Narrative:

I departed from renton airport VFR on a ferry flight to everett painfield for a pitot static system on my C177RG. I had received WX on my personal computer with duat. Since it was early, the towers at renton and paine were both closed and there was no WX reported for these airports. Other airports in the area were reporting ceilings of 2000-3000 ft with some reporting 5 mi visibility in fog. On my way to airport, I observed good visibility the whole way. On my climb out, at about 600-700 ft, I entered thick fog. I was no longer able to see the ground. I decided to keep climbing to ensure terrain clearance. This put me on top about a min later. During this time, due to the unexpected nature of this turn of events, I was quite shaken up and had trouble controling the airplane, but after I resigned to staying on the instruments and climbing things were stable again. After I got on top, I flew in a direction to ensure staying out of the TCA and continued towards paine. I prepared to make an ILS at paine. I had started out with about 2 hours fuel for about a 20 min flight, but it took me about 40 mins to get to paine, the route I flew. I got a clearance for an ILS and made the approach. At the decision ht I saw the airport environment but not the runway. I made a missed approach. By this time I figured I had 40-60 mins fuel left. ATC had no airports within my range with any kind of reserve fuel left where I could make a VFR approach. Since I don't get enough IFR practice to make approachs to minimums, I declared an emergency and was vectored to safe landing at naval air station whidbey. Contributing factors in this chain of events were lowering visibility and ceiling due to fog forming with approaching front. And departing without solid evidence about WX at destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CFI GETS A FLT ASSIST IN DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT. INSTRUCTOR PLT PROFICIENCY IN DOUBT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED FROM RENTON ARPT VFR ON A FERRY FLT TO EVERETT PAINFIELD FOR A PITOT STATIC SYS ON MY C177RG. I HAD RECEIVED WX ON MY PERSONAL COMPUTER WITH DUAT. SINCE IT WAS EARLY, THE TWRS AT RENTON AND PAINE WERE BOTH CLOSED AND THERE WAS NO WX RPTED FOR THESE ARPTS. OTHER ARPTS IN THE AREA WERE RPTING CEILINGS OF 2000-3000 FT WITH SOME RPTING 5 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG. ON MY WAY TO ARPT, I OBSERVED GOOD VISIBILITY THE WHOLE WAY. ON MY CLBOUT, AT ABOUT 600-700 FT, I ENTERED THICK FOG. I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO SEE THE GND. I DECIDED TO KEEP CLBING TO ENSURE TERRAIN CLRNC. THIS PUT ME ON TOP ABOUT A MIN LATER. DURING THIS TIME, DUE TO THE UNEXPECTED NATURE OF THIS TURN OF EVENTS, I WAS QUITE SHAKEN UP AND HAD TROUBLE CTLING THE AIRPLANE, BUT AFTER I RESIGNED TO STAYING ON THE INSTS AND CLBING THINGS WERE STABLE AGAIN. AFTER I GOT ON TOP, I FLEW IN A DIRECTION TO ENSURE STAYING OUT OF THE TCA AND CONTINUED TOWARDS PAINE. I PREPARED TO MAKE AN ILS AT PAINE. I HAD STARTED OUT WITH ABOUT 2 HRS FUEL FOR ABOUT A 20 MIN FLT, BUT IT TOOK ME ABOUT 40 MINS TO GET TO PAINE, THE RTE I FLEW. I GOT A CLRNC FOR AN ILS AND MADE THE APCH. AT THE DECISION HT I SAW THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT BUT NOT THE RWY. I MADE A MISSED APCH. BY THIS TIME I FIGURED I HAD 40-60 MINS FUEL LEFT. ATC HAD NO ARPTS WITHIN MY RANGE WITH ANY KIND OF RESERVE FUEL LEFT WHERE I COULD MAKE A VFR APCH. SINCE I DON'T GET ENOUGH IFR PRACTICE TO MAKE APCHS TO MINIMUMS, I DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS VECTORED TO SAFE LNDG AT NAVAL AIR STATION WHIDBEY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS WERE LOWERING VISIBILITY AND CEILING DUE TO FOG FORMING WITH APCHING FRONT. AND DEPARTING WITHOUT SOLID EVIDENCE ABOUT WX AT DEST.

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.