Narrative:

Started VFR flight in missouri to ohio. En route I encountered WX that was worse than forecast, I ran into an area of low clouds and then fog. The aircraft I was flying was a 1946 model with no radio or electrical system, and only rudimentary flight instruments. I was able to fly the aircraft to the nearest airport and made a safe landing. Due to the severity of the WX and the basic flight instrumentation I was not able to consult a chart and fly the aircraft with reference to the ground at the same time. I landed at terra haute, in, airport and, due to visibility, did not see any light gun signals. I entered the air traffic area and landed without a clearance, when a special VFR clearance would have been required. I did not feel it was a reasonable choice to make a forced landing off airport and risk collision with power lines or unseen hazards. Under the circumstances, I felt it was the only safe choice I had. After I landed, tower personnel informed me of the violations. Again, I felt that landing there was my only safe alternative and trying to push on could have had much more disastrous results. I failed to set my own personal minimums and did not fully plan an alternate plan of action in case of encountering bad WX. I will spend more time planning in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT IN ANCIENT ACFT MAKES AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE LNDG AT HUF ACCOUNT INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH WX FACTORS.

Narrative: STARTED VFR FLT IN MISSOURI TO OHIO. ENRTE I ENCOUNTERED WX THAT WAS WORSE THAN FORECAST, I RAN INTO AN AREA OF LOW CLOUDS AND THEN FOG. THE ACFT I WAS FLYING WAS A 1946 MODEL WITH NO RADIO OR ELECTRICAL SYS, AND ONLY RUDIMENTARY FLT INSTS. I WAS ABLE TO FLY THE ACFT TO THE NEAREST ARPT AND MADE A SAFE LNDG. DUE TO THE SEVERITY OF THE WX AND THE BASIC FLT INSTRUMENTATION I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONSULT A CHART AND FLY THE ACFT WITH REF TO THE GND AT THE SAME TIME. I LANDED AT TERRA HAUTE, IN, ARPT AND, DUE TO VISIBILITY, DID NOT SEE ANY LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. I ENTERED THE ATA AND LANDED WITHOUT A CLRNC, WHEN A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED. I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS A REASONABLE CHOICE TO MAKE A FORCED LNDG OFF ARPT AND RISK COLLISION WITH PWR LINES OR UNSEEN HAZARDS. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I FELT IT WAS THE ONLY SAFE CHOICE I HAD. AFTER I LANDED, TWR PERSONNEL INFORMED ME OF THE VIOLATIONS. AGAIN, I FELT THAT LNDG THERE WAS MY ONLY SAFE ALTERNATIVE AND TRYING TO PUSH ON COULD HAVE HAD MUCH MORE DISASTROUS RESULTS. I FAILED TO SET MY OWN PERSONAL MINIMUMS AND DID NOT FULLY PLAN AN ALTERNATE PLAN OF ACTION IN CASE OF ENCOUNTERING BAD WX. I WILL SPEND MORE TIME PLANNING IN THE FUTURE.

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.