Narrative:

WX conditions were not too bad, ceiling 1500-2000 ft and visibility was more than 3 mi. A friend who is not IFR rated needed me and my rating to get him to san. I told him I would think about it and would call him back. After thinking about the trip, I decided to say no. I was not at all interested in getting up at XA00 in the morning and at the same time giving up my plans that I had already made. So, I called and found him begging me to go, so I simply gave in. So there I was, sitting in the airplane, IFR flight plan filed and runup completed. I knew that ont was monitoring CTAF for us, so I called him up and let him know we were ready to go. We were given a void time and we departed with no problem. On climb out I switched to departure control and received no response. After about no less than 4 attempts I got really scared. We were about 1000 ft now, and I knew that I would be in the clouds in a matter of seconds, so a decision had to be made and quite quickly. I decided that I would stay out of the clouds and go back to the airport. On returning to the airport, I tried to reach ont on the CTAF frequency, and was successful! They told me that sometimes it is difficult to contact them departing emt. I let them know of my intentions and that we were in VFR conditions. The controller told me to contact him when we were on the ground. We landed with no problems. The ceiling must have been around 1200 ft and visibility was quite good, but I don't think the controller understood this because he sounded a bit worried. Once we landed, I gave him a call. The whole flight lasted about 10 mins. Did I over react? Maybe, but I know that my experience has to build on. I also know that I have to say no to pressure and flying even when it is a friend who needs help. If you don't feel comfortable, then don't go!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON IFR FLT PLAN FROM NON TWR ARPT UNABLE TO CONTACT DEP.

Narrative: WX CONDITIONS WERE NOT TOO BAD, CEILING 1500-2000 FT AND VISIBILITY WAS MORE THAN 3 MI. A FRIEND WHO IS NOT IFR RATED NEEDED ME AND MY RATING TO GET HIM TO SAN. I TOLD HIM I WOULD THINK ABOUT IT AND WOULD CALL HIM BACK. AFTER THINKING ABOUT THE TRIP, I DECIDED TO SAY NO. I WAS NOT AT ALL INTERESTED IN GETTING UP AT XA00 IN THE MORNING AND AT THE SAME TIME GIVING UP MY PLANS THAT I HAD ALREADY MADE. SO, I CALLED AND FOUND HIM BEGGING ME TO GO, SO I SIMPLY GAVE IN. SO THERE I WAS, SITTING IN THE AIRPLANE, IFR FLT PLAN FILED AND RUNUP COMPLETED. I KNEW THAT ONT WAS MONITORING CTAF FOR US, SO I CALLED HIM UP AND LET HIM KNOW WE WERE READY TO GO. WE WERE GIVEN A VOID TIME AND WE DEPARTED WITH NO PROB. ON CLBOUT I SWITCHED TO DEP CTL AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. AFTER ABOUT NO LESS THAN 4 ATTEMPTS I GOT REALLY SCARED. WE WERE ABOUT 1000 FT NOW, AND I KNEW THAT I WOULD BE IN THE CLOUDS IN A MATTER OF SECONDS, SO A DECISION HAD TO BE MADE AND QUITE QUICKLY. I DECIDED THAT I WOULD STAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND GO BACK TO THE ARPT. ON RETURNING TO THE ARPT, I TRIED TO REACH ONT ON THE CTAF FREQ, AND WAS SUCCESSFUL! THEY TOLD ME THAT SOMETIMES IT IS DIFFICULT TO CONTACT THEM DEPARTING EMT. I LET THEM KNOW OF MY INTENTIONS AND THAT WE WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTACT HIM WHEN WE WERE ON THE GND. WE LANDED WITH NO PROBS. THE CEILING MUST HAVE BEEN AROUND 1200 FT AND VISIBILITY WAS QUITE GOOD, BUT I DON'T THINK THE CTLR UNDERSTOOD THIS BECAUSE HE SOUNDED A BIT WORRIED. ONCE WE LANDED, I GAVE HIM A CALL. THE WHOLE FLT LASTED ABOUT 10 MINS. DID I OVER REACT? MAYBE, BUT I KNOW THAT MY EXPERIENCE HAS TO BUILD ON. I ALSO KNOW THAT I HAVE TO SAY NO TO PRESSURE AND FLYING EVEN WHEN IT IS A FRIEND WHO NEEDS HELP. IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, THEN DON'T GO!

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.