Narrative:

On sep/xx/97 I departed on flight abc at YY30 en route for noatak from kotzebue. The WX at the time was greater than 3000 ft and 10 mi visibility. Noatak was calling 1500 ft broken, 10 mi visibility. I departed kotzebue, climbed to 2500 ft MSL towards the mouth of the noatak river. I started to head towards the pass on the west side of the river when I noticed some clouds coming down towards the pass from the buildup that appeared to be all along that ridge. I then diverted following the ridge to the west then the shoreline north towards kotlik lagoon. When I reached krusenstein lagoon, noatak called asking how far out I was. I told them 20 mins depending on WX and asked what the current situation was at noatak. I was told 1500 ft overcast and 10 mi visibility. At that time our navajo called asking about the WX towards kivalina. I told him that it was greater than 1500 ft scattered, 2000 ft broken and 10+ mi visibility. Approximately 2-3 mins later, I came to kotlik lagoon. West of my position there was blue skies and the sun was shining bright making it a little harder to see details of the terrain. I then made a left 270 degree turn to look at my route from a different angle. At this time, I was at 1000 ft MSL and the visibility was still greater than 10 mi with 1500 ft scattered to broken. I continued along my route between 2 mountains that were 9 mi apart. At approximately 6 mi inland I ran into some light mist that reduced my visibility down to about 1 to 1 1/2 mi. I looked left and right of my position and noticed rising terrain. When I looked back to the front of the aircraft, the mist had accumulated on my windshield reducing my visibility to about 1/2 mi. At that time, being unfamiliar with this particular area, I started a climb out of 1000 ft MSL to a safe altitude. At about 1400-1600 ft MSL I was completely IMC. I came out at 3800 ft. During my climb I saw the ground twice through holes not large enough for a safe descent. I leveled off at 4500 ft. During my climb I called kotzebue radio declaring an emergency, and the nature of my problem. I told them I was level at 4500 ft about 6 mi away from noatak VFR at the time. They offered me to squawk 7700 and contact center for an NDB approach. I declined due to my aircraft not being transponder equipped and I had spoke with noatak checking the WX during this time checking my options and they were now saying 500 ft overcast and 3-5 mi visibility. I then requested vectors towards VFR WX. I was told to fly 140 degrees but I again declined due to a possible VFR area west of my position. I noticed that there were cumulus buildups all around me outlining the mountains. My current position was VFR well around me and above me. When I couldn't navigation around the buildup I agreed to fly 140 degrees after I climbed above the buildup. I climbed to 10500 ft. The tops were at 9500 ft. During this time while I was climbing, another aircraft was up and said he could help get me to a VFR area, so I agreed to follow his guidance so we met on the 145 degree radial to otz. We saw each other about 26 mi out of kotzebue. I was now on the 150 degree radial and he was about 1 1/2 mi away. I followed him for about 15 mi at a 1 1/2 mi separation when he took me to a large area of VFR WX where I started my VFR descent and the other aircraft departed to his destination. I canceled my emergency at 7000 ft and continued normal flight. My reasoning for my climb was the sudden unexpected loss of visibility, and the confliction of what I seemed to see of the terrain around me, and what I expected from the sectional. With my lack of experience of this terrain I chose not to make any turns with my loss of visibility, for the safety of my passenger and cargo. I chose to climb to a safe altitude and seek assistance. I did not have much time to act, so I chose an immediate climb to safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA FLIES VFR TO WTK, AK, BUT FINDS THE WX SUDDENLY GOES BELOW VFR. OTZ FSS AND OTHER ACFT HELP