GA small aircraft VFR in IMC. Unauthorized penetration of airspace unauthorized landing.

Attributes
ACN	179287
Time
Date	199105
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : stj
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 400 msl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : stj tracon : sna
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 1780
ASRS Report	179287
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was headed for the atchison fly-in at atchison, ks, from harlington, northeast. In calling FSS at columbus, northeast, they advised it was VFR at kc all the way, so took off and landed at fall city to check with the FBO if atchison was VFR. He said there were aircraft going in all the time, according to the 122.8 radio. Even though it looked quite gray in that direction, I took off for the atchison. I got about 5 mi from atchison and the ceiling just dropped on me. I made a 180 degree turn and realized the ceiling draped behind me also, so rather than fly back the way I came, I was afraid of hitting a radio tower and it was raining quite hard also, I caught sight of the river. I followed it north. There were no towers shown on the map along river. I thought perhaps I could identify a town because I was definitely lost, flying at 200-300' AGL, in and out of a low ceiling raining. I tried to radio someone on 122.8, but my radio isn't a very good one and it doesn't have a good transmitter, especially when I am low. So when I came across the st joseph airport I didn't know where I was, but felt I better land or crash. I didn't see the tower until I was on final and felt that I maybe was in violation in landing. But I was very glad to get myself back on the ground in 1 piece. I'm very sorry about this violation. If I could do it over again, I would have stayed at fall city, northeast, or made a 180 degree turn back to fall city much sooner. This is the first time I've had a violation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA VFR IN IMC. UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE UNAUTH LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS HEADED FOR THE ATCHISON FLY-IN AT ATCHISON, KS, FROM HARLINGTON, NE. IN CALLING FSS AT COLUMBUS, NE, THEY ADVISED IT WAS VFR AT KC ALL THE WAY, SO TOOK OFF AND LANDED AT FALL CITY TO CHK WITH THE FBO IF ATCHISON WAS VFR. HE SAID THERE WERE ACFT GOING IN ALL THE TIME, ACCORDING TO THE 122.8 RADIO. EVEN THOUGH IT LOOKED QUITE GRAY IN THAT DIRECTION, I TOOK OFF FOR THE ATCHISON. I GOT ABOUT 5 MI FROM ATCHISON AND THE CEILING JUST DROPPED ON ME. I MADE A 180 DEG TURN AND REALIZED THE CEILING DRAPED BEHIND ME ALSO, SO RATHER THAN FLY BACK THE WAY I CAME, I WAS AFRAID OF HITTING A RADIO TWR AND IT WAS RAINING QUITE HARD ALSO, I CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE RIVER. I FOLLOWED IT N. THERE WERE NO TWRS SHOWN ON THE MAP ALONG RIVER. I THOUGHT PERHAPS I COULD IDENT A TOWN BECAUSE I WAS DEFINITELY LOST, FLYING AT 200-300' AGL, IN AND OUT OF A LOW CEILING RAINING. I TRIED TO RADIO SOMEONE ON 122.8, BUT MY RADIO ISN'T A VERY GOOD ONE AND IT DOESN'T HAVE A GOOD XMITTER, ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM LOW. SO WHEN I CAME ACROSS THE ST JOSEPH ARPT I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE I WAS, BUT FELT I BETTER LAND OR CRASH. I DIDN'T SEE THE TWR UNTIL I WAS ON FINAL AND FELT THAT I MAYBE WAS IN VIOLATION IN LNDG. BUT I WAS VERY GLAD TO GET MYSELF BACK ON THE GND IN 1 PIECE. I'M VERY SORRY ABOUT THIS VIOLATION. IF I COULD DO IT OVER AGAIN, I WOULD HAVE STAYED AT FALL CITY, NE, OR MADE A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO FALL CITY MUCH SOONER. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE HAD A VIOLATION.

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.