VFR in IMC, but only briefly.

Attributes
ACN	304395
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pou
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4600 msl bound upper : 4600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : swf
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Balloon
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 4 flight time total : 750 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	304395
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Afternoon balloon rally at pou, airport closed to traffic and tower shut down -- open to only balloons. After a fairly risky inflation, I called pou and wind was 7 KTS. Reaching 1000 ft I called swf and wind was at 13 KTS. The plan was to fly to stewart and land there. It is across hudson river and I figured that would be a good easy place for my chase find me if they got lost. After receiving permission to land at swf, the higher I went, the more counterclockwise I went, and that would get me to the airport. If 3500 ft was good, higher might be better. Looking up, there was a hole approximately 2 mi diameter above me and I was in the center. I figured I would go up and see if I turned left more. About 4600 ft MSL, I went through a wisp about 200 ft thick. I could still see ground and just descended through it and went to 4100 ft. That would not get me to airport, so I contacted swf and told them I was going to land north and east of them. The balloon envelope blocked my view of the wisp. Landing was accomplished with winds about 6 KTS uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR IN IMC, BUT ONLY BRIEFLY.

Narrative: AFTERNOON BALLOON RALLY AT POU, ARPT CLOSED TO TFC AND TWR SHUT DOWN -- OPEN TO ONLY BALLOONS. AFTER A FAIRLY RISKY INFLATION, I CALLED POU AND WIND WAS 7 KTS. REACHING 1000 FT I CALLED SWF AND WIND WAS AT 13 KTS. THE PLAN WAS TO FLY TO STEWART AND LAND THERE. IT IS ACROSS HUDSON RIVER AND I FIGURED THAT WOULD BE A GOOD EASY PLACE FOR MY CHASE FIND ME IF THEY GOT LOST. AFTER RECEIVING PERMISSION TO LAND AT SWF, THE HIGHER I WENT, THE MORE COUNTERCLOCKWISE I WENT, AND THAT WOULD GET ME TO THE ARPT. IF 3500 FT WAS GOOD, HIGHER MIGHT BE BETTER. LOOKING UP, THERE WAS A HOLE APPROX 2 MI DIAMETER ABOVE ME AND I WAS IN THE CTR. I FIGURED I WOULD GO UP AND SEE IF I TURNED L MORE. ABOUT 4600 FT MSL, I WENT THROUGH A WISP ABOUT 200 FT THICK. I COULD STILL SEE GND AND JUST DSNDED THROUGH IT AND WENT TO 4100 FT. THAT WOULD NOT GET ME TO ARPT, SO I CONTACTED SWF AND TOLD THEM I WAS GOING TO LAND N AND E OF THEM. THE BALLOON ENVELOPE BLOCKED MY VIEW OF THE WISP. LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH WINDS ABOUT 6 KTS UNEVENTFULLY.

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.