Narrative:

I left opf (miami) at XA34 en route to sav. WX reported VFR to sav until 10 hours later. Travel time about 2 3/4 hours, so arrival in sav should be before bad WX set in. I-95 made navigation simple. It was an arrow shot between opf-sav -- so I followed the highway. The WX was VFR until just south of daytona beach, fl, when the ceiling began to lower. I was now at 1000 ft with only occasional glimpses of the road. Suddenly, the clouds had swallowed me completely. I could see nothing. Without an IFR rating I was afraid to make a 180 degree because I was only 1000 ft AGL, so I climbed to see if I could get on top figuring altitude was my best friend for now. I had never had to control the plane solely by instruments in my 40 yrs of flying but somehow I kept her level, on a northerly course and climbing. If I can just climb out and get my spatial references back I would feel much better. But at 5500 ft I was still IMC. So I tuned to 121.5 and broadcast a mayday to jax approach. They came on immediately. After hearing my predicament they calmed me down and gave me headings while constantly comforting me. During the conversation a hole below suddenly appeared. Ground was in sight! I immediately made a steep descending turn down through the clouds. I broke out at 500 ft AGL, the center people were with me monitoring everything. As I broke out, jax told me the airport was at my 11 O'clock position and gave me the choice of 2 runways. I said, 'I'll take the one with the beautiful lights.' after rollout, I was too overcome with emotion to talk to ground control. They could hear me actually crying like a baby and gently guided me into the FBO, who later drove me over to the tower to thank everyone. I want to express heartfelt thanks to mr a, FAA, who talked me down, mr B, assistant air traffic manager, mr C, area supervisor, and mr D. These men saved my life and I'll remember it forever. Later as I retold the events to a group of mooney owners, somebody in the audience commented that it was a good thing I had my wits about me even though I had nowhere to go. I replied, 'thank you but it was a very witless thing to become trapped as I did.' as a sequel, I'm starting my IFR training now. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he has written and published an account of his experience for a magazine. His IFR training is coming along slowly. He still gets emotional when he talks about his experience and wants to alert others to such problems of flying into WX.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOONEY M20E PLT FLIES INTO POOR WX DSNDING TO 1000 FT AGL. HE THEN TRIES TO CLB AND GET ON TOP ONLY TO BECOME CAUGHT IN IMC WITH NO INST FLT EXPERIENCE. HE DECLARES AN EMER ON 121.5 AND IS GIVEN A FLT ASSIST TO A SAFE LNDG.

Narrative: I LEFT OPF (MIAMI) AT XA34 ENRTE TO SAV. WX RPTED VFR TO SAV UNTIL 10 HRS LATER. TRAVEL TIME ABOUT 2 3/4 HRS, SO ARR IN SAV SHOULD BE BEFORE BAD WX SET IN. I-95 MADE NAV SIMPLE. IT WAS AN ARROW SHOT BTWN OPF-SAV -- SO I FOLLOWED THE HWY. THE WX WAS VFR UNTIL JUST S OF DAYTONA BEACH, FL, WHEN THE CEILING BEGAN TO LOWER. I WAS NOW AT 1000 FT WITH ONLY OCCASIONAL GLIMPSES OF THE ROAD. SUDDENLY, THE CLOUDS HAD SWALLOWED ME COMPLETELY. I COULD SEE NOTHING. WITHOUT AN IFR RATING I WAS AFRAID TO MAKE A 180 DEG BECAUSE I WAS ONLY 1000 FT AGL, SO I CLBED TO SEE IF I COULD GET ON TOP FIGURING ALT WAS MY BEST FRIEND FOR NOW. I HAD NEVER HAD TO CTL THE PLANE SOLELY BY INSTS IN MY 40 YRS OF FLYING BUT SOMEHOW I KEPT HER LEVEL, ON A NORTHERLY COURSE AND CLBING. IF I CAN JUST CLB OUT AND GET MY SPATIAL REFS BACK I WOULD FEEL MUCH BETTER. BUT AT 5500 FT I WAS STILL IMC. SO I TUNED TO 121.5 AND BROADCAST A MAYDAY TO JAX APCH. THEY CAME ON IMMEDIATELY. AFTER HEARING MY PREDICAMENT THEY CALMED ME DOWN AND GAVE ME HEADINGS WHILE CONSTANTLY COMFORTING ME. DURING THE CONVERSATION A HOLE BELOW SUDDENLY APPEARED. GND WAS IN SIGHT! I IMMEDIATELY MADE A STEEP DSNDING TURN DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUDS. I BROKE OUT AT 500 FT AGL, THE CTR PEOPLE WERE WITH ME MONITORING EVERYTHING. AS I BROKE OUT, JAX TOLD ME THE ARPT WAS AT MY 11 O'CLOCK POS AND GAVE ME THE CHOICE OF 2 RWYS. I SAID, 'I'LL TAKE THE ONE WITH THE BEAUTIFUL LIGHTS.' AFTER ROLLOUT, I WAS TOO OVERCOME WITH EMOTION TO TALK TO GND CTL. THEY COULD HEAR ME ACTUALLY CRYING LIKE A BABY AND GENTLY GUIDED ME INTO THE FBO, WHO LATER DROVE ME OVER TO THE TWR TO THANK EVERYONE. I WANT TO EXPRESS HEARTFELT THANKS TO MR A, FAA, WHO TALKED ME DOWN, MR B, ASSISTANT AIR TFC MGR, MR C, AREA SUPVR, AND MR D. THESE MEN SAVED MY LIFE AND I'LL REMEMBER IT FOREVER. LATER AS I RETOLD THE EVENTS TO A GROUP OF MOONEY OWNERS, SOMEBODY IN THE AUDIENCE COMMENTED THAT IT WAS A GOOD THING I HAD MY WITS ABOUT ME EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOWHERE TO GO. I REPLIED, 'THANK YOU BUT IT WAS A VERY WITLESS THING TO BECOME TRAPPED AS I DID.' AS A SEQUEL, I'M STARTING MY IFR TRAINING NOW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE HAS WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED AN ACCOUNT OF HIS EXPERIENCE FOR A MAGAZINE. HIS IFR TRAINING IS COMING ALONG SLOWLY. HE STILL GETS EMOTIONAL WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE AND WANTS TO ALERT OTHERS TO SUCH PROBS OF FLYING INTO WX.

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.