Narrative:

I thought the road from altoona VOR to chambersburg was the road I was on, however, I was on route 76 to harrisburg. It was getting foggy after dark and I was disoriented. When I realized that the beacon was capital city, I turned south toward york. Soon after passing the first ridge I entered clouds and turned back to capital city. I contacted the tower and was vectored to a landing. I may have violated the arsa airspace before contacting ATC. Of course better pilotage and a working VOR would have prevented this situation, the fear of an airspace violation caused me to turn away from an airport in sight with almost disastrous results of hitting a hill under the clouds. There should be VFR corridors along major highways and rivers for those of us still following route 70 or 76.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ENCOUNTERED IMC ON VFR FLT IN AREA OF HIGH RIDGES AND TERRAIN -- IN CLR SPOTTED ARPT -- MDT -- AND REQUESTED LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: I THOUGHT THE ROAD FROM ALTOONA VOR TO CHAMBERSBURG WAS THE ROAD I WAS ON, HOWEVER, I WAS ON RTE 76 TO HARRISBURG. IT WAS GETTING FOGGY AFTER DARK AND I WAS DISORIENTED. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE BEACON WAS CAPITAL CITY, I TURNED S TOWARD YORK. SOON AFTER PASSING THE FIRST RIDGE I ENTERED CLOUDS AND TURNED BACK TO CAPITAL CITY. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND WAS VECTORED TO A LNDG. I MAY HAVE VIOLATED THE ARSA AIRSPACE BEFORE CONTACTING ATC. OF COURSE BETTER PILOTAGE AND A WORKING VOR WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SITUATION, THE FEAR OF AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION CAUSED ME TO TURN AWAY FROM AN ARPT IN SIGHT WITH ALMOST DISASTROUS RESULTS OF HITTING A HILL UNDER THE CLOUDS. THERE SHOULD BE VFR CORRIDORS ALONG MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND RIVERS FOR THOSE OF US STILL FOLLOWING RTE 70 OR 76.

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.