Narrative:

I had flown from clinton, ia, back to osceola, wi, at 8500 in VFR conditions on top. For the most part it was scattered to broken underneath me and for the last 50 mi approaching osceola there were numerous large breaks, or holes, below so I proceeded thinking I would be able to make a VFR descent into osceola. The last 'thin broken' area was about 5 mi southeast of the airport but it looked like it was open over the airport so I proceeded to the airport but on arriving over it I found it to be pretty much a solid overcast so I called msp center but he said he was busy working an aircraft who was VFR on top and lost over in the stc area and suggested I call princeton FSS and file a flight plan. I decided rather than do that and knowing the ceiling was 3500 ft and the visibility was 10 mi or more that I'd just go back and make a VFR descent through 1 of the 'holes' I had flown over about 5 mi south of the airport. I descended into what looked like a thin area at about 6500 ft and could see the ground but had to make a turn to the left in order to avoid going IFR and proceeded into another thin area but it turned out to be a thin area on top of a thicker area and consequently I found myself in IFR conditions from about 5000 ft until breaking out at about 4500 ft. I decided upon encountering the IFR situation that the risk of climbing back up were probably as great or greater than completing the descent so I elected to do that and proceeded to the airport and landed. If I had to do it over again I would have just called center 50 mi south and requested a clearance into oeo, which is what I have always done in the past under similar circumstances, and executed the published approach. I feel that this is one of the very few times in my 31 yrs of flying that I have used bad judgement which might have presented a hazard to myself or others. I have always prided myself in that I insist the aircraft always be within 50 ft of altitude whether I am VFR or IFR and the needles within the 'donuts' and staying within the safe operating limits as set forth in the regulations. In the future if there is any doubt as to the conditions at my destination I will just go ahead and file as I have always done before. If there are any 'humane' conditions to consider here I have been under a lot of personal stress that I suspect could effect my judgement. As a result of this error on my part I intend to take a vacation this winter and include 4-5 days of recurrent instrument refresher course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ATTEMPTING VFR DSCNT IN AREA OF LARGE VFR HOLES IN CLOUD LAYER ENCOUNTERED A LOWER CLOUD LAYER WHICH HE PENETRATED AND BROKE OUT BELOW FOR VFR LNDG AT OEO.

Narrative: I HAD FLOWN FROM CLINTON, IA, BACK TO OSCEOLA, WI, AT 8500 IN VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP. FOR THE MOST PART IT WAS SCATTERED TO BROKEN UNDERNEATH ME AND FOR THE LAST 50 MI APCHING OSCEOLA THERE WERE NUMEROUS LARGE BREAKS, OR HOLES, BELOW SO I PROCEEDED THINKING I WOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE A VFR DSCNT INTO OSCEOLA. THE LAST 'THIN BROKEN' AREA WAS ABOUT 5 MI SE OF THE ARPT BUT IT LOOKED LIKE IT WAS OPEN OVER THE ARPT SO I PROCEEDED TO THE ARPT BUT ON ARRIVING OVER IT I FOUND IT TO BE PRETTY MUCH A SOLID OVCST SO I CALLED MSP CENTER BUT HE SAID HE WAS BUSY WORKING AN ACFT WHO WAS VFR ON TOP AND LOST OVER IN THE STC AREA AND SUGGESTED I CALL PRINCETON FSS AND FILE A FLT PLAN. I DECIDED RATHER THAN DO THAT AND KNOWING THE CEILING WAS 3500 FT AND THE VISIBILITY WAS 10 MI OR MORE THAT I'D JUST GO BACK AND MAKE A VFR DSCNT THROUGH 1 OF THE 'HOLES' I HAD FLOWN OVER ABOUT 5 MI S OF THE ARPT. I DSNDED INTO WHAT LOOKED LIKE A THIN AREA AT ABOUT 6500 FT AND COULD SEE THE GND BUT HAD TO MAKE A TURN TO THE L IN ORDER TO AVOID GOING IFR AND PROCEEDED INTO ANOTHER THIN AREA BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE A THIN AREA ON TOP OF A THICKER AREA AND CONSEQUENTLY I FOUND MYSELF IN IFR CONDITIONS FROM ABOUT 5000 FT UNTIL BREAKING OUT AT ABOUT 4500 FT. I DECIDED UPON ENCOUNTERING THE IFR SITUATION THAT THE RISK OF CLBING BACK UP WERE PROBABLY AS GREAT OR GREATER THAN COMPLETING THE DSCNT SO I ELECTED TO DO THAT AND PROCEEDED TO THE ARPT AND LANDED. IF I HAD TO DO IT OVER AGAIN I WOULD HAVE JUST CALLED CENTER 50 MI S AND REQUESTED A CLRNC INTO OEO, WHICH IS WHAT I HAVE ALWAYS DONE IN THE PAST UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, AND EXECUTED THE PUBLISHED APCH. I FEEL THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE VERY FEW TIMES IN MY 31 YRS OF FLYING THAT I HAVE USED BAD JUDGEMENT WHICH MIGHT HAVE PRESENTED A HAZARD TO MYSELF OR OTHERS. I HAVE ALWAYS PRIDED MYSELF IN THAT I INSIST THE ACFT ALWAYS BE WITHIN 50 FT OF ALT WHETHER I AM VFR OR IFR AND THE NEEDLES WITHIN THE 'DONUTS' AND STAYING WITHIN THE SAFE OPERATING LIMITS AS SET FORTH IN THE REGS. IN THE FUTURE IF THERE IS ANY DOUBT AS TO THE CONDITIONS AT MY DEST I WILL JUST GO AHEAD AND FILE AS I HAVE ALWAYS DONE BEFORE. IF THERE ARE ANY 'HUMANE' CONDITIONS TO CONSIDER HERE I HAVE BEEN UNDER A LOT OF PERSONAL STRESS THAT I SUSPECT COULD EFFECT MY JUDGEMENT. AS A RESULT OF THIS ERROR ON MY PART I INTEND TO TAKE A VACATION THIS WINTER AND INCLUDE 4-5 DAYS OF RECURRENT INST REFRESHER COURSE.

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.