Narrative:

About 1 hour before the flight began, I received a WX briefing for my route. Winds, ceilings and visibility were recorded for points along the route. The entire route was given as VFR. There was a note, however, that there was fog over jackson and conditions there were IFR. After the briefing, I noted jackson as being about 30 mi north of my course. I also noted the ceilings there were about 3000 ft. Ceilings around the airport of departure were about 6000 ft. I called back to file my flight plans and registered the en route altitude at 4500 ft, which was to be my primary altitude. After takeoff, I had opened my flight plan with lansing flight services while continuing to climb to 4500 ft. During the brief climb, I noted my first city lights check point at 9 O'clock position out my window. Because of the early hour, sunrise was about 1 hour away and visibility was quite good. I could easily see my second city check point as well as other city indents I had circled on my sectional. I had dialed in the wolf lake VOR on the 235 degree radial. A few mins more flight and the 'to' indicator became active and with volume turned up I could hear the 'wolf lake VOR' voice in my headset. At this point, all system were nominal. The air smooth. The only traffic I observed was about 5 mi in front of in my relative route and several thousand ft above crossing on about a 090 degree heading. About 45 mins into the flight, while looking down for my next check point I noticed that ground lights began to flicker. When I looked up, the windscreen was gray. When I looked down, all lights had vanished. I was in a cloud. I checked all instruments noting that a heading of about 060 degrees was my 180 degrees. I confirmed that I was still tracking the wolf lake VOR. I had not expected to encounter this cloud, but here it was. I took one last look at the windscreen to confirm no visibility, and saw 2 small patches of ice had formed at the 10 and 12 O'clock position on the windshield. The visibility (or lack thereof) at this point seemed the least of my problems. I assessed that (according to training) I should climb to a higher altitude. That, as I recall, was preferred to descending, although each would probably work. If, however, I climbed and exited the cloud, I would still have no ground reference. I remember checking my VOR and was thankful for the 3+ hours of IFR training I had received. The ice was not building. And a 180 degree turn to 060 degrees was now considered, yet I remembered that I had flown through something that deposited ice on the windscreen and did not want to re- encounter that event. What to do? I called lansing flight services and reported who I was, where I was, and that I had no visibility with ice that had formed on the windscreen. I also remember telling that I was only VFR certified. I asked for a report on the extent of this cloud, and which direction would be appropriate for me to exit, and return to VFR conditions. Lansing asked me to confirm that I was flying on instruments and had a VFR flight plan. I responded affirmatively. My first directive from lansing was to 'immediately descend to 2500 ft.' I followed instructions and found that once again I could see ground. There was, however, a patchy low level cloud layer that prevented a constant clear view of landmarks. I reported the descent had been followed, and noted that I still was following the wolf lake 235 degree radial. I was next instructed to contact kalamazoo approach. I did so. Kalamazoo gave me a squawk frequency which I immediately dialed in. Kalamazoo reported that they had me on radar. I reported that I was still able to follow the wolf lake VOR, and still had ice remaining on my windscreen, although with a couple of mins after my report, the ice began to melt. On my second VOR I dialed up the boiler VOR. As I approached the wolf lake VOR, I had a signal from boiler. At this time there was no lower layer cloud/fog. All ground reference points could easily be idented and supported on my flight plan and chicago sectional. I followed the boiler VOR on the 240 degree radial. A few mins later, I dialed in the champaign VORTAC on my first VOR abandoning the wolf lake 'from' reading.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL ENTERED CLOUDS DURING A VFR XCOUNTRY FLT AND CONTACTED FAA FSS FOR ASSISTANCE. RPTR WAS GIVEN RADAR INSTRUCTIONS BY THE NEAREST APCH FACILITY TO VFR CONDITIONS WHERE THE FLT WAS CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO DEST.

