Narrative:

I was VFR on top 6500' MSL westbound toward chicago when I noticed the areas that appeared to be big blue open holes were really shadows cast on deck below from a few clouds above me. I was throttled back and slowly descending to go through one of the open looking holes, but actually was a solid deck. I listened to ATIS at fwa. Ceiling was reported as 500' overcast. I was in an old small aircraft with no vacuum pump (venturi tubes), inoperative G/south and localizer, and no transponder or encoder. I applied power to get higher and assess my situation. When I noticed engine roughness and missing, I applied carburetor heat and it seemed to run better for a while. I forgot how long ago I saw land and thought about turning a 180 degree turn to look for clear area. Engine now had a definite miss and rough running again with full carburetor heat. I leaned out. It got a little better. I called fwa approach 126.6 (from approach plate). No answer. I called FSS 122.0 with no response. I was getting nervous. About 15 gals fuel left (it burns about 12 gph). I looked at approach plate for fwa. They have ASR capabilities, so I kept calling and transmitting in the blind, informing of my situation VFR on top, rough engine and wanted clearance to get through deck and possibly ASR approach to fwa--no response. I noticed a little black oil on cowling ahead of windshield. Oil pressure and temperature still in green, but I was scared! I called 121.5 with no response! I went back to approach frequency and finally another aircraft in area heard me and relayed my message. I finally got someone to talk to! He gave me some turns, radar idented me and told me to descend to 2600' MSL (I think that was his MVA). Now I'm in solid IMC in rain with an oil ill-equipped aircraft and rough running engine. Approach then said, 'I understand you have rough running engine,' (I said yes). 'I'll vector you to nearest airport (kendallville, in via wolf lake VOR 110.4, 41 degrees). I was now using a hand-held radio because I didn't know if I ever got out on the aircraft radios, because I never got a response. Reception was marginal. I tried to add power to maintain altitude, but engine sputtered, coughed, so I reduced power to previous setting about 20' mp and left power along and prepared for landing. Well, in all this mess and confusion and over blaring of 'get on the ground-itis,' I went below the published MDA of 1640' MSL. I finally broke out. I don't recall what altitude because I was so glad to see the ground. When someone asked my altitude, I looked and said, 1200' (that was not what I broke out at), and filed elevation was 1000' MSL. I spotted the runway and landed (downwind) slight downwind. Oil streaks could be seen down side of aircraft (oil coming out of filler tube cap post worn out and groved rubber washer on cap, and was all over magnetic, wires and voltage regulator). 2 plugs were found wet and fouled out. Mixture too rich, plugs all black. I read a few days later in aviation safety magazine about a pilot killed in same area, also in same type sam. I am sure glad those guys in approach were so helpful and vectored me right to uncontrolled field within 1/2 mi! To prevent this happening again, I'll never go above any clouds unless I'm prepared to shoot an ILS to minimums, with all the needed equipment, charts and approach plates, IFR certified aircraft and flight plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA