Possible IMC in VFR flight during a 'special VFR' clearance.

Attributes
ACN	296380
Time
Date	199502
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bmg
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bmg
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 1400 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	296380
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed barb airport PM30 local for training flight. Conditions 2000 broken 6 mi visibility. Climbed through hole in broken layer/5500 ft tops. Flew to 15 mi northeast of bmg and descended for return inbound to airport. Headed inbound, noticed lines of snow showers between my position and airport. Requested special VFR to enter controller zone. Was given clearance to enter. Reported field 1 mi to north. Given clearance to land runway 35. Entered left downwind and circled to land runway 35. Problem: did not listen to WX conditions from tower inbound as I was not expecting the field to be IFR. (Don't know if it was less than VFR minimums). Solution -- should have climbed back up on top and requested IFR clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE IMC IN VFR FLT DURING A 'SPECIAL VFR' CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTED BARB ARPT PM30 LCL FOR TRAINING FLT. CONDITIONS 2000 BROKEN 6 MI VISIBILITY. CLBED THROUGH HOLE IN BROKEN LAYER/5500 FT TOPS. FLEW TO 15 MI NE OF BMG AND DSNDED FOR RETURN INBOUND TO ARPT. HEADED INBOUND, NOTICED LINES OF SNOW SHOWERS BTWN MY POS AND ARPT. REQUESTED SPECIAL VFR TO ENTER CTLR ZONE. WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO ENTER. RPTED FIELD 1 MI TO N. GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND RWY 35. ENTERED L DOWNWIND AND CIRCLED TO LAND RWY 35. PROB: DID NOT LISTEN TO WX CONDITIONS FROM TWR INBOUND AS I WAS NOT EXPECTING THE FIELD TO BE IFR. (DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS LESS THAN VFR MINIMUMS). SOLUTION -- SHOULD HAVE CLBED BACK UP ON TOP AND REQUESTED IFR CLRNC.

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.