Narrative:

The spirit of st louis airport was reporting marginal VFR conditions as I planned my flight and kansas city was VFR with a forecast for marginal VFR into the night. When I rechked the WX after my preflight, spirit field had gone IFR (visibility was 4 mi, ceiling 900 ft). I elected to wait around till either the WX improved or the tower closed and the control zone went out of effect (author's note: I have subsequently discovered that I had confused the control zone with an air traffic area). The WX never got better than 6 mi visibility and 900 ft ceiling. I waited around for 20-30 mins after the tower closed and monitored approach control to be sure no one was headed into spirit while I was taking off for kansas city. I followed highway 40/61 up to wentzville, mo, where it intersected with interstate 70. My plan was to remain 500-1000 AGL and follow the interstate back towards kansas city looking for a break in the overcast so I could get on top. When I had last checked the WX, kansas city had broken layers of clouds. I ran into IMC conditions approximately 10-20 mi northwest of the foristell VOR. Due to my close proximity to the ground I didn't feel I could safely perform a 180 degree turn and head back the way I came. My only option at this point was to climb on top of the overcast which I knew was between 4000 and 5000 ft. I headed towards the columbia VOR and began cruise climbing at 105 KTS. When I broke out on top, 3 to 4 mins later, I established myself on a direct course to the columbia VOR to be followed by victor 12 to the napoleon VOR. I was 70 mi east of napoleon when I began to get a little panicky because the overcast was not showing any signs of breaking. In my nervous state I contacted columbia radio over the sedalia, mo, rco on 122.3. I must have been quite nervous at the time because I gave columbia my call sign from my old small aircraft instead of my new small aircraft. Columbia radio informed me that all of kansas city and the surrounding area was IFR. I informed them of my problem of being trapped VFR over the top and that I would contact kansas city center for assistance. I waited a few mins to call kansas city center to think about my options, collect my wits, and to relax a little if possible. I called kansas city center and informed them of my situation. After establishing radar contact, center inquired about my fuel status and they began searching for a field that I could get into VFR. There were no VFR options within the 4 hour range of my remaining fuel so we elected to try the ILS 19 approach into kansas city international (mci). Kansas city center vectored me until kansas city approach could take over. Approach control described the instrument approach to me and then vectored me north of mci and assisted me in getting established on the localizer and then maintaining it. I descended through the IMC to 3000 ft, overshot the GS for a bit, and then descended on the GS. When I broke out, I was approximately at or slightly above decision height. I landed and taxied to the GA ramp. Contributing factors to this entire incident include: confusing a control zone with an air traffic area, get homeitis, night time conditions, improper interpretation (on my part) of ceiling conditions presented on the duat WX briefing I used, and poor judgement in deciding to attempt the flight in the first place. What can be done to prevent an occurrence: I won't be attempting any more flts under marginal WX conditions, day or night, I will continue my studies to complete my current instrument pilot training program, and I am studying the FAA's publications 'aviation WX' and 'aviation WX services' to improve my interpretation of WX reports. I also feel that the reclassification and simplification of the national airspace system will help in my understanding of the far requirements. As a final note, I have learned first hand that: 'some instrument training does not an IFR pilot make.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR DEP WHEN CONDITIONS IFR AND GETTING WORSE.