PLT FIND VFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: ON SEP/XX/97 I DEPARTED ON FLT ABC AT YY30 ENRTE FOR NOATAK FROM KOTZEBUE. THE WX AT THE TIME WAS GREATER THAN 3000 FT AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. NOATAK WAS CALLING 1500 FT BROKEN, 10 MI VISIBILITY. I DEPARTED KOTZEBUE, CLBED TO 2500 FT MSL TOWARDS THE MOUTH OF THE NOATAK RIVER. I STARTED TO HEAD TOWARDS THE PASS ON THE W SIDE OF THE RIVER WHEN I NOTICED SOME CLOUDS COMING DOWN TOWARDS THE PASS FROM THE BUILDUP THAT APPEARED TO BE ALL ALONG THAT RIDGE. I THEN DIVERTED FOLLOWING THE RIDGE TO THE W THEN THE SHORELINE N TOWARDS KOTLIK LAGOON. WHEN I REACHED KRUSENSTEIN LAGOON, NOATAK CALLED ASKING HOW FAR OUT I WAS. I TOLD THEM 20 MINS DEPENDING ON WX AND ASKED WHAT THE CURRENT SIT WAS AT NOATAK. I WAS TOLD 1500 FT OVCST AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. AT THAT TIME OUR NAVAJO CALLED ASKING ABOUT THE WX TOWARDS KIVALINA. I TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS GREATER THAN 1500 FT SCATTERED, 2000 FT BROKEN AND 10+ MI VISIBILITY. APPROX 2-3 MINS LATER, I CAME TO KOTLIK LAGOON. W OF MY POS THERE WAS BLUE SKIES AND THE SUN WAS SHINING BRIGHT MAKING IT A LITTLE HARDER TO SEE DETAILS OF THE TERRAIN. I THEN MADE A L 270 DEG TURN TO LOOK AT MY RTE FROM A DIFFERENT ANGLE. AT THIS TIME, I WAS AT 1000 FT MSL AND THE VISIBILITY WAS STILL GREATER THAN 10 MI WITH 1500 FT SCATTERED TO BROKEN. I CONTINUED ALONG MY RTE BTWN 2 MOUNTAINS THAT WERE 9 MI APART. AT APPROX 6 MI INLAND I RAN INTO SOME LIGHT MIST THAT REDUCED MY VISIBILITY DOWN TO ABOUT 1 TO 1 1/2 MI. I LOOKED L AND R OF MY POS AND NOTICED RISING TERRAIN. WHEN I LOOKED BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE ACFT, THE MIST HAD ACCUMULATED ON MY WINDSHIELD REDUCING MY VISIBILITY TO ABOUT 1/2 MI. AT THAT TIME, BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS PARTICULAR AREA, I STARTED A CLB OUT OF 1000 FT MSL TO A SAFE ALT. AT ABOUT 1400-1600 FT MSL I WAS COMPLETELY IMC. I CAME OUT AT 3800 FT. DURING MY CLB I SAW THE GND TWICE THROUGH HOLES NOT LARGE ENOUGH FOR A SAFE DSCNT. I LEVELED OFF AT 4500 FT. DURING MY CLB I CALLED KOTZEBUE RADIO DECLARING AN EMER, AND THE NATURE OF MY PROB. I TOLD THEM I WAS LEVEL AT 4500 FT ABOUT 6 MI AWAY FROM NOATAK VFR AT THE TIME. THEY OFFERED ME TO SQUAWK 7700 AND CONTACT CTR FOR AN NDB APCH. I DECLINED DUE TO MY ACFT NOT BEING XPONDER EQUIPPED AND I HAD SPOKE WITH NOATAK CHKING THE WX DURING THIS TIME CHKING MY OPTIONS AND THEY WERE NOW SAYING 500 FT OVCST AND 3-5 MI VISIBILITY. I THEN REQUESTED VECTORS TOWARDS VFR WX. I WAS TOLD TO FLY 140 DEGS BUT I AGAIN DECLINED DUE TO A POSSIBLE VFR AREA W OF MY POS. I NOTICED THAT THERE WERE CUMULUS BUILDUPS ALL AROUND ME OUTLINING THE MOUNTAINS. MY CURRENT POS WAS VFR WELL AROUND ME AND ABOVE ME. WHEN I COULDN'T NAV AROUND THE BUILDUP I AGREED TO FLY 140 DEGS AFTER I CLBED ABOVE THE BUILDUP. I CLBED TO 10500 FT. THE TOPS WERE AT 9500 FT. DURING THIS TIME WHILE I WAS CLBING, ANOTHER ACFT WAS UP AND SAID HE COULD HELP GET ME TO A VFR AREA, SO I AGREED TO FOLLOW HIS GUIDANCE SO WE MET ON THE 145 DEG RADIAL TO OTZ. WE SAW EACH OTHER ABOUT 26 MI OUT OF KOTZEBUE. I WAS NOW ON THE 150 DEG RADIAL AND HE WAS ABOUT 1 1/2 MI AWAY. I FOLLOWED HIM FOR ABOUT 15 MI AT A 1 1/2 MI SEPARATION WHEN HE TOOK ME TO A LARGE AREA OF VFR WX WHERE I STARTED MY VFR DSCNT AND THE OTHER ACFT DEPARTED TO HIS DEST. I CANCELED MY EMER AT 7000 FT AND CONTINUED NORMAL FLT. MY REASONING FOR MY CLB WAS THE SUDDEN UNEXPECTED LOSS OF VISIBILITY, AND THE CONFLICTION OF WHAT I SEEMED TO SEE OF THE TERRAIN AROUND ME, AND WHAT I EXPECTED FROM THE SECTIONAL. WITH MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE OF THIS TERRAIN I CHOSE NOT TO MAKE ANY TURNS WITH MY LOSS OF VISIBILITY, FOR THE SAFETY OF MY PAX AND CARGO. I CHOSE TO CLB TO A SAFE ALT AND SEEK ASSISTANCE. I DID NOT HAVE MUCH TIME TO ACT, SO I CHOSE AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO SAFETY.

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.