Narrative:

Departed from merritt island airport at approximately XA00. Shortly after takeoff, visibility was lost due to clouds, and I was forced to fly by my instruments for a short time until VFR was regained at approximately 1800 ft MSL. I then contacted orlando approach and was xferred to dayton approach for instruction. When vero beach airport opened with VFR conditions, I was xferred to ZMA to approach and land at vero beach. I had earlier called 1-800-wxbrief for official WX but failed to speak to a live briefer. The WX had not yet been updated and was merely a recording. I did not file a flight plan because I understood my rental agreement to require a flight plan for cross country flts (50 NM radius I assumed) and vero beach, my original destination, is not 50 NM from merritt island airport. I also did not gain information about the WX (as usual) from the airport due to it being closed because of how early I departed. I saw the sky, but failed to see the cloud layer due to it being dark and the thickness and area it covered, I saw no movement of the clouds, which led me to believe it was a clear sky. In the future I can avoid this mistake by always speaking to a live WX briefer and filing a flight plan regardless of the length of the flight leg. Had I spoke to a briefer, I never would have left the ground that day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INST RATED C172 PLT TAKES OFF INTO IMC CONDITIONS WITH NO FLT PLAN FILED. ATC COMES TO THE RESCUE.

Narrative: DEPARTED FROM MERRITT ISLAND ARPT AT APPROX XA00. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, VISIBILITY WAS LOST DUE TO CLOUDS, AND I WAS FORCED TO FLY BY MY INSTS FOR A SHORT TIME UNTIL VFR WAS REGAINED AT APPROX 1800 FT MSL. I THEN CONTACTED ORLANDO APCH AND WAS XFERRED TO DAYTON APCH FOR INSTRUCTION. WHEN VERO BEACH ARPT OPENED WITH VFR CONDITIONS, I WAS XFERRED TO ZMA TO APCH AND LAND AT VERO BEACH. I HAD EARLIER CALLED 1-800-WXBRIEF FOR OFFICIAL WX BUT FAILED TO SPEAK TO A LIVE BRIEFER. THE WX HAD NOT YET BEEN UPDATED AND WAS MERELY A RECORDING. I DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN BECAUSE I UNDERSTOOD MY RENTAL AGREEMENT TO REQUIRE A FLT PLAN FOR XCOUNTRY FLTS (50 NM RADIUS I ASSUMED) AND VERO BEACH, MY ORIGINAL DEST, IS NOT 50 NM FROM MERRITT ISLAND ARPT. I ALSO DID NOT GAIN INFO ABOUT THE WX (AS USUAL) FROM THE ARPT DUE TO IT BEING CLOSED BECAUSE OF HOW EARLY I DEPARTED. I SAW THE SKY, BUT FAILED TO SEE THE CLOUD LAYER DUE TO IT BEING DARK AND THE THICKNESS AND AREA IT COVERED, I SAW NO MOVEMENT OF THE CLOUDS, WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE IT WAS A CLR SKY. IN THE FUTURE I CAN AVOID THIS MISTAKE BY ALWAYS SPEAKING TO A LIVE WX BRIEFER AND FILING A FLT PLAN REGARDLESS OF THE LENGTH OF THE FLT LEG. HAD I SPOKE TO A BRIEFER, I NEVER WOULD HAVE LEFT THE GND THAT DAY.

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.