Narrative:

Flight across mountainous terrain. Started VFR. Ended IFR. Ceiling initially scattered, then broken and becoming overcast. Ceiling 3000-3500 ft. Entered an area where the exits were obscured by rain or clouds. Tried different rtes out but was unable to maintain VFR. When I returned to the original entry point, it was becoming obscured by rain and clouds. At this time I had 1 hour plus 15 mins of fuel remaining. Adding a safety factor, I based my decisions on 1 hour remaining. I went back to an area in the valley that had good visibility and where I could maintain terrain and cloud clearance. I started a climb maintaining clearance through visual means and LORAN. At 3500 ft encountered scattered clouds. Visual contact with the ground and the blue patch above was maintained. 3500 ft cleared me of terrain between my position and my destination. To go direct would have put me in the overcast. I continued to climb. At 4500 ft I turned direct bethel. That put the last high terrain behind me. The tops were at 5000 ft. I leveled off at 5500 ft. I checked ATIS. WX was 1600 ft scattered 2600 ft broken. I don't remember the official visibility. I would have estimated it at 30 mi when I broke out in the descent though. At 25 mi out I called approach and asked if they had any VFR areas I could descend. They said no and the best area to come down was where I was at. At 20 mi I requested an IFR clearance for a descent. I received clearance to the 10 DME fix on the 120 degree radial and a descent to 2000 ft. I began my descent. I entered the clouds at 4000 ft and broke out at 2500 ft. I canceled and proceeded VFR. The stress of the situation hindered thinking of returning to the departure point. It was VFR. Departure was at togiak, ak. I thought of bethel not as home but as low terrain and safety. When I climbed I was surrounded by clouds, visibility to the sides was hampered by the overcast. Aircraft equipped with VOR, ADF, LORAN -- not certified for IFR and IFR sel not allowed under part 135. Pilot -- not instrument current. First mountain flying experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN ATX SMA SEL GOT CAUGHT IN WX CAUSING VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: FLT ACROSS MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. STARTED VFR. ENDED IFR. CEILING INITIALLY SCATTERED, THEN BROKEN AND BECOMING OVCST. CEILING 3000-3500 FT. ENTERED AN AREA WHERE THE EXITS WERE OBSCURED BY RAIN OR CLOUDS. TRIED DIFFERENT RTES OUT BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ORIGINAL ENTRY POINT, IT WAS BECOMING OBSCURED BY RAIN AND CLOUDS. AT THIS TIME I HAD 1 HR PLUS 15 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING. ADDING A SAFETY FACTOR, I BASED MY DECISIONS ON 1 HR REMAINING. I WENT BACK TO AN AREA IN THE VALLEY THAT HAD GOOD VISIBILITY AND WHERE I COULD MAINTAIN TERRAIN AND CLOUD CLRNC. I STARTED A CLB MAINTAINING CLRNC THROUGH VISUAL MEANS AND LORAN. AT 3500 FT ENCOUNTERED SCATTERED CLOUDS. VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND AND THE BLUE PATCH ABOVE WAS MAINTAINED. 3500 FT CLRED ME OF TERRAIN BTWN MY POS AND MY DEST. TO GO DIRECT WOULD HAVE PUT ME IN THE OVCST. I CONTINUED TO CLB. AT 4500 FT I TURNED DIRECT BETHEL. THAT PUT THE LAST HIGH TERRAIN BEHIND ME. THE TOPS WERE AT 5000 FT. I LEVELED OFF AT 5500 FT. I CHKED ATIS. WX WAS 1600 FT SCATTERED 2600 FT BROKEN. I DON'T REMEMBER THE OFFICIAL VISIBILITY. I WOULD HAVE ESTIMATED IT AT 30 MI WHEN I BROKE OUT IN THE DSCNT THOUGH. AT 25 MI OUT I CALLED APCH AND ASKED IF THEY HAD ANY VFR AREAS I COULD DSND. THEY SAID NO AND THE BEST AREA TO COME DOWN WAS WHERE I WAS AT. AT 20 MI I REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC FOR A DSCNT. I RECEIVED CLRNC TO THE 10 DME FIX ON THE 120 DEG RADIAL AND A DSCNT TO 2000 FT. I BEGAN MY DSCNT. I ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT 4000 FT AND BROKE OUT AT 2500 FT. I CANCELED AND PROCEEDED VFR. THE STRESS OF THE SIT HINDERED THINKING OF RETURNING TO THE DEP POINT. IT WAS VFR. DEP WAS AT TOGIAK, AK. I THOUGHT OF BETHEL NOT AS HOME BUT AS LOW TERRAIN AND SAFETY. WHEN I CLBED I WAS SURROUNDED BY CLOUDS, VISIBILITY TO THE SIDES WAS HAMPERED BY THE OVCST. ACFT EQUIPPED WITH VOR, ADF, LORAN -- NOT CERTIFIED FOR IFR AND IFR SEL NOT ALLOWED UNDER PART 135. PLT -- NOT INST CURRENT. FIRST MOUNTAIN FLYING EXPERIENCE.

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.