C340 pilot flew in IMC with no clearance in ZSE class G airspace.

Attributes
ACN	530122
Time
Date	200111
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : s36.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : s46.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 340/340A
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 22
ASRS Report	530122
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After having breakfast with a group of other pilots at pierce county airport, I decided to put some time on my aircraft since it hadn't been flown much since the world trade center attack. The WX was looking best if I flew east toward ellensburg. The plan was to put approximately 1 hour on the engines prior to returning to my home base at boeing field in seattle. On returning back to seattle, I found the ceilings had closed in front of me. I was flying at about 500 ft northbound between lake tapps and lake youngs but was unable to find lake youngs. I could hear pilots making touch-and-goes at boeing field. At this point, I went east again and tried to approach boeing from the north over lake sammamish but that appeared worse. At that point, I proceeded east again and received an IFR clearance to boeing and captured an ILS into bfi. The problem with this trip was VFR flight into IFR conditions. What I should have done was to get an IFR clearance prior to trying to 'sneak' in!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C340 PLT FLEW IN IMC WITH NO CLRNC IN ZSE CLASS G AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AFTER HAVING BREAKFAST WITH A GROUP OF OTHER PLTS AT PIERCE COUNTY ARPT, I DECIDED TO PUT SOME TIME ON MY ACFT SINCE IT HADN'T BEEN FLOWN MUCH SINCE THE WORLD TRADE CENTER ATTACK. THE WX WAS LOOKING BEST IF I FLEW E TOWARD ELLENSBURG. THE PLAN WAS TO PUT APPROX 1 HR ON THE ENGS PRIOR TO RETURNING TO MY HOME BASE AT BOEING FIELD IN SEATTLE. ON RETURNING BACK TO SEATTLE, I FOUND THE CEILINGS HAD CLOSED IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS FLYING AT ABOUT 500 FT NBOUND BTWN LAKE TAPPS AND LAKE YOUNGS BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND LAKE YOUNGS. I COULD HEAR PLTS MAKING TOUCH-AND-GOES AT BOEING FIELD. AT THIS POINT, I WENT E AGAIN AND TRIED TO APCH BOEING FROM THE N OVER LAKE SAMMAMISH BUT THAT APPEARED WORSE. AT THAT POINT, I PROCEEDED E AGAIN AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC TO BOEING AND CAPTURED AN ILS INTO BFI. THE PROB WITH THIS TRIP WAS VFR FLT INTO IFR CONDITIONS. WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE WAS TO GET AN IFR CLRNC PRIOR TO TRYING TO 'SNEAK' IN!

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.