Narrative:

I had been checking WX reports every hour for clrer conditions for a successful VFR flight from lewiston to spokane international airport. I decided to leave lewiston and try to get to spokane thinking there would be an opening -- at any rate, I always kept lewiston in sight just in case I needed to turn around. While exploring the possibilities of landing in spokane, lewiston and the cloud opening (a separation of about 5000 ft) closed near what I found to be pullman airport. I turned to come back to lewiston after about 1 hour of flight time. Using my VOR and LORAN to help pinpoint my now confused location, I found myself 15 NM east of pullman and up about the clouds approximately 2500 ft. There was a wall of clouds to the south, north, and west. I knew there was no place to land to the east. My only safe bet was to get below the cloud layer just in case I had to land (even though I had full tanks. Unfortunately, while trying to avoid clouds and land, I crossed into the 5 mi control zone at pullman-moscow airport. Frantically, I tried to understand my situation -- I radioed on pullman unicom asking if VFR traffic was allowed to use the airport. A commuter pilot radioed back that I needed to contact the FSS (127.6). So I called the FSS and requested a 'special VFR clearance.' after a few moments he told me to call ZSE and ask them, which I did. Seattle gave me the special clearance to land in IFR WX conditions. I had, however, already entered the control zone. After a few more nervous moments, I changed stations and squawked VFR as instructed, and radioed unicom that I would be landing. I proceeded to make the best and safest landing possible, watching the area for traffic and staying 'clear of clouds.' my landing was successful and I immediately exited the strip and called ZSE to cancel my SVFR clearance. Obviously WX was the largest contributor to the situation. The terrain around the airport made it very difficult to find when flying at such low altitudes. Things were so frantic in the cockpit that I didn't see the control zone around the airport on the map. I was more concerned about landing the plane safely. Probably the smartest thing to do would have been to have had communication with ZSE way before I was caught under the clouds and near pullman airport. In this situation, I really had to land. There was no way out. I could see about 3-5 mi across the hill tops, but I was afraid to start going somewhere else for fear pullman would get totally fogged in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLIES INTO DETERIORATING WX, ENTERS CTL ZONE, REQUESTS SPECIAL VFR.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN CHKING WX RPTS EVERY HR FOR CLRER CONDITIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL VFR FLT FROM LEWISTON TO SPOKANE INTL ARPT. I DECIDED TO LEAVE LEWISTON AND TRY TO GET TO SPOKANE THINKING THERE WOULD BE AN OPENING -- AT ANY RATE, I ALWAYS KEPT LEWISTON IN SIGHT JUST IN CASE I NEEDED TO TURN AROUND. WHILE EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES OF LNDG IN SPOKANE, LEWISTON AND THE CLOUD OPENING (A SEPARATION OF ABOUT 5000 FT) CLOSED NEAR WHAT I FOUND TO BE PULLMAN ARPT. I TURNED TO COME BACK TO LEWISTON AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF FLT TIME. USING MY VOR AND LORAN TO HELP PINPOINT MY NOW CONFUSED LOCATION, I FOUND MYSELF 15 NM E OF PULLMAN AND UP ABOUT THE CLOUDS APPROX 2500 FT. THERE WAS A WALL OF CLOUDS TO THE S, N, AND W. I KNEW THERE WAS NO PLACE TO LAND TO THE E. MY ONLY SAFE BET WAS TO GET BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER JUST IN CASE I HAD TO LAND (EVEN THOUGH I HAD FULL TANKS. UNFORTUNATELY, WHILE TRYING TO AVOID CLOUDS AND LAND, I CROSSED INTO THE 5 MI CTL ZONE AT PULLMAN-MOSCOW ARPT. FRANTICALLY, I TRIED TO UNDERSTAND MY SIT -- I RADIOED ON PULLMAN UNICOM ASKING IF VFR TFC WAS ALLOWED TO USE THE ARPT. A COMMUTER PLT RADIOED BACK THAT I NEEDED TO CONTACT THE FSS (127.6). SO I CALLED THE FSS AND REQUESTED A 'SPECIAL VFR CLRNC.' AFTER A FEW MOMENTS HE TOLD ME TO CALL ZSE AND ASK THEM, WHICH I DID. SEATTLE GAVE ME THE SPECIAL CLRNC TO LAND IN IFR WX CONDITIONS. I HAD, HOWEVER, ALREADY ENTERED THE CTL ZONE. AFTER A FEW MORE NERVOUS MOMENTS, I CHANGED STATIONS AND SQUAWKED VFR AS INSTRUCTED, AND RADIOED UNICOM THAT I WOULD BE LNDG. I PROCEEDED TO MAKE THE BEST AND SAFEST LNDG POSSIBLE, WATCHING THE AREA FOR TFC AND STAYING 'CLR OF CLOUDS.' MY LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL AND I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE STRIP AND CALLED ZSE TO CANCEL MY SVFR CLRNC. OBVIOUSLY WX WAS THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SIT. THE TERRAIN AROUND THE ARPT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND WHEN FLYING AT SUCH LOW ALTS. THINGS WERE SO FRANTIC IN THE COCKPIT THAT I DIDN'T SEE THE CTL ZONE AROUND THE ARPT ON THE MAP. I WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT LNDG THE PLANE SAFELY. PROBABLY THE SMARTEST THING TO DO WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE HAD COM WITH ZSE WAY BEFORE I WAS CAUGHT UNDER THE CLOUDS AND NEAR PULLMAN ARPT. IN THIS SIT, I REALLY HAD TO LAND. THERE WAS NO WAY OUT. I COULD SEE ABOUT 3-5 MI ACROSS THE HILL TOPS, BUT I WAS AFRAID TO START GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR FEAR PULLMAN WOULD GET TOTALLY FOGGED IN.

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.