Small aircraft pilot on VFR flight continues into IMC. Declares emergency.

Attributes
ACN	195295
Time
Date	199111
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fai
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3100 msl bound upper : 3100
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : rdu
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : fai
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 615
ASRS Report	195296
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

VFR flight continued into IFR (fast change). WX visibility and ceilings not as forecast. Action: called FSS murphy dome radio 122.3 and declared an emergency. I believe this situation occurred because I did not see the conditions changing fast enough (we were leaving mountainous area into minto flats). Turbulence hit and some ice formed on windshield all at once. To prevent this I should not have continued when VFR was deteriorating.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON VFR FLT CONTINUES INTO IMC. DECLARES EMER.

Narrative: VFR FLT CONTINUED INTO IFR (FAST CHANGE). WX VISIBILITY AND CEILINGS NOT AS FORECAST. ACTION: CALLED FSS MURPHY DOME RADIO 122.3 AND DECLARED AN EMER. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION OCCURRED BECAUSE I DID NOT SEE THE CONDITIONS CHANGING FAST ENOUGH (WE WERE LEAVING MOUNTAINOUS AREA INTO MINTO FLATS). TURB HIT AND SOME ICE FORMED ON WINDSHIELD ALL AT ONCE. TO PREVENT THIS I SHOULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED WHEN VFR WAS DETERIORATING.

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.