Narrative:

I am getting close to the private pilot check ride with 2 hours of solo cross country and the 3 hours of pts-specific training left. In the last 2 months I have flown 16 times -- 9 dual instruction flts and 7 solo flts -- 21 hours total in the last 2 months. All of it in a plane I purchased to complete my training. I met with my instructor about 1 1/2 hours before I took off. The sky looked better than it did at takeoff. When preflting the plane, I noted that the sky didn't look as good as the current ATIS stated (7 mi visibility, few 1000 ft, 12000 broken). The conditions over the route were improving, but I neglected the trend at the departure airport (also the destination airport since it was a round trip). Prior to the departure time ATIS, the metar was visibility 7 mi, scattered 8000 ft. I chose not to get a briefing from the FSS as I had printed out the WX from on-line duats. 1500 ft scattered, 4000 ft broken, becoming 3000 ft scattered, 5000 ft scattered to broken. Outlook VFR. Also, remainder of areas -- scattered to broken cirrus, outlook VFR. Airmet -- IFR. Occasional ceiling below 1000 ft, visibility below 3 SM in mist/fog. Conditions ending xboo-XC00 (my departure was set for about XB45). Had I not known the specific airport conditions along the route and at the destinations, the content above would have made me stay at home. At a nearby (not over the route, about 20 NM away) airport, taf was XA00 wind 260 degrees at 9 mi, visibility 6 mi, 2000 ft scattered, 4000 ft broken. XA00-XB00 temporarily visibility 4 mi, light rain, mist, 2000 ft overcast. I may have chosen to ignore the IFR airmets and possibility of cloud cover due to the airports along the route reporting 7 mi or better and clear skies. I then made the decision that the flight was safe to depart at XB45. The sky didn't look as good as the reports said. I was cleared to take off. At about 100 ft a passenger jet announced he was on the approach for the runway. I then realized that there were wisps of clouds almost everywhere I looked. When told I could turn left on course, I was about 400 ft and replied that I was unable at the time because of clouds and was trying to remain VFR. I didn't think we had a big problem at this point. I could see holes and was shooting for one. About 5 seconds later (about 500 ft), I realized in was in trouble. The ground was disappearing and the holes were disappearing. I told the tower that I had to do a 360 degree turn to remain VFR. What I meant was a 180 degree turn. The ground disappeared as I was trying to figure out if I should pull power and point the nose down to stay under (I was probably about 700 ft then) and try to circle to land or do something else. I lost the horizon and all I saw was gray/white and every now and then some 'clear' sky, which allowed me to see clouds further away. I elected not to keep turning or descend to land. I leveled the wings, and checked to make sure I was climbing. 'Tower (call sign) we are VFR student in IMC, unable to see ground or holes.' (meaning how to get down or out). Tower said to stand by, they were calling approach to find a clear airport to get me to. I was lucky enough to be able to keep the plane relatively straight and level during the climb until I broke out on top. I believe I was in IMC for about 1-2 mins. When I was on top it looked to me like there was a broken to overcast layer with the tops about 1800-2000 ft. I was handed off to approach and they confirmed that I was currently VFR and idented an airport about 60 mi away that was reporting clear skies and good visibility. It also had a VOR on the field. I flew to the airport. About 20 mi from the airport (the new destination) the cloud cover disappeared and I was told I could descend to the airport shortly after. Later that day my instructor flew with me back to the home airport. There were broken to overcast layers at 2000-2500 ft all day. The obvious mistakes: failing to heed airmets by either waiting or confirming that conditions were good at departure airport, assuming past experience with WX trends will somehow make these conditions acceptable, and ignoring my observations and reservations about the WX and believingthe reports.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AA5 PLT TAKES OFF AND ENCOUNTERS IFR IN VMC, CLBS CLR OF WX AND DIVERTS TO ANOTHER ARPT.