VFR IN IMC NEEDS FLT ASSIST TO FIND SUITABLE ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS VFR ON TOP 6500' MSL WBND TOWARD CHICAGO WHEN I NOTICED THE AREAS THAT APPEARED TO BE BIG BLUE OPEN HOLES WERE REALLY SHADOWS CAST ON DECK BELOW FROM A FEW CLOUDS ABOVE ME. I WAS THROTTLED BACK AND SLOWLY DSNDING TO GO THROUGH ONE OF THE OPEN LOOKING HOLES, BUT ACTUALLY WAS A SOLID DECK. I LISTENED TO ATIS AT FWA. CEILING WAS RPTED AS 500' OVCST. I WAS IN AN OLD SMA WITH NO VACUUM PUMP (VENTURI TUBES), INOP G/S AND LOC, AND NO XPONDER OR ENCODER. I APPLIED PWR TO GET HIGHER AND ASSESS MY SITUATION. WHEN I NOTICED ENG ROUGHNESS AND MISSING, I APPLIED CARB HEAT AND IT SEEMED TO RUN BETTER FOR A WHILE. I FORGOT HOW LONG AGO I SAW LAND AND THOUGHT ABOUT TURNING A 180 DEG TURN TO LOOK FOR CLR AREA. ENG NOW HAD A DEFINITE MISS AND ROUGH RUNNING AGAIN WITH FULL CARB HEAT. I LEANED OUT. IT GOT A LITTLE BETTER. I CALLED FWA APCH 126.6 (FROM APCH PLATE). NO ANSWER. I CALLED FSS 122.0 WITH NO RESPONSE. I WAS GETTING NERVOUS. ABOUT 15 GALS FUEL LEFT (IT BURNS ABOUT 12 GPH). I LOOKED AT APCH PLATE FOR FWA. THEY HAVE ASR CAPABILITIES, SO I KEPT CALLING AND XMITTING IN THE BLIND, INFORMING OF MY SITUATION VFR ON TOP, ROUGH ENG AND WANTED CLRNC TO GET THROUGH DECK AND POSSIBLY ASR APCH TO FWA--NO RESPONSE. I NOTICED A LITTLE BLACK OIL ON COWLING AHEAD OF WINDSHIELD. OIL PRESSURE AND TEMP STILL IN GREEN, BUT I WAS SCARED! I CALLED 121.5 WITH NO RESPONSE! I WENT BACK TO APCH FREQ AND FINALLY ANOTHER ACFT IN AREA HEARD ME AND RELAYED MY MESSAGE. I FINALLY GOT SOMEONE TO TALK TO! HE GAVE ME SOME TURNS, RADAR IDENTED ME AND TOLD ME TO DSND TO 2600' MSL (I THINK THAT WAS HIS MVA). NOW I'M IN SOLID IMC IN RAIN WITH AN OIL ILL-EQUIPPED ACFT AND ROUGH RUNNING ENG. APCH THEN SAID, 'I UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE ROUGH RUNNING ENG,' (I SAID YES). 'I'LL VECTOR YOU TO NEAREST ARPT (KENDALLVILLE, IN VIA WOLF LAKE VOR 110.4, 41 DEGS). I WAS NOW USING A HAND-HELD RADIO BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF I EVER GOT OUT ON THE ACFT RADIOS, BECAUSE I NEVER GOT A RESPONSE. RECEPTION WAS MARGINAL. I TRIED TO ADD PWR TO MAINTAIN ALT, BUT ENG SPUTTERED, COUGHED, SO I REDUCED PWR TO PREVIOUS SETTING ABOUT 20' MP AND LEFT PWR ALONG AND PREPARED FOR LNDG. WELL, IN ALL THIS MESS AND CONFUSION AND OVER BLARING OF 'GET ON THE GND-ITIS,' I WENT BELOW THE PUBLISHED MDA OF 1640' MSL. I FINALLY BROKE OUT. I DON'T RECALL WHAT ALT BECAUSE I WAS SO GLAD TO SEE THE GND. WHEN SOMEONE ASKED MY ALT, I LOOKED AND SAID, 1200' (THAT WAS NOT WHAT I BROKE OUT AT), AND FILED ELEVATION WAS 1000' MSL. I SPOTTED THE RWY AND LANDED (DOWNWIND) SLIGHT DOWNWIND. OIL STREAKS COULD BE SEEN DOWN SIDE OF ACFT (OIL COMING OUT OF FILLER TUBE CAP POST WORN OUT AND GROVED RUBBER WASHER ON CAP, AND WAS ALL OVER MAG, WIRES AND VOLTAGE REGULATOR). 2 PLUGS WERE FOUND WET AND FOULED OUT. MIXTURE TOO RICH, PLUGS ALL BLACK. I READ A FEW DAYS LATER IN AVIATION SAFETY MAGAZINE ABOUT A PLT KILLED IN SAME AREA, ALSO IN SAME TYPE SAM. I AM SURE GLAD THOSE GUYS IN APCH WERE SO HELPFUL AND VECTORED ME RIGHT TO UNCONTROLLED FIELD WITHIN 1/2 MI! TO PREVENT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN, I'LL NEVER GO ABOVE ANY CLOUDS UNLESS I'M PREPARED TO SHOOT AN ILS TO MINIMUMS, WITH ALL THE NEEDED EQUIP, CHARTS AND APCH PLATES, IFR CERTIFIED ACFT AND FLT PLAN.

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.