Small aircraft pilot gets caught in unforecasted WX during short flight between 2 airports and enter...

Attributes
ACN	536169
Time
Date	200201
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : olm.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 700 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : olm.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 22030 flight time type : 280
ASRS Report	536169
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented flight crew : exited penetrated airspace flight crew : exited adverse environment
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had decided to fly from iso to cls for lunch and to fuel, but WX had become a problem. I had a WX brief on friday and an automatic brief on saturday. I departed iso approximately XA00 and landed 30 mins later at cls (distance of 38 mi). As I fueled, it started to snow and the visibility started to decrease. I decided to take off as soon as possible as the WX at my destination and most of my route was still good. The WX was approaching from the opposite direction. The terrain to the east was higher than the terrain to the north, so I decided to go north and to follow interstate 5. The WX closed in behind me and also along this northerly route. My atl was about 700-1000 ft AGL. Visibility was about 1 1/2 mi. I thought I would be in VFR conditions in a short time, as I had only been on the ground for about 15 mins and my route had been VFR all the way to cls. I did not realize how far north I had flown until I saw the department store at tumwater, wa. I knew then that the olympia airport nearby was IFR and that I was in the control zone. At this time, it went to VFR and I climbed to 2800 ft and continued to iso. My decision to try to outrun the WX was made in haste and my planning did not make me aware of the route and the control zone along it. In retrospect, more time flight planning would have been a great benefit. Haste was the problem here. It altered the decision to go -- and to go not properly prepared.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT GETS CAUGHT IN UNFORECASTED WX DURING SHORT FLT BTWN 2 ARPTS AND ENTERS AN ATA AND IFR CONDITIONS. HE RECOGNIZED HIS LOCATION AND EXITED THE AIRSPACE AND BROKE OUT IN VFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I HAD DECIDED TO FLY FROM ISO TO CLS FOR LUNCH AND TO FUEL, BUT WX HAD BECOME A PROB. I HAD A WX BRIEF ON FRIDAY AND AN AUTOMATIC BRIEF ON SATURDAY. I DEPARTED ISO APPROX XA00 AND LANDED 30 MINS LATER AT CLS (DISTANCE OF 38 MI). AS I FUELED, IT STARTED TO SNOW AND THE VISIBILITY STARTED TO DECREASE. I DECIDED TO TAKE OFF ASAP AS THE WX AT MY DEST AND MOST OF MY RTE WAS STILL GOOD. THE WX WAS APCHING FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. THE TERRAIN TO THE E WAS HIGHER THAN THE TERRAIN TO THE N, SO I DECIDED TO GO N AND TO FOLLOW INTERSTATE 5. THE WX CLOSED IN BEHIND ME AND ALSO ALONG THIS NORTHERLY RTE. MY ATL WAS ABOUT 700-1000 FT AGL. VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 MI. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE IN VFR CONDITIONS IN A SHORT TIME, AS I HAD ONLY BEEN ON THE GND FOR ABOUT 15 MINS AND MY RTE HAD BEEN VFR ALL THE WAY TO CLS. I DID NOT REALIZE HOW FAR N I HAD FLOWN UNTIL I SAW THE DEPT STORE AT TUMWATER, WA. I KNEW THEN THAT THE OLYMPIA ARPT NEARBY WAS IFR AND THAT I WAS IN THE CTL ZONE. AT THIS TIME, IT WENT TO VFR AND I CLBED TO 2800 FT AND CONTINUED TO ISO. MY DECISION TO TRY TO OUTRUN THE WX WAS MADE IN HASTE AND MY PLANNING DID NOT MAKE ME AWARE OF THE RTE AND THE CTL ZONE ALONG IT. IN RETROSPECT, MORE TIME FLT PLANNING WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT BENEFIT. HASTE WAS THE PROB HERE. IT ALTERED THE DECISION TO GO -- AND TO GO NOT PROPERLY PREPARED.

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.

Small aircraft pilot gets caught in unforecasted WX during short flight between 2 airports and enters an air traffic area and IFR conditions. He recognized his location and exited the airspace and broke out in VFR conditions.