UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS IS NOT A MISTAKE I INTEND TO MAKE AGAIN. I ALSO INTEND TO OBTAIN AN INSTRUMENT RATING THIS SUMMER, AFTER UPGRADING THE RADIOS IN MY PLANE.

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.