Narrative:

I arrived at ZZZ airport at XA00 for an XB00 CFI rating flight. As the student; I computed the weight and balance for the flight and checked the local WX. The current metar was showing 8 mi with clear skies. The taf showed a temporary condition of 2 mi in smoke; that was to end at XB00. After XB00 it was predicted to be greater than 6 mi and clear. The instructor and I listened to the ATIS after starting the engine. It had the visibility as 5 mi in haze with clear skies. We decided to continue since it was still VMC. We were given taxi instructions to depart from runway 23 at intersection F. After completing the run-up we were given a takeoff clearance with a left turn sbound after departure. At this time the WX still appeared to be good VFR. After takeoff; at approximately 500-600 ft; the visibility dropped drastically; from greater than 5 mi to less than 1 mi. It was necessary that we return to the airport and land. I called ZZZ tower; and advised them that the visibility had dropped drastically and we needed to return and land. He immediately gave us landing clearance; this time for runway 32. At this time we were approximately 1.5 DME south of the airport; and after turning towards it; I was unable to see the runways. I searched for a short while and determined that we probably would not see it at the altitude we were at. I called the tower again; and informed the controller that we could not see the airport and needed a local IFR. He told us to fly our present heading (030 degrees) and to climb to 2000 ft MSL; and asked us the current flight conditions. We were then given a frequency change to ZZZ departure. Once contact was made with the departure controller; we got a discrete beacon code; and were eventually vectored onto the localizer for the ILS to runway 32. We broke out at approximately 400 ft AGL; with flight visibility being less than 1 mi. We made an uneventful landing and went immediately back to the ramp. I think one thing I should have done but didn't was to make a call to an FSS briefer. A briefer might have given me some more information that could possibly have changed our decision to go on the flight. Another thing that could have been done was to ask for a local IFR immediately after discovering that the flight visibility was below VFR minimums instead of looking for the field. In the future I know to always get as detailed a WX brief as possible; and to make sure I always have approach charts with me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED COMMERCIAL PLT ON A CFI CERTIFICATION FLT INADVERTENTLY ENTERS IMC.

Narrative: I ARRIVED AT ZZZ ARPT AT XA00 FOR AN XB00 CFI RATING FLT. AS THE STUDENT; I COMPUTED THE WT AND BAL FOR THE FLT AND CHKED THE LCL WX. THE CURRENT METAR WAS SHOWING 8 MI WITH CLR SKIES. THE TAF SHOWED A TEMPORARY CONDITION OF 2 MI IN SMOKE; THAT WAS TO END AT XB00. AFTER XB00 IT WAS PREDICTED TO BE GREATER THAN 6 MI AND CLR. THE INSTRUCTOR AND I LISTENED TO THE ATIS AFTER STARTING THE ENG. IT HAD THE VISIBILITY AS 5 MI IN HAZE WITH CLR SKIES. WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE SINCE IT WAS STILL VMC. WE WERE GIVEN TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO DEPART FROM RWY 23 AT INTXN F. AFTER COMPLETING THE RUN-UP WE WERE GIVEN A TKOF CLRNC WITH A L TURN SBOUND AFTER DEP. AT THIS TIME THE WX STILL APPEARED TO BE GOOD VFR. AFTER TKOF; AT APPROX 500-600 FT; THE VISIBILITY DROPPED DRASTICALLY; FROM GREATER THAN 5 MI TO LESS THAN 1 MI. IT WAS NECESSARY THAT WE RETURN TO THE ARPT AND LAND. I CALLED ZZZ TWR; AND ADVISED THEM THAT THE VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED DRASTICALLY AND WE NEEDED TO RETURN AND LAND. HE IMMEDIATELY GAVE US LNDG CLRNC; THIS TIME FOR RWY 32. AT THIS TIME WE WERE APPROX 1.5 DME S OF THE ARPT; AND AFTER TURNING TOWARDS IT; I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE RWYS. I SEARCHED FOR A SHORT WHILE AND DETERMINED THAT WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT SEE IT AT THE ALT WE WERE AT. I CALLED THE TWR AGAIN; AND INFORMED THE CTLR THAT WE COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT AND NEEDED A LCL IFR. HE TOLD US TO FLY OUR PRESENT HDG (030 DEGS) AND TO CLB TO 2000 FT MSL; AND ASKED US THE CURRENT FLT CONDITIONS. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO ZZZ DEP. ONCE CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE DEP CTLR; WE GOT A DISCRETE BEACON CODE; AND WERE EVENTUALLY VECTORED ONTO THE LOC FOR THE ILS TO RWY 32. WE BROKE OUT AT APPROX 400 FT AGL; WITH FLT VISIBILITY BEING LESS THAN 1 MI. WE MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND WENT IMMEDIATELY BACK TO THE RAMP. I THINK ONE THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE BUT DIDN'T WAS TO MAKE A CALL TO AN FSS BRIEFER. A BRIEFER MIGHT HAVE GIVEN ME SOME MORE INFO THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAVE CHANGED OUR DECISION TO GO ON THE FLT. ANOTHER THING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN DONE WAS TO ASK FOR A LCL IFR IMMEDIATELY AFTER DISCOVERING THAT THE FLT VISIBILITY WAS BELOW VFR MINIMUMS INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR THE FIELD. IN THE FUTURE I KNOW TO ALWAYS GET AS DETAILED A WX BRIEF AS POSSIBLE; AND TO MAKE SURE I ALWAYS HAVE APCH CHARTS WITH ME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.