Narrative:

I left galesburg on a student solo x-country flight. This resulted in my ending up in rapidly deteriorating visibility over ugn. Subsequently I landed west/O communicating with the tower. The following is a chain of events that led to my predicament and the resulting emergency landing at ugn. Called kankakee for WX brief. General consensus of 5-8 mi visibility and 2500' scattered with haze. Called kankakee to open flight plan. After holding 5 mins decided to try again later. I called back later. Still busy, so I decided to activate flight plan from the air. Departed galesburg and climbed to 3000'. Too hazy at 3000', so I descended to 2500 with good visibility. After descent I noticed I was slightly south of course, so I concentrated on VOR and ground chkpoints and forgot to call and activate flight plan. I navigated off galesburg VOR and ground chkpoints till I picked up dekalb NDB. Tracked ADF to dekalb while confirming with ground chkpoints. Crossed over dekalb NDB and called ZAU for flight following to ugn. ZAU was busy and instructed me to maintain VFR. Tuned in northbrook VOR and tracked dekalb NDB outbnd till 320 degrees from northbrook. Tried for ugn ATIS but got no signal. Tried ugn approach and got no answer. Tried ugn unicom and got no answer. Then the haze started getting lower. I descended to 2000' and visibility was good. While getting a ground fix, the haze layer sunk and I found myself in 0 visibility. I immediately initiated a 180 degree turn to the left. As I passed through 270 degrees I was momentarily blinded by the sun's reflection off the haze. I dropped to 1800' and saw ugn off my left wing and towers ahead of me. Once again I tried approach and unicom but got no answer. I thought the tower might have closed earlier then published, so I announced my intentions on CTAF and landed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT ON SOLO CROSS-COUNTRY NEGLECTS TO OPEN FLT PLAN, PRESSES ON IN DETERIORATING WX AND, WHEN UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR, LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I LEFT GALESBURG ON A STUDENT SOLO X-COUNTRY FLT. THIS RESULTED IN MY ENDING UP IN RAPIDLY DETERIORATING VISIBILITY OVER UGN. SUBSEQUENTLY I LANDED W/O COMMUNICATING WITH THE TWR. THE FOLLOWING IS A CHAIN OF EVENTS THAT LED TO MY PREDICAMENT AND THE RESULTING EMER LNDG AT UGN. CALLED KANKAKEE FOR WX BRIEF. GENERAL CONSENSUS OF 5-8 MI VISIBILITY AND 2500' SCATTERED WITH HAZE. CALLED KANKAKEE TO OPEN FLT PLAN. AFTER HOLDING 5 MINS DECIDED TO TRY AGAIN LATER. I CALLED BACK LATER. STILL BUSY, SO I DECIDED TO ACTIVATE FLT PLAN FROM THE AIR. DEPARTED GALESBURG AND CLBED TO 3000'. TOO HAZY AT 3000', SO I DSNDED TO 2500 WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. AFTER DSNT I NOTICED I WAS SLIGHTLY S OF COURSE, SO I CONCENTRATED ON VOR AND GND CHKPOINTS AND FORGOT TO CALL AND ACTIVATE FLT PLAN. I NAVIGATED OFF GALESBURG VOR AND GND CHKPOINTS TILL I PICKED UP DEKALB NDB. TRACKED ADF TO DEKALB WHILE CONFIRMING WITH GND CHKPOINTS. CROSSED OVER DEKALB NDB AND CALLED ZAU FOR FLT FOLLOWING TO UGN. ZAU WAS BUSY AND INSTRUCTED ME TO MAINTAIN VFR. TUNED IN NORTHBROOK VOR AND TRACKED DEKALB NDB OUTBND TILL 320 DEGS FROM NORTHBROOK. TRIED FOR UGN ATIS BUT GOT NO SIGNAL. TRIED UGN APCH AND GOT NO ANSWER. TRIED UGN UNICOM AND GOT NO ANSWER. THEN THE HAZE STARTED GETTING LOWER. I DSNDED TO 2000' AND VISIBILITY WAS GOOD. WHILE GETTING A GND FIX, THE HAZE LAYER SUNK AND I FOUND MYSELF IN 0 VISIBILITY. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A 180 DEG TURN TO THE LEFT. AS I PASSED THROUGH 270 DEGS I WAS MOMENTARILY BLINDED BY THE SUN'S REFLECTION OFF THE HAZE. I DROPPED TO 1800' AND SAW UGN OFF MY LEFT WING AND TWRS AHEAD OF ME. ONCE AGAIN I TRIED APCH AND UNICOM BUT GOT NO ANSWER. I THOUGHT THE TWR MIGHT HAVE CLOSED EARLIER THEN PUBLISHED, SO I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS ON CTAF AND LANDED.

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.