Low time small aircraft pilot goes IMC in VFR flight.

Attributes
ACN	174813
Time
Date	199104
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mcn
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mcn
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 265 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	174813
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Contacted jacksonville, fl FSS for WX briefing at XY00 am, 4/fri/91, for VFR flight from fernandina beach airport, fl to cartersville, GA, via dublin VOR direct to gwinnett county airport, lawrenceville, GA, then direct to cartersville, GA. WX was reported as being scattered clouds en route to east of atl with conditions changing to marginal VFR with ceilings of 1500-2500'. East of macon ran into rain showers. Reduced altitude from 4500 to 2500'. Flew around showers into scattered layer at 1000' and overcast of approximately 4000'. Layers converged when I was located near madison, GA. Clouds had closed in behind me. I then made a decision to fly my INS until I cleared the clouds. I cleared the clouds 1 hour later, about 20 mi from cartersville airport at 2500' and had VFR flight to cartersville. I have ATC flight following during the entire route, which cleared me from other aircraft. My aft is IFR certified. I have flown 160 hours x-country, 40 hours with my instrument, who is an excellent IFR instrument. I had been in IFR conditions with him and have flown under the hood with very good results. I could, in my opinion, however, have circumvented this situation if ATC had better WX information for VFR flts around WX in your flight path at all times. I know it is the pilot's responsibility at all times to fly the aircraft safely. I am certainly a student of safety. However, a little more help from ATC for VFR pilots on WX would help to eliminate situations such as I have described.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME SMA PLT GOES IMC IN VFR FLT.

Narrative: CONTACTED JACKSONVILLE, FL FSS FOR WX BRIEFING AT XY00 AM, 4/FRI/91, FOR VFR FLT FROM FERNANDINA BEACH ARPT, FL TO CARTERSVILLE, GA, VIA DUBLIN VOR DIRECT TO GWINNETT COUNTY ARPT, LAWRENCEVILLE, GA, THEN DIRECT TO CARTERSVILLE, GA. WX WAS RPTED AS BEING SCATTERED CLOUDS ENRTE TO E OF ATL WITH CONDITIONS CHANGING TO MARGINAL VFR WITH CEILINGS OF 1500-2500'. E OF MACON RAN INTO RAIN SHOWERS. REDUCED ALT FROM 4500 TO 2500'. FLEW AROUND SHOWERS INTO SCATTERED LAYER AT 1000' AND OVCST OF APPROX 4000'. LAYERS CONVERGED WHEN I WAS LOCATED NEAR MADISON, GA. CLOUDS HAD CLOSED IN BEHIND ME. I THEN MADE A DECISION TO FLY MY INS UNTIL I CLRED THE CLOUDS. I CLRED THE CLOUDS 1 HR LATER, ABOUT 20 MI FROM CARTERSVILLE ARPT AT 2500' AND HAD VFR FLT TO CARTERSVILLE. I HAVE ATC FLT FOLLOWING DURING THE ENTIRE RTE, WHICH CLRED ME FROM OTHER ACFT. MY AFT IS IFR CERTIFIED. I HAVE FLOWN 160 HRS X-COUNTRY, 40 HRS WITH MY INSTR, WHO IS AN EXCELLENT IFR INSTR. I HAD BEEN IN IFR CONDITIONS WITH HIM AND HAVE FLOWN UNDER THE HOOD WITH VERY GOOD RESULTS. I COULD, IN MY OPINION, HOWEVER, HAVE CIRCUMVENTED THIS SITUATION IF ATC HAD BETTER WX INFO FOR VFR FLTS AROUND WX IN YOUR FLT PATH AT ALL TIMES. I KNOW IT IS THE PLT'S RESPONSIBILITY AT ALL TIMES TO FLY THE ACFT SAFELY. I AM CERTAINLY A STUDENT OF SAFETY. HOWEVER, A LITTLE MORE HELP FROM ATC FOR VFR PLTS ON WX WOULD HELP TO ELIMINATE SITUATIONS SUCH AS I HAVE DESCRIBED.

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.