Narrative:

I was flying VFR from colorado to casper, wy at xa pm via cheyenne and douglas. Scattered snow showers, but generally good visibility, bright moon and stars. As I approached douglas, I saw lightning in clouds. Denver flight watch said chadron, northeast, radar reported level 2 at 120 mi west. This was not forecast. I changed my route and flew due west, north of laramie mtn and south of casper mtn, paralleling the river valley. Cruised at 10,500'. Could see laramie 90 mi south and scottsbluff, northeast, to the east. Flew west to platte river valley, descended to 6500 and turned north. Picked up scattered clouds at around 10,000' then 8500' and then at 7500'. Used denver flight watch (couldn't pick up casper FSS or approach). Denver called casper and reported they were still 14 scattered 40 broken 10 mi visibility 3 degree temperature/dew point spread. Flew north toward airport (approximately 20 mi north) using farm lights and highway traffic as additional reference. Used casper (muddy mtn) VOR radial and DME plus ADF for double-check. Called approach, squawked and identify. He asked altitude, reported 6500 and then corrected to 6000. Approach lost my target, but I continued to talk to approach. Report where I was and that I had good visibility. Reported that I could see highway lights, farms, etc and my position over the river near the narrows. Wham! I called approach and said 'I've lost all visual contact. I need help'. Approach replied 'keep your wings level and climb to 7000'. Keep heading of 360 degree, keep your wings level. Are you instrument rated?' I replied 'negative'. Approach 'I have you at 7000'. Keep your wings level and heading 360 and we'll get you to the airport'. (Or something very similar!) I broke out within a couple of minutes and could see the city and the airport clearly. Approach turned me over to tower and he cleared me to land. The snow shower was only about 2 mi wide at the most but was in the worst of places, no room to turn around. I had gone too far. Should have done 180 and flew 100 mi to laramie, which I could see earlier. I believe I did right in that once I was in trouble, I asked for help and climbed instead of trying to go under the shower. The reported 14 scattered 40 broken and good visibility reported at the airport, with me flying in good VFR, bright moon, sure made me over confident. One small snow shower and a couple of hills between me and the field, and I very nearly bought the farm. I was terrified after I landed!! You just can't see everything at night!! Thank god I was in contact with a good controller when I got in trouble. I had become complacent flying this route many times. The fair WX at destination and beautiful night flying reinforced this feeling. This one was the lesson that I've only read about happening to others.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMERGENCY FLT ASSIST BY APCH CTLR TO GA ACFT IN IMC CONDITIONS. GA PLT PRESSED ON INTO DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS AT NIGHT AND BECAME DISORIENTATED AT A LOW ALT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING VFR FROM COLORADO TO CASPER, WY AT XA PM VIA CHEYENNE AND DOUGLAS. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS, BUT GENERALLY GOOD VISIBILITY, BRIGHT MOON AND STARS. AS I APCHED DOUGLAS, I SAW LIGHTNING IN CLOUDS. DENVER FLT WATCH SAID CHADRON, NE, RADAR REPORTED LEVEL 2 AT 120 MI W. THIS WAS NOT FORECAST. I CHANGED MY ROUTE AND FLEW DUE W, N OF LARAMIE MTN AND S OF CASPER MTN, PARALLELING THE RIVER VALLEY. CRUISED AT 10,500'. COULD SEE LARAMIE 90 MI S AND SCOTTSBLUFF, NE, TO THE E. FLEW W TO PLATTE RIVER VALLEY, DESCENDED TO 6500 AND TURNED N. PICKED UP SCATTERED CLOUDS AT AROUND 10,000' THEN 8500' AND THEN AT 7500'. USED DENVER FLT WATCH (COULDN'T PICK UP CASPER FSS OR APCH). DENVER CALLED CASPER AND REPORTED THEY WERE STILL 14 SCATTERED 40 BROKEN 10 MI VISIBILITY 3 DEG TEMP/DEW POINT SPREAD. FLEW N TOWARD ARPT (APPROX 20 MI N) USING FARM LIGHTS AND HIGHWAY TFC AS ADDITIONAL REFERENCE. USED CASPER (MUDDY MTN) VOR RADIAL AND DME PLUS ADF FOR DOUBLE-CHECK. CALLED APCH, SQUAWKED AND IDENT. HE ASKED ALT, REPORTED 6500 AND THEN CORRECTED TO 6000. APCH LOST MY TARGET, BUT I CONTINUED TO TALK TO APCH. REPORT WHERE I WAS AND THAT I HAD GOOD VISIBILITY. REPORTED THAT I COULD SEE HIGHWAY LIGHTS, FARMS, ETC AND MY POSITION OVER THE RIVER NEAR THE NARROWS. WHAM! I CALLED APCH AND SAID 'I'VE LOST ALL VISUAL CONTACT. I NEED HELP'. APCH REPLIED 'KEEP YOUR WINGS LEVEL AND CLIMB TO 7000'. KEEP HEADING OF 360 DEG, KEEP YOUR WINGS LEVEL. ARE YOU INSTRUMENT RATED?' I REPLIED 'NEGATIVE'. APCH 'I HAVE YOU AT 7000'. KEEP YOUR WINGS LEVEL AND HDG 360 AND WE'LL GET YOU TO THE ARPT'. (OR SOMETHING VERY SIMILAR!) I BROKE OUT WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND COULD SEE THE CITY AND THE ARPT CLEARLY. APCH TURNED ME OVER TO TWR AND HE CLRED ME TO LAND. THE SNOW SHOWER WAS ONLY ABOUT 2 MI WIDE AT THE MOST BUT WAS IN THE WORST OF PLACES, NO ROOM TO TURN AROUND. I HAD GONE TOO FAR. SHOULD HAVE DONE 180 AND FLEW 100 MI TO LARAMIE, WHICH I COULD SEE EARLIER. I BELIEVE I DID RIGHT IN THAT ONCE I WAS IN TROUBLE, I ASKED FOR HELP AND CLIMBED INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GO UNDER THE SHOWER. THE REPORTED 14 SCATTERED 40 BROKEN AND GOOD VISIBILITY REPORTED AT THE ARPT, WITH ME FLYING IN GOOD VFR, BRIGHT MOON, SURE MADE ME OVER CONFIDENT. ONE SMALL SNOW SHOWER AND A COUPLE OF HILLS BETWEEN ME AND THE FIELD, AND I VERY NEARLY BOUGHT THE FARM. I WAS TERRIFIED AFTER I LANDED!! YOU JUST CAN'T SEE EVERYTHING AT NIGHT!! THANK GOD I WAS IN CONTACT WITH A GOOD CTLR WHEN I GOT IN TROUBLE. I HAD BECOME COMPLACENT FLYING THIS ROUTE MANY TIMES. THE FAIR WX AT DEST AND BEAUTIFUL NIGHT FLYING REINFORCED THIS FEELING. THIS ONE WAS THE LESSON THAT I'VE ONLY READ ABOUT HAPPENING TO OTHERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.