Narrative: THE SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS ARPT WAS RPTING MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS AS I PLANNED MY FLT AND KANSAS CITY WAS VFR WITH A FORECAST FOR MARGINAL VFR INTO THE NIGHT. WHEN I RECHKED THE WX AFTER MY PREFLT, SPIRIT FIELD HAD GONE IFR (VISIBILITY WAS 4 MI, CEILING 900 FT). I ELECTED TO WAIT AROUND TILL EITHER THE WX IMPROVED OR THE TWR CLOSED AND THE CTL ZONE WENT OUT OF EFFECT (AUTHOR'S NOTE: I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCOVERED THAT I HAD CONFUSED THE CTL ZONE WITH AN ATA). THE WX NEVER GOT BETTER THAN 6 MI VISIBILITY AND 900 FT CEILING. I WAITED AROUND FOR 20-30 MINS AFTER THE TWR CLOSED AND MONITORED APCH CTL TO BE SURE NO ONE WAS HEADED INTO SPIRIT WHILE I WAS TAKING OFF FOR KANSAS CITY. I FOLLOWED HIGHWAY 40/61 UP TO WENTZVILLE, MO, WHERE IT INTERSECTED WITH INTERSTATE 70. MY PLAN WAS TO REMAIN 500-1000 AGL AND FOLLOW THE INTERSTATE BACK TOWARDS KANSAS CITY LOOKING FOR A BREAK IN THE OVERCAST SO I COULD GET ON TOP. WHEN I HAD LAST CHKED THE WX, KANSAS CITY HAD BROKEN LAYERS OF CLOUDS. I RAN INTO IMC CONDITIONS APPROX 10-20 MI NW OF THE FORISTELL VOR. DUE TO MY CLOSE PROX TO THE GND I DIDN'T FEEL I COULD SAFELY PERFORM A 180 DEG TURN AND HEAD BACK THE WAY I CAME. MY ONLY OPTION AT THIS POINT WAS TO CLB ON TOP OF THE OVERCAST WHICH I KNEW WAS BTWN 4000 AND 5000 FT. I HEADED TOWARDS THE COLUMBIA VOR AND BEGAN CRUISE CLBING AT 105 KTS. WHEN I BROKE OUT ON TOP, 3 TO 4 MINS LATER, I ESTABLISHED MYSELF ON A DIRECT COURSE TO THE COLUMBIA VOR TO BE FOLLOWED BY VICTOR 12 TO THE NAPOLEON VOR. I WAS 70 MI E OF NAPOLEON WHEN I BEGAN TO GET A LITTLE PANICKY BECAUSE THE OVERCAST WAS NOT SHOWING ANY SIGNS OF BREAKING. IN MY NERVOUS STATE I CONTACTED COLUMBIA RADIO OVER THE SEDALIA, MO, RCO ON 122.3. I MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE NERVOUS AT THE TIME BECAUSE I GAVE COLUMBIA MY CALL SIGN FROM MY OLD SMA INSTEAD OF MY NEW SMA. COLUMBIA RADIO INFORMED ME THAT ALL OF KANSAS CITY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA WAS IFR. I INFORMED THEM OF MY PROBLEM OF BEING TRAPPED VFR OVER THE TOP AND THAT I WOULD CONTACT KANSAS CITY CENTER FOR ASSISTANCE. I WAITED A FEW MINS TO CALL KANSAS CITY CENTER TO THINK ABOUT MY OPTIONS, COLLECT MY WITS, AND TO RELAX A LITTLE IF POSSIBLE. I CALLED KANSAS CITY CENTER AND INFORMED THEM OF MY SITUATION. AFTER ESTABLISHING RADAR CONTACT, CENTER INQUIRED ABOUT MY FUEL STATUS AND THEY BEGAN SEARCHING FOR A FIELD THAT I COULD GET INTO VFR. THERE WERE NO VFR OPTIONS WITHIN THE 4 HR RANGE OF MY REMAINING FUEL SO WE ELECTED TO TRY THE ILS 19 APCH INTO KANSAS CITY INTL (MCI). KANSAS CITY CENTER VECTORED ME UNTIL KANSAS CITY APCH COULD TAKE OVER. APCH CTL DESCRIBED THE INST APCH TO ME AND THEN VECTORED ME N OF MCI AND ASSISTED ME IN GETTING ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC AND THEN MAINTAINING IT. I DSNDED THROUGH THE IMC TO 3000 FT, OVERSHOT THE GS FOR A BIT, AND THEN DSNDED ON THE GS. WHEN I BROKE OUT, I WAS APPROX AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE DECISION HEIGHT. I LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE GA RAMP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS ENTIRE INCIDENT INCLUDE: CONFUSING A CTL ZONE WITH AN ATA, GET HOMEITIS, NIGHT TIME CONDITIONS, IMPROPER INTERPRETATION (ON MY PART) OF CEILING CONDITIONS PRESENTED ON THE DUAT WX BRIEFING I USED, AND POOR JUDGEMENT IN DECIDING TO ATTEMPT THE FLT IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT AN OCCURRENCE: I WON'T BE ATTEMPTING ANY MORE FLTS UNDER MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS, DAY OR NIGHT, I WILL CONTINUE MY STUDIES TO COMPLETE MY CURRENT INST PLT TRAINING PROGRAM, AND I AM STUDYING THE FAA'S PUBLICATIONS 'AVIATION WX' AND 'AVIATION WX SVCS' TO IMPROVE MY INTERP OF WX RPTS. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE RECLASSIFICATION AND SIMPLIFICATION OF THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYS WILL HELP IN MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE FAR REQUIREMENTS. AS A FINAL NOTE, I HAVE LEARNED FIRST HAND THAT: 'SOME INST TRAINING DOES NOT AN IFR PLT MAKE.'

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.