Narrative:

The following events occurred during a VFR flight from akron-canton to allentown, PA, on sat 5/92. After calling cleveland FSS hourly for WX updates and seeing improvements occur as forecasted, the decision to depart was made. At approximately AC00Z eastern PA, ceilings were forecasted to lift. It was AB30Z by the time we began our departure. The flight to allentown would be approximately 3 hours so the 'improving condition' should have arrived before my wife and I. Once airborne, I opened my flight plan with FSS and proceeded on course flying VOR to VOR. University parks' AWOS was tuned in and 3500 ft we were able to receive WX information after 30 mins of flight. The reported conditions didn't sound encouraging (1500 ft ceilings, fog/haze 7 mi visibility) but a new forecast would be taped shortly and we had chosen some alternate landing sites if conditions reported were still present as we neared the area. The next 'record special' from the AWOS was 4000-4500 scattered to broken which we were verifying en route. There was some occasional light turbulence so the decision to climb to 5500 ft was made. At the higher altitude visibility was clear and the ride smooth. The layer below was quite broken and the ground always visible at the breaks. We continued along our route at 5500 ft until 40-50 NM west of wilkes-barre and then descended through what appeared to be the last sizeable break in the clouds. Our descent to 3500 ft had us in a scattered layer that would clear. After leveling at 3500 we tried to receive ATIS on 111.6 (wilkes-barre). When we were unsuccessful I called the arsa's approach control. I explained we were inbound and requested flight following. At this point WX wasn't a concern and I had established radar contact. I felt all was well. However, as we progressed east, flight following was discontinued and very rapidly after that conditions worsened. I called back to wilkes-barre approach and explained I had only 90 mins of fuel and would like to land. The controller told me to maintain VFR asked if I was IFR rated and if the plane was IFR. I replied the pilot was not IFR rated but the plane was IFR equipped. He then asked me to stand by. It was during this 'standby' that we began losing visibility. By the time he was able to return communication we were south of the airport and he handed us off to allentown approach control. Allentown clarified this situation they were handed by asking 'its my understanding you are IFR rated but the aircraft is not IFR equipped.' my response was 'no, pilot is not IFR rated but the aircraft is IFR equipped.' in addition he understood I wanted to land and refuel. He responded harrisburg was the closest airport still reporting VFR conditions. I requested a heading for harrisburg. Allentown told me a heading and said it was 75 mi away. He also inquired about my fuel situation and I responded approximately 90 mins and he acknowledged. After altering course and heading for harrisburg I received another call back from allentown (I don't recall the length of time en route to harrisburg before this call back it seemed like awhile -- I had a stop watch running since we departed akron to help with fuel burn estimates). The call from allentown was to inform me that harrisburg's conditions were now no better than allentown's. He asked if I had ever done any instrument approachs. I responded yes. He asked how many, I responded at least a dozen or so. He told me he would vector me in for the ILS runway 13 and that he would monitor me all the way in. He gave me headings and frequency for the localizer. He told me that one of the previous aircraft reported breaking out at 1074 ft and that was above allentown's mins. He had me descend and I kept the needles centered. I broke out at 1500 ft lined up with runway and landed uneventfully. I never panicked during the situation nor felt really scared. I trusted my instruments and the controllers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ASSIST AFTER PVT PLT IN SMA PRESSES ON IN THE FACE OF DETERIORATING WX.

