Narrative:

Local WX 2500 ft, 7 mi visibility. Watched the WX channel. Regional WX ok. Called home. WX reported as cloudy, drizzle, but good visibility. Did not check with FSS. Have had several inaccurate reports from them the past 2 months. Took off at about XA30 pm. Climbed to 2000 ft AGL. Good visibility. 20 mins into flight, no lights ahead. Checked position on GPS. Had drifted northwest of normal route of flight. Could see lights north and south of line of flight. There are some ridges in this area, I told myself. No farms, etc, on these ridges. Dropped down to about 800 to 1000 ft AGL. Soon no lights visible anywhere. Turned on landing light. Nothing but fog. Climbed to about 3000 AGL. Punched in nearest airport on GPS. 15 mi northwest of airport, turned towards airport. Still on IFR. Then decided to continue to home airport. Arrived at airport at 800 ft. Saw runway once. Could not find it again. Climbed to 2500 ft. Declared emergency. VFR pilot in IFR conditions. Center vectored me to huron, sd. IFR most of the way. Low on fuel. VFR at huron. Landed. Called ZMP. Next day plane took 36 gals of gas. 36-38 gals usable in aircraft. Problem arose not checking with FSS, especially temperature and dew point spread. IFR discovered when turned on landing light. Could have declared emergency earlier. Corrective action going to get instrument rating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INST RATED PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL FLIES INTO IMC AND OBTAINS FLT ASSISTANCE TO A VFR ARPT.

Narrative: LCL WX 2500 FT, 7 MI VISIBILITY. WATCHED THE WX CHANNEL. REGIONAL WX OK. CALLED HOME. WX RPTED AS CLOUDY, DRIZZLE, BUT GOOD VISIBILITY. DID NOT CHK WITH FSS. HAVE HAD SEVERAL INACCURATE RPTS FROM THEM THE PAST 2 MONTHS. TOOK OFF AT ABOUT XA30 PM. CLBED TO 2000 FT AGL. GOOD VISIBILITY. 20 MINS INTO FLT, NO LIGHTS AHEAD. CHKED POS ON GPS. HAD DRIFTED NW OF NORMAL RTE OF FLT. COULD SEE LIGHTS N AND S OF LINE OF FLT. THERE ARE SOME RIDGES IN THIS AREA, I TOLD MYSELF. NO FARMS, ETC, ON THESE RIDGES. DROPPED DOWN TO ABOUT 800 TO 1000 FT AGL. SOON NO LIGHTS VISIBLE ANYWHERE. TURNED ON LNDG LIGHT. NOTHING BUT FOG. CLBED TO ABOUT 3000 AGL. PUNCHED IN NEAREST ARPT ON GPS. 15 MI NW OF ARPT, TURNED TOWARDS ARPT. STILL ON IFR. THEN DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO HOME ARPT. ARRIVED AT ARPT AT 800 FT. SAW RWY ONCE. COULD NOT FIND IT AGAIN. CLBED TO 2500 FT. DECLARED EMER. VFR PLT IN IFR CONDITIONS. CTR VECTORED ME TO HURON, SD. IFR MOST OF THE WAY. LOW ON FUEL. VFR AT HURON. LANDED. CALLED ZMP. NEXT DAY PLANE TOOK 36 GALS OF GAS. 36-38 GALS USABLE IN ACFT. PROB AROSE NOT CHKING WITH FSS, ESPECIALLY TEMP AND DEW POINT SPREAD. IFR DISCOVERED WHEN TURNED ON LNDG LIGHT. COULD HAVE DECLARED EMER EARLIER. CORRECTIVE ACTION GOING TO GET INST RATING.

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.