Small aircraft departs uncontrolled strip into MVFR WX.

Attributes
ACN	308280
Time
Date	199506
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hop
State Reference	KY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : hop
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	308280
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Refueling at 4m7, noticed hydraulic fluid leaking out of left main gear strut. Spoke with mechanic at M21 who said bring it to his shop in the morning and don't raise gear if strut is flat. Flew home (uncontrolled private grass strip) and hangared plane overnight. Watched evening news WX. Got up early to take plane to M21 where mechanic is (about 40 mi away). Nice, bright, calm morning. Grabbed VFR sectional, preflted aircraft. Strut totally flat. Departed home airfield chanting 'don't raise the gear.' at 900 ft, hit ragged ceiling. At this point I should have completed a pattern and landed, but assumed it was thin layer since good WX was forecast. Contacted fort campbell approach (home field is just south of MOA) for advisories and climbed to 3000 ft. Flew to bwg (which was 9000 ft scattered and got under what was now a thin layer and flew back to M21 VFR and landed without incident. So, always take IFR charts just in case. Never take off without looking at the sky and calling flight service for conditions. I focused on don't raise the gear and forgot everything else.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTS UNCTLED STRIP INTO MVFR WX.

Narrative: REFUELING AT 4M7, NOTICED HYD FLUID LEAKING OUT OF L MAIN GEAR STRUT. SPOKE WITH MECH AT M21 WHO SAID BRING IT TO HIS SHOP IN THE MORNING AND DON'T RAISE GEAR IF STRUT IS FLAT. FLEW HOME (UNCTLED PVT GRASS STRIP) AND HANGARED PLANE OVERNIGHT. WATCHED EVENING NEWS WX. GOT UP EARLY TO TAKE PLANE TO M21 WHERE MECH IS (ABOUT 40 MI AWAY). NICE, BRIGHT, CALM MORNING. GRABBED VFR SECTIONAL, PREFLTED ACFT. STRUT TOTALLY FLAT. DEPARTED HOME AIRFIELD CHANTING 'DON'T RAISE THE GEAR.' AT 900 FT, HIT RAGGED CEILING. AT THIS POINT I SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED A PATTERN AND LANDED, BUT ASSUMED IT WAS THIN LAYER SINCE GOOD WX WAS FORECAST. CONTACTED FORT CAMPBELL APCH (HOME FIELD IS JUST S OF MOA) FOR ADVISORIES AND CLBED TO 3000 FT. FLEW TO BWG (WHICH WAS 9000 FT SCATTERED AND GOT UNDER WHAT WAS NOW A THIN LAYER AND FLEW BACK TO M21 VFR AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. SO, ALWAYS TAKE IFR CHARTS JUST IN CASE. NEVER TAKE OFF WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE SKY AND CALLING FLT SVC FOR CONDITIONS. I FOCUSED ON DON'T RAISE THE GEAR AND FORGOT EVERYTHING ELSE.

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.