Narrative:

I had a flight from plb to ash. My departure time was at XD00 instead of XA00. Arrived at ash in the afternoon. Upon leaving ash I did not call for an update on the WX, and departed ash with my briefing from the morning, which had resulted in having to leave ash by XH00 pm to be able to maintain VFR on my return trip to plb. I was about 30 mins en route, 55 mi or so north of ash when I ran into problems. I had my head down trying to program a GPS, which was lent to me, and got stuck in a cloud with poor visibility. Every time I had to make a radio call I had to unplug the GPS and plug in the microphone. When the GPS was plugged back in I had to reprogram it every time which took sometimes up to 5 mins or more, because of my lack of experience with the GPS. Therefore I was not sure when I got in the cloud. I remember being at 3400 ft and that the terrain was 4500 ft in that area and I would have to climb. I tried a 180 degree turn and it did not seem to work so I pitched up and started climbing. I contacted ZBW which I was receiving flight following from and asked for clearance to leb. They did ask if I was IFR able and if the plane was and I did say affirmative thinking that I had training upon acquiring my private in IFR and that yes the plane had instruments in which I could fly IFR if I had to in emergency sits. Then the controller gave a clearance and at the time I did not understand that I was indeed receiving an IFR clearance. I was told to fly a heading and altitude of 6000 ft. I got to 5900 ft and told the controller that I thought I was getting icing and did not want to fly 6000 ft and that I did not want to fly IFR I wanted to fly VFR. He stated, ma'am you don't want to fly IFR but you want to make it to leb and it's IFR in leb. I can't do that. I had repeated that I did not want to fly IFR and wanted to fly VFR. He said he couldn't do that. He said he could take me back to ash if I wanted or lci. When I tried to find lci on the map I could not, so therefore I asked where it was. I said what is the closest. He said lci. So I said yes that is where I wanted to go. I still had 3 hours of fuel but wanted to go to the closest airport. When I had lci in sight I landed and it was fine VFR. I closed my flight plan and they asked if I wanted to close my IFR flight plan and I said I guess so, not realizing that I had opened one until that moment. I thought that the controller was just helping me out of my situation. Next I called for a briefing from lci to pwm where it was perfect VFR WX, and flew to pwm and secured the plane for the night. I'm sure there were many other things which happened that I cannot recollect because it was all so fast and I was just concentrating on flying the airplane and maintaining my altitude and heading.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ON FLT FOLLOWING ENTERS IMC AND REQUESTS ASSISTANCE. UNWITTINGLY FLIES IFR WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF AN INST RATING. ATC GIVES FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I HAD A FLT FROM PLB TO ASH. MY DEP TIME WAS AT XD00 INSTEAD OF XA00. ARRIVED AT ASH IN THE AFTERNOON. UPON LEAVING ASH I DID NOT CALL FOR AN UPDATE ON THE WX, AND DEPARTED ASH WITH MY BRIEFING FROM THE MORNING, WHICH HAD RESULTED IN HAVING TO LEAVE ASH BY XH00 PM TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR ON MY RETURN TRIP TO PLB. I WAS ABOUT 30 MINS ENRTE, 55 MI OR SO N OF ASH WHEN I RAN INTO PROBS. I HAD MY HEAD DOWN TRYING TO PROGRAM A GPS, WHICH WAS LENT TO ME, AND GOT STUCK IN A CLOUD WITH POOR VISIBILITY. EVERY TIME I HAD TO MAKE A RADIO CALL I HAD TO UNPLUG THE GPS AND PLUG IN THE MIKE. WHEN THE GPS WAS PLUGGED BACK IN I HAD TO REPROGRAM IT EVERY TIME WHICH TOOK SOMETIMES UP TO 5 MINS OR MORE, BECAUSE OF MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE GPS. THEREFORE I WAS NOT SURE WHEN I GOT IN THE CLOUD. I REMEMBER BEING AT 3400 FT AND THAT THE TERRAIN WAS 4500 FT IN THAT AREA AND I WOULD HAVE TO CLB. I TRIED A 180 DEG TURN AND IT DID NOT SEEM TO WORK SO I PITCHED UP AND STARTED CLBING. I CONTACTED ZBW WHICH I WAS RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING FROM AND ASKED FOR CLRNC TO LEB. THEY DID ASK IF I WAS IFR ABLE AND IF THE PLANE WAS AND I DID SAY AFFIRMATIVE THINKING THAT I HAD TRAINING UPON ACQUIRING MY PVT IN IFR AND THAT YES THE PLANE HAD INSTS IN WHICH I COULD FLY IFR IF I HAD TO IN EMER SITS. THEN THE CTLR GAVE A CLRNC AND AT THE TIME I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT I WAS INDEED RECEIVING AN IFR CLRNC. I WAS TOLD TO FLY A HDG AND ALT OF 6000 FT. I GOT TO 5900 FT AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT I THOUGHT I WAS GETTING ICING AND DID NOT WANT TO FLY 6000 FT AND THAT I DID NOT WANT TO FLY IFR I WANTED TO FLY VFR. HE STATED, MA'AM YOU DON'T WANT TO FLY IFR BUT YOU WANT TO MAKE IT TO LEB AND IT'S IFR IN LEB. I CAN'T DO THAT. I HAD REPEATED THAT I DID NOT WANT TO FLY IFR AND WANTED TO FLY VFR. HE SAID HE COULDN'T DO THAT. HE SAID HE COULD TAKE ME BACK TO ASH IF I WANTED OR LCI. WHEN I TRIED TO FIND LCI ON THE MAP I COULD NOT, SO THEREFORE I ASKED WHERE IT WAS. I SAID WHAT IS THE CLOSEST. HE SAID LCI. SO I SAID YES THAT IS WHERE I WANTED TO GO. I STILL HAD 3 HRS OF FUEL BUT WANTED TO GO TO THE CLOSEST ARPT. WHEN I HAD LCI IN SIGHT I LANDED AND IT WAS FINE VFR. I CLOSED MY FLT PLAN AND THEY ASKED IF I WANTED TO CLOSE MY IFR FLT PLAN AND I SAID I GUESS SO, NOT REALIZING THAT I HAD OPENED ONE UNTIL THAT MOMENT. I THOUGHT THAT THE CTLR WAS JUST HELPING ME OUT OF MY SIT. NEXT I CALLED FOR A BRIEFING FROM LCI TO PWM WHERE IT WAS PERFECT VFR WX, AND FLEW TO PWM AND SECURED THE PLANE FOR THE NIGHT. I'M SURE THERE WERE MANY OTHER THINGS WHICH HAPPENED THAT I CANNOT RECOLLECT BECAUSE IT WAS ALL SO FAST AND I WAS JUST CONCENTRATING ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND MAINTAINING MY ALT AND HDG.

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.