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Piper PA28 pilot inadvertently flew through a 400 ft overcast when departing VFR from an uncontrolled airport to pick up an IFR clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 512226 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200105 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | PA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 400 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Weather Elements | Fog |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff |
| Route In Use | departure : vfr |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 19 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 250 |
| ASRS Report | 512226 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Airport Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I had filed an IFR flight plan from Q08 to 29D for an XA45 departure. The WX was marginal with fog and haze. Smoketown airport is uncontrolled, and without access to a telephone. I wasn't able to get a pre takeoff clearance. I listened to ATIS at lns (5 NM away) and they were reporting 3 mi visibility and ceiling at 1600 ft, adequate for me to take off and get a clearance from harrisburg via VHF. However, shortly after takeoff, I climbed into a fog bank at about 400 ft AGL. Figuring it was safer to continue the climb rather than try to descend, I very quickly was through the fog bank and into clear air. I then maintained VMC/VFR until harrisburg issued my clearance. I was too anxious to get started with the flight, but had no good sense of cloud ht because of the early morning light and haze. I was surprised that the cloud base was so low when just a few mi away it was over 1000 ft higher.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PIPER PA28 PLT INADVERTENTLY FLEW THROUGH A 400 FT OVCST WHEN DEPARTING VFR FROM AN UNCTLED ARPT TO PICK UP AN IFR CLRNC.
Narrative: I HAD FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM Q08 TO 29D FOR AN XA45 DEP. THE WX WAS MARGINAL WITH FOG AND HAZE. SMOKETOWN ARPT IS UNCTLED, AND WITHOUT ACCESS TO A TELEPHONE. I WASN'T ABLE TO GET A PRE TKOF CLRNC. I LISTENED TO ATIS AT LNS (5 NM AWAY) AND THEY WERE RPTING 3 MI VISIBILITY AND CEILING AT 1600 FT, ADEQUATE FOR ME TO TAKE OFF AND GET A CLRNC FROM HARRISBURG VIA VHF. HOWEVER, SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, I CLBED INTO A FOG BANK AT ABOUT 400 FT AGL. FIGURING IT WAS SAFER TO CONTINUE THE CLB RATHER THAN TRY TO DSND, I VERY QUICKLY WAS THROUGH THE FOG BANK AND INTO CLR AIR. I THEN MAINTAINED VMC/VFR UNTIL HARRISBURG ISSUED MY CLRNC. I WAS TOO ANXIOUS TO GET STARTED WITH THE FLT, BUT HAD NO GOOD SENSE OF CLOUD HT BECAUSE OF THE EARLY MORNING LIGHT AND HAZE. I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE CLOUD BASE WAS SO LOW WHEN JUST A FEW MI AWAY IT WAS OVER 1000 FT HIGHER.
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.