Narrative:

I left dawson airport yukon territory after receiving briefing. I filed VFR to fai. The WX was 4000' thin and scattered and visibility was 15 mi. Fairbanks forecast 11000' thin and scattered. I was the first of three leaving dawson on a VFR flight to fairbanks via taylor highway. I flew down the klondike river gaining altitude to 4500'. At dawson city, I went to 6500' with visibility of 20 mi and I felt good about the flight. I contacted the two following aircraft and advised them that the WX was good, they acknowledged my report of WX along the taylor highway. I was about 50 mi out in uncontrolled airspace when the WX started to deteriorate with light snow. I dropped to 4500' and continued along the route of the taylor. I called the other two aircraft and reported the WX was looking worse and told them I was making a 180 degree turn back to dawson yukon territory, which they also decided to do. I figured no problem, just climb back to 5500' and return to dawson, but to my surprise, I climbed to 5500' and that was it. The visibility was about one mi and the ceiling was down also. I went to 4000' and started following a river down to the yukon river but the WX went to the ground. I turned around and found that I was trapped in a hole with no way out. I climbed back up to 5500'. I started an instant climb to get altitude to clear any peaks. I went into the overcast and climbed to 8500'. I picked a heading for fai. I was between two layers for awhile. I contacted zan and reported my condition and advised them I was climbing to 10500' to find VFR altitude. In the mean time, I tuned north pole station, put the needle on the nose, and picked a heading of 270 degrees. Zan advised me to make an a-df steer to north pole. I had good control of the aircraft at all times. I advised control I was climbing to 12500' to find VFR to no avail. They finally picked me up on radar and continued the trip west/O incident. I had some instrument training in july of 89. I feel very fortunate to have had this little bit of training. I know west/O it, things would not have turned out as well for me. I can not say enough for the wonderful service of our controllers of anchorage, fairbanks and northway. I am very sorry to have taken these people away from their normal job to try and help me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA-SMA VFR IN IMC BETWEEN YDA AND FAI.

Narrative: I LEFT DAWSON ARPT YUKON TERRITORY AFTER RECEIVING BRIEFING. I FILED VFR TO FAI. THE WX WAS 4000' THIN AND SCATTERED AND VISIBILITY WAS 15 MI. FAIRBANKS FORECAST 11000' THIN AND SCATTERED. I WAS THE FIRST OF THREE LEAVING DAWSON ON A VFR FLT TO FAIRBANKS VIA TAYLOR HIGHWAY. I FLEW DOWN THE KLONDIKE RIVER GAINING ALT TO 4500'. AT DAWSON CITY, I WENT TO 6500' WITH VISIBILITY OF 20 MI AND I FELT GOOD ABOUT THE FLT. I CONTACTED THE TWO FOLLOWING ACFT AND ADVISED THEM THAT THE WX WAS GOOD, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED MY RPT OF WX ALONG THE TAYLOR HIGHWAY. I WAS ABOUT 50 MI OUT IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE WHEN THE WX STARTED TO DETERIORATE WITH LIGHT SNOW. I DROPPED TO 4500' AND CONTINUED ALONG THE RTE OF THE TAYLOR. I CALLED THE OTHER TWO ACFT AND RPTED THE WX WAS LOOKING WORSE AND TOLD THEM I WAS MAKING A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO DAWSON YUKON TERRITORY, WHICH THEY ALSO DECIDED TO DO. I FIGURED NO PROB, JUST CLB BACK TO 5500' AND RETURN TO DAWSON, BUT TO MY SURPRISE, I CLBED TO 5500' AND THAT WAS IT. THE VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT ONE MI AND THE CEILING WAS DOWN ALSO. I WENT TO 4000' AND STARTED FOLLOWING A RIVER DOWN TO THE YUKON RIVER BUT THE WX WENT TO THE GND. I TURNED AROUND AND FOUND THAT I WAS TRAPPED IN A HOLE WITH NO WAY OUT. I CLBED BACK UP TO 5500'. I STARTED AN INSTANT CLB TO GET ALT TO CLR ANY PEAKS. I WENT INTO THE OVCST AND CLBED TO 8500'. I PICKED A HDG FOR FAI. I WAS BTWN TWO LAYERS FOR AWHILE. I CONTACTED ZAN AND RPTED MY CONDITION AND ADVISED THEM I WAS CLBING TO 10500' TO FIND VFR ALT. IN THE MEAN TIME, I TUNED N POLE STATION, PUT THE NEEDLE ON THE NOSE, AND PICKED A HDG OF 270 DEGS. ZAN ADVISED ME TO MAKE AN A-DF STEER TO N POLE. I HAD GOOD CTL OF THE ACFT AT ALL TIMES. I ADVISED CTL I WAS CLBING TO 12500' TO FIND VFR TO NO AVAIL. THEY FINALLY PICKED ME UP ON RADAR AND CONTINUED THE TRIP W/O INCIDENT. I HAD SOME INSTRUMENT TRNING IN JULY OF 89. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD THIS LITTLE BIT OF TRNING. I KNOW W/O IT, THINGS WOULD NOT HAVE TURNED OUT AS WELL FOR ME. I CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH FOR THE WONDERFUL SVC OF OUR CTLRS OF ANCHORAGE, FAIRBANKS AND NORTHWAY. I AM VERY SORRY TO HAVE TAKEN THESE PEOPLE AWAY FROM THEIR NORMAL JOB TO TRY AND HELP ME.

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.