Narrative:

On this particular day, I was returning to pell city airport from charleston, sc, having filed a VFR flight plan, flying my cessna skylane. As I neared anniston, I checked WX with atlanta and found that it was much worse than I had expected from my preflight WX briefing. However, I had over half my fuel remaining, according to the gauges, and felt that I could make a WX check at pell city and still have plenty of fuel to divert if necessary. As I neared pell city, I contacted birmingham approach control and again was warned that the WX was below VFR minimums, but I proceeded on to check for myself. At this point, I noticed that my fuel had decreased significantly to less than a quarter of a tank on each of my 2 gauges. Arriving at pell city, it was apparent that the WX was indeed below minimums for VFR, and it was apparent that the fuel had decreased rapidly. I contacted birmingham approach which asked my intentions, and I informed them that I needed to land. Somewhere amidst all the stress and radio xmissions, I finally was put in touch with mr Y. I declared an emergency. He immediately asked me what he needed to know to get a grasp on the situation and confirmed that I had practiced ASR approachs in my training. At this point, he began giving me vectors, while keeping me informed about the ceiling and visibility, and filled me in on the approach and runway in use. Following his calm lead, I was vectored in for the approach and descended to the altitudes he gave me. The visibility was so poor that I saw the runway lights only when I was almost on top of them. I now spell relief 'landing on that runway via mr Y.' it gives me a hollow feeling when I think about how much worse it could have gotten had I not been given such good help by your people.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR FLEW VFR INTO IMC.

Narrative: ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY, I WAS RETURNING TO PELL CITY ARPT FROM CHARLESTON, SC, HAVING FILED A VFR FLT PLAN, FLYING MY CESSNA SKYLANE. AS I NEARED ANNISTON, I CHKED WX WITH ATLANTA AND FOUND THAT IT WAS MUCH WORSE THAN I HAD EXPECTED FROM MY PREFLT WX BRIEFING. HOWEVER, I HAD OVER HALF MY FUEL REMAINING, ACCORDING TO THE GAUGES, AND FELT THAT I COULD MAKE A WX CHK AT PELL CITY AND STILL HAVE PLENTY OF FUEL TO DIVERT IF NECESSARY. AS I NEARED PELL CITY, I CONTACTED BIRMINGHAM APCH CTL AND AGAIN WAS WARNED THAT THE WX WAS BELOW VFR MINIMUMS, BUT I PROCEEDED ON TO CHK FOR MYSELF. AT THIS POINT, I NOTICED THAT MY FUEL HAD DECREASED SIGNIFICANTLY TO LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A TANK ON EACH OF MY 2 GAUGES. ARRIVING AT PELL CITY, IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE WX WAS INDEED BELOW MINIMUMS FOR VFR, AND IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE FUEL HAD DECREASED RAPIDLY. I CONTACTED BIRMINGHAM APCH WHICH ASKED MY INTENTIONS, AND I INFORMED THEM THAT I NEEDED TO LAND. SOMEWHERE AMIDST ALL THE STRESS AND RADIO XMISSIONS, I FINALLY WAS PUT IN TOUCH WITH MR Y. I DECLARED AN EMER. HE IMMEDIATELY ASKED ME WHAT HE NEEDED TO KNOW TO GET A GRASP ON THE SIT AND CONFIRMED THAT I HAD PRACTICED ASR APCHS IN MY TRAINING. AT THIS POINT, HE BEGAN GIVING ME VECTORS, WHILE KEEPING ME INFORMED ABOUT THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY, AND FILLED ME IN ON THE APCH AND RWY IN USE. FOLLOWING HIS CALM LEAD, I WAS VECTORED IN FOR THE APCH AND DSNDED TO THE ALTS HE GAVE ME. THE VISIBILITY WAS SO POOR THAT I SAW THE RWY LIGHTS ONLY WHEN I WAS ALMOST ON TOP OF THEM. I NOW SPELL RELIEF 'LNDG ON THAT RWY VIA MR Y.' IT GIVES ME A HOLLOW FEELING WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH WORSE IT COULD HAVE GOTTEN HAD I NOT BEEN GIVEN SUCH GOOD HELP BY YOUR PEOPLE.

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.