Small aircraft flies into lowering WX conditions prior to filing IFR.

Attributes
ACN	274218
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 2w2
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bwi
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 3514 flight time type : 3514
ASRS Report	274218
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A call to flight service at fdk indicated VFR (low) for return flight from fly-in. I flew to clearview airport from frederick in VFR conditions. Picked up an aircraft part and departed in a short time. After departure I flew into lowering clouds. I kept flying at a lower altitude. I believed it unsafe to return to fdk because of heavy traffic on approach frequency. I had balance approach on for VFR following. I requested an IFR clearance. Received a clearance to millville, nj, via radar vectors. No further incident. A VFR approach was done from 3000 ft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLIES INTO LOWERING WX CONDITIONS PRIOR TO FILING IFR.

Narrative: A CALL TO FLT SVC AT FDK INDICATED VFR (LOW) FOR RETURN FLT FROM FLY-IN. I FLEW TO CLEARVIEW ARPT FROM FREDERICK IN VFR CONDITIONS. PICKED UP AN ACFT PART AND DEPARTED IN A SHORT TIME. AFTER DEP I FLEW INTO LOWERING CLOUDS. I KEPT FLYING AT A LOWER ALT. I BELIEVED IT UNSAFE TO RETURN TO FDK BECAUSE OF HVY TFC ON APCH FREQ. I HAD BAL APCH ON FOR VFR FOLLOWING. I REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC. RECEIVED A CLRNC TO MILLVILLE, NJ, VIA RADAR VECTORS. NO FURTHER INCIDENT. A VFR APCH WAS DONE FROM 3000 FT.

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.