Narrative: THE FOLLOWING EVENTS OCCURRED DURING A VFR FLT FROM AKRON-CANTON TO ALLENTOWN, PA, ON SAT 5/92. AFTER CALLING CLEVELAND FSS HOURLY FOR WX UPDATES AND SEEING IMPROVEMENTS OCCUR AS FORECASTED, THE DECISION TO DEPART WAS MADE. AT APPROX AC00Z EASTERN PA, CEILINGS WERE FORECASTED TO LIFT. IT WAS AB30Z BY THE TIME WE BEGAN OUR DEP. THE FLT TO ALLENTOWN WOULD BE APPROX 3 HRS SO THE 'IMPROVING CONDITION' SHOULD HAVE ARRIVED BEFORE MY WIFE AND I. ONCE AIRBORNE, I OPENED MY FLT PLAN WITH FSS AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE FLYING VOR TO VOR. UNIVERSITY PARKS' AWOS WAS TUNED IN AND 3500 FT WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE WX INFO AFTER 30 MINS OF FLT. THE RPTED CONDITIONS DIDN'T SOUND ENCOURAGING (1500 FT CEILINGS, FOG/HAZE 7 MI VISIBILITY) BUT A NEW FORECAST WOULD BE TAPED SHORTLY AND WE HAD CHOSEN SOME ALTERNATE LNDG SITES IF CONDITIONS RPTED WERE STILL PRESENT AS WE NEARED THE AREA. THE NEXT 'RECORD SPECIAL' FROM THE AWOS WAS 4000-4500 SCATTERED TO BROKEN WHICH WE WERE VERIFYING ENRTE. THERE WAS SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURB SO THE DECISION TO CLB TO 5500 FT WAS MADE. AT THE HIGHER ALT VISIBILITY WAS CLR AND THE RIDE SMOOTH. THE LAYER BELOW WAS QUITE BROKEN AND THE GND ALWAYS VISIBLE AT THE BREAKS. WE CONTINUED ALONG OUR RTE AT 5500 FT UNTIL 40-50 NM W OF WILKES-BARRE AND THEN DSNDED THROUGH WHAT APPEARED TO BE THE LAST SIZEABLE BREAK IN THE CLOUDS. OUR DSCNT TO 3500 FT HAD US IN A SCATTERED LAYER THAT WOULD CLR. AFTER LEVELING AT 3500 WE TRIED TO RECEIVE ATIS ON 111.6 (WILKES-BARRE). WHEN WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL I CALLED THE ARSA'S APCH CTL. I EXPLAINED WE WERE INBOUND AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING. AT THIS POINT WX WASN'T A CONCERN AND I HAD ESTABLISHED RADAR CONTACT. I FELT ALL WAS WELL. HOWEVER, AS WE PROGRESSED E, FLT FOLLOWING WAS DISCONTINUED AND VERY RAPIDLY AFTER THAT CONDITIONS WORSENED. I CALLED BACK TO WILKES-BARRE APCH AND EXPLAINED I HAD ONLY 90 MINS OF FUEL AND WOULD LIKE TO LAND. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN VFR ASKED IF I WAS IFR RATED AND IF THE PLANE WAS IFR. I REPLIED THE PLT WAS NOT IFR RATED BUT THE PLANE WAS IFR EQUIPPED. HE THEN ASKED ME TO STAND BY. IT WAS DURING THIS 'STANDBY' THAT WE BEGAN LOSING VISIBILITY. BY THE TIME HE WAS ABLE TO RETURN COM WE WERE S OF THE ARPT AND HE HANDED US OFF TO ALLENTOWN APCH CTL. ALLENTOWN CLARIFIED THIS SITUATION THEY WERE HANDED BY ASKING 'ITS MY UNDERSTANDING YOU ARE IFR RATED BUT THE ACFT IS NOT IFR EQUIPPED.' MY RESPONSE WAS 'NO, PLT IS NOT IFR RATED BUT THE ACFT IS IFR EQUIPPED.' IN ADDITION HE UNDERSTOOD I WANTED TO LAND AND REFUEL. HE RESPONDED HARRISBURG WAS THE CLOSEST ARPT STILL RPTING VFR CONDITIONS. I REQUESTED A HDG FOR HARRISBURG. ALLENTOWN TOLD ME A HDG AND SAID IT WAS 75 MI AWAY. HE ALSO INQUIRED ABOUT MY FUEL SITUATION AND I RESPONDED APPROX 90 MINS AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED. AFTER ALTERING COURSE AND HDG FOR HARRISBURG I RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL BACK FROM ALLENTOWN (I DON'T RECALL THE LENGTH OF TIME ENRTE TO HARRISBURG BEFORE THIS CALL BACK IT SEEMED LIKE AWHILE -- I HAD A STOP WATCH RUNNING SINCE WE DEPARTED AKRON TO HELP WITH FUEL BURN ESTIMATES). THE CALL FROM ALLENTOWN WAS TO INFORM ME THAT HARRISBURG'S CONDITIONS WERE NOW NO BETTER THAN ALLENTOWN'S. HE ASKED IF I HAD EVER DONE ANY INST APCHS. I RESPONDED YES. HE ASKED HOW MANY, I RESPONDED AT LEAST A DOZEN OR SO. HE TOLD ME HE WOULD VECTOR ME IN FOR THE ILS RWY 13 AND THAT HE WOULD MONITOR ME ALL THE WAY IN. HE GAVE ME HDGS AND FREQ FOR THE LOC. HE TOLD ME THAT ONE OF THE PREVIOUS ACFT RPTED BREAKING OUT AT 1074 FT AND THAT WAS ABOVE ALLENTOWN'S MINS. HE HAD ME DSND AND I KEPT THE NEEDLES CTRED. I BROKE OUT AT 1500 FT LINED UP WITH RWY AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I NEVER PANICKED DURING THE SITUATION NOR FELT REALLY SCARED. I TRUSTED MY INSTS AND THE CTLRS.

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.