Narrative:

The problem arose because the WX briefing in south bend stated ceiling en route to detroit city airport was reporting 2000-4000'. I was flying alone in my small aircraft X. 2 private pilot friends accompanying me were flying their small aircraft twin Y. Inclimate WX had caused us, both planes, to land in south bend after taking off from gary hatcher airport previous day. The problem arose when I determined after hearing over my radio the Y landing is jackson, mi because of WX conditions worsening, I assumed they were wrong and that I could get to detroit at the 2000-4000' altitude given in the briefing. After crossing the salem VOR 25 mi from detroit airport, with ceiling lowering, I came from 2500 to 2000' to remain clear of clouds. Continuing on, things seemed ok until I could see ahead and south of me toward detroit city airport clouds lower than where I was. Knowing I couldn't go there and remain clear of clouds I turned northeast toward pontiac airport. En route the clouds became worse at pontiac. Knowing from my sectional than an uncontrolled airport was back southwest of me I turned to a heading that would fly me near it to land and let conditions improve to take off at a later time or day. About 7 or 8 mi southwest I saw what I thought to be the airport. Having never landed there before I did not know what it specifically would look like. As I approached the runway was in the direction indicated on the sectional. I made another mistake when I assumed it was the airport I was looking for. The moderate turbulence contributed to my error. I tried to be safe by flying directly over the center of the airport for a left traffic landing on 24. Looking to what I could now see to be the control tower I aborted my setup for landing because I realized the unicom frequency 122.7 was not appropriate. After getting a gun signal to land I landed and was told to call the tower. I explained to them what had occurred. My experience has let me know the importance of not getting disoriented. Flying the plane is only part of a much larger and more crucial picture. I began an INS ground school a month ago. There is no way I'll even feel comfortable in inclimate WX conditions west/O an INS certification. I aim to get it if I survive this, what could have been a catastrophic incident. This being the first time ever in a WX situation this extreme, I have a totally different viewpoint of clouds and their ominous potential capabilities.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT PROCEEDS INTO DETERIORATING WX AND GETS LOST TRYING TO FIND AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT NEARBY AND PENETRATES ARB ATA THINKING ARB IS THE ARPT BEING SOUGHT.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE THE WX BRIEFING IN SOUTH BEND STATED CEILING ENRTE TO DETROIT CITY ARPT WAS RPTING 2000-4000'. I WAS FLYING ALONE IN MY SMA X. 2 PVT PLT FRIENDS ACCOMPANYING ME WERE FLYING THEIR SMA TWIN Y. INCLIMATE WX HAD CAUSED US, BOTH PLANES, TO LAND IN SOUTH BEND AFTER TAKING OFF FROM GARY HATCHER ARPT PREVIOUS DAY. THE PROB AROSE WHEN I DETERMINED AFTER HEARING OVER MY RADIO THE Y LNDG IS JACKSON, MI BECAUSE OF WX CONDITIONS WORSENING, I ASSUMED THEY WERE WRONG AND THAT I COULD GET TO DETROIT AT THE 2000-4000' ALT GIVEN IN THE BRIEFING. AFTER XING THE SALEM VOR 25 MI FROM DETROIT ARPT, WITH CEILING LOWERING, I CAME FROM 2500 TO 2000' TO REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS. CONTINUING ON, THINGS SEEMED OK UNTIL I COULD SEE AHEAD AND S OF ME TOWARD DETROIT CITY ARPT CLOUDS LOWER THAN WHERE I WAS. KNOWING I COULDN'T GO THERE AND REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS I TURNED NE TOWARD PONTIAC ARPT. ENRTE THE CLOUDS BECAME WORSE AT PONTIAC. KNOWING FROM MY SECTIONAL THAN AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT WAS BACK SW OF ME I TURNED TO A HDG THAT WOULD FLY ME NEAR IT TO LAND AND LET CONDITIONS IMPROVE TO TAKE OFF AT A LATER TIME OR DAY. ABOUT 7 OR 8 MI SW I SAW WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE THE ARPT. HAVING NEVER LANDED THERE BEFORE I DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT SPECIFICALLY WOULD LOOK LIKE. AS I APCHED THE RWY WAS IN THE DIRECTION INDICATED ON THE SECTIONAL. I MADE ANOTHER MISTAKE WHEN I ASSUMED IT WAS THE ARPT I WAS LOOKING FOR. THE MODERATE TURB CONTRIBUTED TO MY ERROR. I TRIED TO BE SAFE BY FLYING DIRECTLY OVER THE CENTER OF THE ARPT FOR A LEFT TFC LNDG ON 24. LOOKING TO WHAT I COULD NOW SEE TO BE THE CONTROL TWR I ABORTED MY SETUP FOR LNDG BECAUSE I REALIZED THE UNICOM FREQ 122.7 WAS NOT APPROPRIATE. AFTER GETTING A GUN SIGNAL TO LAND I LANDED AND WAS TOLD TO CALL THE TWR. I EXPLAINED TO THEM WHAT HAD OCCURRED. MY EXPERIENCE HAS LET ME KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT GETTING DISORIENTED. FLYING THE PLANE IS ONLY PART OF A MUCH LARGER AND MORE CRUCIAL PICTURE. I BEGAN AN INS GND SCHOOL A MONTH AGO. THERE IS NO WAY I'LL EVEN FEEL COMFORTABLE IN INCLIMATE WX CONDITIONS W/O AN INS CERTIFICATION. I AIM TO GET IT IF I SURVIVE THIS, WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A CATASTROPHIC INCIDENT. THIS BEING THE FIRST TIME EVER IN A WX SITUATION THIS EXTREME, I HAVE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT OF CLOUDS AND THEIR OMINOUS POTENTIAL CAPABILITIES.

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.