Narrative:

On mar/wed/92 I left from lanett, al, (7a3) at XY30 am local en route to montgomery VOR - monroeville VOR -- mobile VOR -- inbound landing to gulfport -- biloxi regional airport. I stayed until XY00 pm local. Before leaving, I called the local automated flight service. All conditions on my route were VFR with no PIREPS or NOTAMS. I departed and contacted montgomery approach. After passing over the city of montgomery by about 40 mi, they terminated my radar service. About 5 mins later, I entered into the clouds (or fog). Instead of turning back like I was taught, I descended to 2000 MSL to see if I could see the ground because I knew I was close to the auburn airport which was my final destination. When I saw I could not see the ground, I put the airplane in a 500 FPM climb and put the lagrange VOR into my navigation and headed to it because I was not sure of my location after descending and climbing, and knew it (lgc VOR) was 40 mi from auburn and I did not want to go into the atlanta TCA. During this climb, I contacted 121.5 and told them the situation, while I was waiting for a reply, I put the airplane in a standard rate turn over the VOR and remained at 2500 MSL. 121.5 put me with columbus approach. They had me squawk and identify to get my location. They took me back to auburn by my instruments. When I saw no break in the clouds, we were either going back to montgomery or tuskegee airport. On this route I saw a break in the clouds. I contacted the center, they allowed me to go through the clouds with safe altitude. When I broke through at 1600 MSL, I saw the beacon for auburn. I did a standard pattern and landed with VASI. With hindsight, I should have turned a 180 degree turn and exit out of the clouds. Also, when montgomery let me go out of their service, I should've contacted columbus. I feel that composure was held the entire time I was in the clouds, I never went over a standard rate turn. I slowed down the airplane. Held my altitude. By contacting 121.5 I was able to get out of this situation, but if could not have contacted them, I feel without any doubt I would have done basically, the same thing they had me do with 1 exception. I would have landed at montgomery.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT BY PVT PLT.

Narrative: ON MAR/WED/92 I LEFT FROM LANETT, AL, (7A3) AT XY30 AM LCL ENRTE TO MONTGOMERY VOR - MONROEVILLE VOR -- MOBILE VOR -- INBOUND LNDG TO GULFPORT -- BILOXI REGIONAL ARPT. I STAYED UNTIL XY00 PM LCL. BEFORE LEAVING, I CALLED THE LCL AUTOMATED FLT SVC. ALL CONDITIONS ON MY RTE WERE VFR WITH NO PIREPS OR NOTAMS. I DEPARTED AND CONTACTED MONTGOMERY APCH. AFTER PASSING OVER THE CITY OF MONTGOMERY BY ABOUT 40 MI, THEY TERMINATED MY RADAR SVC. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, I ENTERED INTO THE CLOUDS (OR FOG). INSTEAD OF TURNING BACK LIKE I WAS TAUGHT, I DSNDED TO 2000 MSL TO SEE IF I COULD SEE THE GND BECAUSE I KNEW I WAS CLOSE TO THE AUBURN ARPT WHICH WAS MY FINAL DEST. WHEN I SAW I COULD NOT SEE THE GND, I PUT THE AIRPLANE IN A 500 FPM CLB AND PUT THE LAGRANGE VOR INTO MY NAV AND HEADED TO IT BECAUSE I WAS NOT SURE OF MY LOCATION AFTER DSNDING AND CLBING, AND KNEW IT (LGC VOR) WAS 40 MI FROM AUBURN AND I DID NOT WANT TO GO INTO THE ATLANTA TCA. DURING THIS CLB, I CONTACTED 121.5 AND TOLD THEM THE SITUATION, WHILE I WAS WAITING FOR A REPLY, I PUT THE AIRPLANE IN A STANDARD RATE TURN OVER THE VOR AND REMAINED AT 2500 MSL. 121.5 PUT ME WITH COLUMBUS APCH. THEY HAD ME SQUAWK AND IDENT TO GET MY LOCATION. THEY TOOK ME BACK TO AUBURN BY MY INSTS. WHEN I SAW NO BREAK IN THE CLOUDS, WE WERE EITHER GOING BACK TO MONTGOMERY OR TUSKEGEE ARPT. ON THIS RTE I SAW A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS. I CONTACTED THE CTR, THEY ALLOWED ME TO GO THROUGH THE CLOUDS WITH SAFE ALT. WHEN I BROKE THROUGH AT 1600 MSL, I SAW THE BEACON FOR AUBURN. I DID A STANDARD PATTERN AND LANDED WITH VASI. WITH HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE TURNED A 180 DEG TURN AND EXIT OUT OF THE CLOUDS. ALSO, WHEN MONTGOMERY LET ME GO OUT OF THEIR SVC, I SHOULD'VE CONTACTED COLUMBUS. I FEEL THAT COMPOSURE WAS HELD THE ENTIRE TIME I WAS IN THE CLOUDS, I NEVER WENT OVER A STANDARD RATE TURN. I SLOWED DOWN THE AIRPLANE. HELD MY ALT. BY CONTACTING 121.5 I WAS ABLE TO GET OUT OF THIS SITUATION, BUT IF COULD NOT HAVE CONTACTED THEM, I FEEL WITHOUT ANY DOUBT I WOULD HAVE DONE BASICALLY, THE SAME THING THEY HAD ME DO WITH 1 EXCEPTION. I WOULD HAVE LANDED AT MONTGOMERY.

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.