Narrative: I AM GETTING CLOSE TO THE PVT PLT CHK RIDE WITH 2 HRS OF SOLO XCOUNTRY AND THE 3 HRS OF PTS-SPECIFIC TRAINING LEFT. IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS I HAVE FLOWN 16 TIMES -- 9 DUAL INSTRUCTION FLTS AND 7 SOLO FLTS -- 21 HRS TOTAL IN THE LAST 2 MONTHS. ALL OF IT IN A PLANE I PURCHASED TO COMPLETE MY TRAINING. I MET WITH MY INSTRUCTOR ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS BEFORE I TOOK OFF. THE SKY LOOKED BETTER THAN IT DID AT TKOF. WHEN PREFLTING THE PLANE, I NOTED THAT THE SKY DIDN'T LOOK AS GOOD AS THE CURRENT ATIS STATED (7 MI VISIBILITY, FEW 1000 FT, 12000 BROKEN). THE CONDITIONS OVER THE RTE WERE IMPROVING, BUT I NEGLECTED THE TREND AT THE DEP ARPT (ALSO THE DEST ARPT SINCE IT WAS A ROUND TRIP). PRIOR TO THE DEP TIME ATIS, THE METAR WAS VISIBILITY 7 MI, SCATTERED 8000 FT. I CHOSE NOT TO GET A BRIEFING FROM THE FSS AS I HAD PRINTED OUT THE WX FROM ON-LINE DUATS. 1500 FT SCATTERED, 4000 FT BROKEN, BECOMING 3000 FT SCATTERED, 5000 FT SCATTERED TO BROKEN. OUTLOOK VFR. ALSO, REMAINDER OF AREAS -- SCATTERED TO BROKEN CIRRUS, OUTLOOK VFR. AIRMET -- IFR. OCCASIONAL CEILING BELOW 1000 FT, VISIBILITY BELOW 3 SM IN MIST/FOG. CONDITIONS ENDING XBOO-XC00 (MY DEP WAS SET FOR ABOUT XB45). HAD I NOT KNOWN THE SPECIFIC ARPT CONDITIONS ALONG THE RTE AND AT THE DESTS, THE CONTENT ABOVE WOULD HAVE MADE ME STAY AT HOME. AT A NEARBY (NOT OVER THE RTE, ABOUT 20 NM AWAY) ARPT, TAF WAS XA00 WIND 260 DEGS AT 9 MI, VISIBILITY 6 MI, 2000 FT SCATTERED, 4000 FT BROKEN. XA00-XB00 TEMPORARILY VISIBILITY 4 MI, LIGHT RAIN, MIST, 2000 FT OVCST. I MAY HAVE CHOSEN TO IGNORE THE IFR AIRMETS AND POSSIBILITY OF CLOUD COVER DUE TO THE ARPTS ALONG THE RTE RPTING 7 MI OR BETTER AND CLR SKIES. I THEN MADE THE DECISION THAT THE FLT WAS SAFE TO DEPART AT XB45. THE SKY DIDN'T LOOK AS GOOD AS THE RPTS SAID. I WAS CLRED TO TAKE OFF. AT ABOUT 100 FT A PAX JET ANNOUNCED HE WAS ON THE APCH FOR THE RWY. I THEN REALIZED THAT THERE WERE WISPS OF CLOUDS ALMOST EVERYWHERE I LOOKED. WHEN TOLD I COULD TURN L ON COURSE, I WAS ABOUT 400 FT AND REPLIED THAT I WAS UNABLE AT THE TIME BECAUSE OF CLOUDS AND WAS TRYING TO REMAIN VFR. I DIDN'T THINK WE HAD A BIG PROB AT THIS POINT. I COULD SEE HOLES AND WAS SHOOTING FOR ONE. ABOUT 5 SECONDS LATER (ABOUT 500 FT), I REALIZED IN WAS IN TROUBLE. THE GND WAS DISAPPEARING AND THE HOLES WERE DISAPPEARING. I TOLD THE TWR THAT I HAD TO DO A 360 DEG TURN TO REMAIN VFR. WHAT I MEANT WAS A 180 DEG TURN. THE GND DISAPPEARED AS I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF I SHOULD PULL PWR AND POINT THE NOSE DOWN TO STAY UNDER (I WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 700 FT THEN) AND TRY TO CIRCLE TO LAND OR DO SOMETHING ELSE. I LOST THE HORIZON AND ALL I SAW WAS GRAY/WHITE AND EVERY NOW AND THEN SOME 'CLR' SKY, WHICH ALLOWED ME TO SEE CLOUDS FURTHER AWAY. I ELECTED NOT TO KEEP TURNING OR DSND TO LAND. I LEVELED THE WINGS, AND CHKED TO MAKE SURE I WAS CLBING. 'TWR (CALL SIGN) WE ARE VFR STUDENT IN IMC, UNABLE TO SEE GND OR HOLES.' (MEANING HOW TO GET DOWN OR OUT). TWR SAID TO STAND BY, THEY WERE CALLING APCH TO FIND A CLR ARPT TO GET ME TO. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THE PLANE RELATIVELY STRAIGHT AND LEVEL DURING THE CLB UNTIL I BROKE OUT ON TOP. I BELIEVE I WAS IN IMC FOR ABOUT 1-2 MINS. WHEN I WAS ON TOP IT LOOKED TO ME LIKE THERE WAS A BROKEN TO OVCST LAYER WITH THE TOPS ABOUT 1800-2000 FT. I WAS HANDED OFF TO APCH AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT I WAS CURRENTLY VFR AND IDENTED AN ARPT ABOUT 60 MI AWAY THAT WAS RPTING CLR SKIES AND GOOD VISIBILITY. IT ALSO HAD A VOR ON THE FIELD. I FLEW TO THE ARPT. ABOUT 20 MI FROM THE ARPT (THE NEW DEST) THE CLOUD COVER DISAPPEARED AND I WAS TOLD I COULD DSND TO THE ARPT SHORTLY AFTER. LATER THAT DAY MY INSTRUCTOR FLEW WITH ME BACK TO THE HOME ARPT. THERE WERE BROKEN TO OVCST LAYERS AT 2000-2500 FT ALL DAY. THE OBVIOUS MISTAKES: FAILING TO HEED AIRMETS BY EITHER WAITING OR CONFIRMING THAT CONDITIONS WERE GOOD AT DEP ARPT, ASSUMING PAST EXPERIENCE WITH WX TRENDS WILL SOMEHOW MAKE THESE CONDITIONS ACCEPTABLE, AND IGNORING MY OBSERVATIONS AND RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE WX AND BELIEVINGTHE RPTS.

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.