Small aircraft pilot descends through a hole then climbs on top through clouds.

Attributes
ACN	185273
Time
Date	199107
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bae
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 58 flight time total : 395 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	185273
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I planned to fly from arrival to fld for the oshkosh air show. Since IMC prevailed there I was given an X30 am landing time and filed an IFR flight plan. This would have been about a 45 min flight. My experience with FAA briefers is that the conditions are usually grossly overstated. They seem to be like the little baby who cried wolf too often. They are usually not to be believed. Since it was about early am with a scattered ceiling at arrival, I elected to takeoff VFR and proceed VFR on top at reduced cruise speed and activate my IFR plan in the air if it was needed. About 20 mi south of bae VOR it was apparent I needed to activate the IFR plan for descent and approach to fld. However, chicago center, through the milwaukee rco, would not approve clearance of my previously filed IFR plan from VFR on top. I had understood the FAA published NOTAM for the oshkosh show to mean no IFR plane would be filed from VFR on top, not that no clrncs would be issued on previously filed IFR plans. With it now impossible to continue IFR to fld, I elected to proceed through a hole in the clouds to below the ceiling and then VFR to fld. The controller had no objection to this idea. However, when I reached the bottom of the hole and was below the ceiling, the ceiling was ragged and about 800 ft AGL, too low to safely continue to fld or find a local airport to land. The hole I came down through was now lost as well. My only safe course was to climb out through the cloud layer to VFR on top conditions. I did this on a west heading to get away from V127. After back in VFR on top conditions, I proceeded to pia and obtained an IFR clearance to land there. There apparently are a combination of factors that lead to this mistake. First is my experience with FAA briefers, that they cannot be believed most of the time. Second was my impatience to get to the oshkosh show. Third was the unclr FAA NOTAM about VFR on top to IFR clearance. And fourth was the actual climb through IMC to VFR on top. Although against regulations, this was the safest course of action in this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DSNDS THROUGH A HOLE THEN CLBS ON TOP THROUGH CLOUDS.

Narrative: I PLANNED TO FLY FROM ARR TO FLD FOR THE OSHKOSH AIR SHOW. SINCE IMC PREVAILED THERE I WAS GIVEN AN X30 AM LNDG TIME AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN. THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT A 45 MIN FLT. MY EXPERIENCE WITH FAA BRIEFERS IS THAT THE CONDITIONS ARE USUALLY GROSSLY OVERSTATED. THEY SEEM TO BE LIKE THE LITTLE BABY WHO CRIED WOLF TOO OFTEN. THEY ARE USUALLY NOT TO BE BELIEVED. SINCE IT WAS ABOUT EARLY AM WITH A SCATTERED CEILING AT ARR, I ELECTED TO TKOF VFR AND PROCEED VFR ON TOP AT REDUCED CRUISE SPD AND ACTIVATE MY IFR PLAN IN THE AIR IF IT WAS NEEDED. ABOUT 20 MI S OF BAE VOR IT WAS APPARENT I NEEDED TO ACTIVATE THE IFR PLAN FOR DSCNT AND APCH TO FLD. HOWEVER, CHICAGO CENTER, THROUGH THE MILWAUKEE RCO, WOULD NOT APPROVE CLRNC OF MY PREVIOUSLY FILED IFR PLAN FROM VFR ON TOP. I HAD UNDERSTOOD THE FAA PUBLISHED NOTAM FOR THE OSHKOSH SHOW TO MEAN NO IFR PLANE WOULD BE FILED FROM VFR ON TOP, NOT THAT NO CLRNCS WOULD BE ISSUED ON PREVIOUSLY FILED IFR PLANS. WITH IT NOW IMPOSSIBLE TO CONTINUE IFR TO FLD, I ELECTED TO PROCEED THROUGH A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS TO BELOW THE CEILING AND THEN VFR TO FLD. THE CTLR HAD NO OBJECTION TO THIS IDEA. HOWEVER, WHEN I REACHED THE BOTTOM OF THE HOLE AND WAS BELOW THE CEILING, THE CEILING WAS RAGGED AND ABOUT 800 FT AGL, TOO LOW TO SAFELY CONTINUE TO FLD OR FIND A LCL ARPT TO LAND. THE HOLE I CAME DOWN THROUGH WAS NOW LOST AS WELL. MY ONLY SAFE COURSE WAS TO CLB OUT THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER TO VFR ON TOP CONDITIONS. I DID THIS ON A W HDG TO GET AWAY FROM V127. AFTER BACK IN VFR ON TOP CONDITIONS, I PROCEEDED TO PIA AND OBTAINED AN IFR CLRNC TO LAND THERE. THERE APPARENTLY ARE A COMBINATION OF FACTORS THAT LEAD TO THIS MISTAKE. FIRST IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH FAA BRIEFERS, THAT THEY CANNOT BE BELIEVED MOST OF THE TIME. SECOND WAS MY IMPATIENCE TO GET TO THE OSHKOSH SHOW. THIRD WAS THE UNCLR FAA NOTAM ABOUT VFR ON TOP TO IFR CLRNC. AND FOURTH WAS THE ACTUAL CLB THROUGH IMC TO VFR ON TOP. ALTHOUGH AGAINST REGS, THIS WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION IN THIS SITUATION.

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.