Narrative: ABOUT 1 HR BEFORE THE FLT BEGAN, I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING FOR MY RTE. WINDS, CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY WERE RECORDED FOR POINTS ALONG THE RTE. THE ENTIRE RTE WAS GIVEN AS VFR. THERE WAS A NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT THERE WAS FOG OVER JACKSON AND CONDITIONS THERE WERE IFR. AFTER THE BRIEFING, I NOTED JACKSON AS BEING ABOUT 30 MI N OF MY COURSE. I ALSO NOTED THE CEILINGS THERE WERE ABOUT 3000 FT. CEILINGS AROUND THE ARPT OF DEP WERE ABOUT 6000 FT. I CALLED BACK TO FILE MY FLT PLANS AND REGISTERED THE ENRTE ALT AT 4500 FT, WHICH WAS TO BE MY PRIMARY ALT. AFTER TKOF, I HAD OPENED MY FLT PLAN WITH LANSING FLT SVCS WHILE CONTINUING TO CLB TO 4500 FT. DURING THE BRIEF CLB, I NOTED MY FIRST CITY LIGHTS CHK POINT AT 9 O'CLOCK POS OUT MY WINDOW. BECAUSE OF THE EARLY HR, SUNRISE WAS ABOUT 1 HR AWAY AND VISIBILITY WAS QUITE GOOD. I COULD EASILY SEE MY SECOND CITY CHK POINT AS WELL AS OTHER CITY INDENTS I HAD CIRCLED ON MY SECTIONAL. I HAD DIALED IN THE WOLF LAKE VOR ON THE 235 DEG RADIAL. A FEW MINS MORE FLT AND THE 'TO' INDICATOR BECAME ACTIVE AND WITH VOLUME TURNED UP I COULD HEAR THE 'WOLF LAKE VOR' VOICE IN MY HEADSET. AT THIS POINT, ALL SYS WERE NOMINAL. THE AIR SMOOTH. THE ONLY TFC I OBSERVED WAS ABOUT 5 MI IN FRONT OF IN MY RELATIVE RTE AND SEVERAL THOUSAND FT ABOVE XING ON ABOUT A 090 DEG HDG. ABOUT 45 MINS INTO THE FLT, WHILE LOOKING DOWN FOR MY NEXT CHK POINT I NOTICED THAT GND LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER. WHEN I LOOKED UP, THE WINDSCREEN WAS GRAY. WHEN I LOOKED DOWN, ALL LIGHTS HAD VANISHED. I WAS IN A CLOUD. I CHKED ALL INSTS NOTING THAT A HDG OF ABOUT 060 DEGS WAS MY 180 DEGS. I CONFIRMED THAT I WAS STILL TRACKING THE WOLF LAKE VOR. I HAD NOT EXPECTED TO ENCOUNTER THIS CLOUD, BUT HERE IT WAS. I TOOK ONE LAST LOOK AT THE WINDSCREEN TO CONFIRM NO VISIBILITY, AND SAW 2 SMALL PATCHES OF ICE HAD FORMED AT THE 10 AND 12 O'CLOCK POS ON THE WINDSHIELD. THE VISIBILITY (OR LACK THEREOF) AT THIS POINT SEEMED THE LEAST OF MY PROBS. I ASSESSED THAT (ACCORDING TO TRAINING) I SHOULD CLB TO A HIGHER ALT. THAT, AS I RECALL, WAS PREFERRED TO DSNDING, ALTHOUGH EACH WOULD PROBABLY WORK. IF, HOWEVER, I CLBED AND EXITED THE CLOUD, I WOULD STILL HAVE NO GND REF. I REMEMBER CHKING MY VOR AND WAS THANKFUL FOR THE 3+ HRS OF IFR TRAINING I HAD RECEIVED. THE ICE WAS NOT BUILDING. AND A 180 DEG TURN TO 060 DEGS WAS NOW CONSIDERED, YET I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD FLOWN THROUGH SOMETHING THAT DEPOSITED ICE ON THE WINDSCREEN AND DID NOT WANT TO RE- ENCOUNTER THAT EVENT. WHAT TO DO? I CALLED LANSING FLT SVCS AND RPTED WHO I WAS, WHERE I WAS, AND THAT I HAD NO VISIBILITY WITH ICE THAT HAD FORMED ON THE WINDSCREEN. I ALSO REMEMBER TELLING THAT I WAS ONLY VFR CERTIFIED. I ASKED FOR A RPT ON THE EXTENT OF THIS CLOUD, AND WHICH DIRECTION WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO EXIT, AND RETURN TO VFR CONDITIONS. LANSING ASKED ME TO CONFIRM THAT I WAS FLYING ON INSTS AND HAD A VFR FLT PLAN. I RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY. MY FIRST DIRECTIVE FROM LANSING WAS TO 'IMMEDIATELY DSND TO 2500 FT.' I FOLLOWED INSTRUCTIONS AND FOUND THAT ONCE AGAIN I COULD SEE GND. THERE WAS, HOWEVER, A PATCHY LOW LEVEL CLOUD LAYER THAT PREVENTED A CONSTANT CLR VIEW OF LANDMARKS. I RPTED THE DSCNT HAD BEEN FOLLOWED, AND NOTED THAT I STILL WAS FOLLOWING THE WOLF LAKE 235 DEG RADIAL. I WAS NEXT INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT KALAMAZOO APCH. I DID SO. KALAMAZOO GAVE ME A SQUAWK FREQ WHICH I IMMEDIATELY DIALED IN. KALAMAZOO RPTED THAT THEY HAD ME ON RADAR. I RPTED THAT I WAS STILL ABLE TO FOLLOW THE WOLF LAKE VOR, AND STILL HAD ICE REMAINING ON MY WINDSCREEN, ALTHOUGH WITH A COUPLE OF MINS AFTER MY RPT, THE ICE BEGAN TO MELT. ON MY SECOND VOR I DIALED UP THE BOILER VOR. AS I APCHED THE WOLF LAKE VOR, I HAD A SIGNAL FROM BOILER. AT THIS TIME THERE WAS NO LOWER LAYER CLOUD/FOG. ALL GND REF POINTS COULD EASILY BE IDENTED AND SUPPORTED ON MY FLT PLAN AND CHICAGO SECTIONAL. I FOLLOWED THE BOILER VOR ON THE 240 DEG RADIAL. A FEW MINS LATER, I DIALED IN THE CHAMPAIGN VORTAC ON MY FIRST VOR ABANDONING THE WOLF LAKE 'FROM' READING.

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.