Narrative:

I am a student pilot, I do have my private license and am in the instrument program. I was on my long cross country for my commercial license from ilg-gso-N92-ilg. On the way back from gso to ilg at richmond, va, the WX turned bad, it was PM00 local. I was being vectored around the air traffic area in direction of patuxent, md. Patuxent was VFR at that time. The ceiling came down. I went down to 900 ft so I could fly below the clouds. Richmond handed me over to patuxent and I got flight following for me. They handed me over to dover approach when I was over the delmarva peninsula. Around esiu the ceiling was around 1000 ft, because I flew at 900 and sometimes I flew in cloud fog (still able to see the ground). Then dover told me they couldn't give me radar vectors to ilg unless I flew at 1700 ft or higher (MSL). So I did this. This is when I became IMC. At 1900 ft, I flew in between 2 cloud layers because I could see my strobe lights reflecting on the layers. They gave me radar vectors to W92 and told me to land at my own discretion. I did this, and went again through the clouds and at 1500-1300 ft I could see the ground again, and the airport. I made a touch-and-go and proceeded VFR to ilg. There I had to call philadelphia approach. (Dover gave me the number in the air). I reported to them the event and they would notify the FAA and I would probably hear from the FAA again. I realize that when the WX turned bad at richmond, I should have went back, or landed at patuxent. A lack of judgement and wrong judgement made me continue in a dangerous situation. I realize I was wrong in this one, and hope others can learn from my situation event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT ON XCOUNTRY TRAINING NIGHT OP GOES IN IMC IN VFR FLT, GETS FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT, I DO HAVE MY PRIVATE LICENSE AND AM IN THE INST PROGRAM. I WAS ON MY LONG XCOUNTRY FOR MY COMMERCIAL LICENSE FROM ILG-GSO-N92-ILG. ON THE WAY BACK FROM GSO TO ILG AT RICHMOND, VA, THE WX TURNED BAD, IT WAS PM00 LCL. I WAS BEING VECTORED AROUND THE ATA IN DIRECTION OF PATUXENT, MD. PATUXENT WAS VFR AT THAT TIME. THE CEILING CAME DOWN. I WENT DOWN TO 900 FT SO I COULD FLY BELOW THE CLOUDS. RICHMOND HANDED ME OVER TO PATUXENT AND I GOT FLT FOLLOWING FOR ME. THEY HANDED ME OVER TO DOVER APCH WHEN I WAS OVER THE DELMARVA PENINSULA. AROUND ESIU THE CEILING WAS AROUND 1000 FT, BECAUSE I FLEW AT 900 AND SOMETIMES I FLEW IN CLOUD FOG (STILL ABLE TO SEE THE GND). THEN DOVER TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T GIVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO ILG UNLESS I FLEW AT 1700 FT OR HIGHER (MSL). SO I DID THIS. THIS IS WHEN I BECAME IMC. AT 1900 FT, I FLEW IN BTWN 2 CLOUD LAYERS BECAUSE I COULD SEE MY STROBE LIGHTS REFLECTING ON THE LAYERS. THEY GAVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO W92 AND TOLD ME TO LAND AT MY OWN DISCRETION. I DID THIS, AND WENT AGAIN THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND AT 1500-1300 FT I COULD SEE THE GND AGAIN, AND THE ARPT. I MADE A TOUCH-AND-GO AND PROCEEDED VFR TO ILG. THERE I HAD TO CALL PHILADELPHIA APCH. (DOVER GAVE ME THE NUMBER IN THE AIR). I RPTED TO THEM THE EVENT AND THEY WOULD NOTIFY THE FAA AND I WOULD PROBABLY HEAR FROM THE FAA AGAIN. I REALIZE THAT WHEN THE WX TURNED BAD AT RICHMOND, I SHOULD HAVE WENT BACK, OR LANDED AT PATUXENT. A LACK OF JUDGEMENT AND WRONG JUDGEMENT MADE ME CONTINUE IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. I REALIZE I WAS WRONG IN THIS ONE, AND HOPE OTHERS CAN LEARN FROM MY SITUATION EVENT.

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.