Narrative:

I was taking the plane to another airport to show it to a prospective buyer. After the meeting I was to fly to another airport to drop the plane off for its transponder re- certification to be done the next day. I had arranged for a friend to drive to the avionics shop and give me a ride home. On my way to the plane I took note of the VFR status of a nearby twred airport and of planes making low altitude flight in VMC. As I performed my preflight, I again saw aircraft VFR in VMC. Once airborne from the uncontrolled strip at K34 I tuned the ATIS for mkc where I was to meet the buyer. The report was 1500 ft overcast and 5 mi visibility. I made the short flight entirely VFR. I was on the ground with the buyer for about 2 hours. Upon my departure from mkc to 3GV the ATIS was still 1500 ft overcast and 5 mi visibility. I felt that the visibility had actually improved a little, and made the VFR flight to 3GV. Once there, I found that the avionics shop had a cancellation and could do the certification while I waited. I strolled about the airport watching the skies and there appeared to be no change. My friend arrived and we went to dinner as the avionics shop finished their work. After we returned, it was dark. The visibility at ground level was the same as before and of course it was not possible to estimate the ceilings but the WX had been stable all day. I am very familiar with this area so I was comfortable flying in marginal conditions. I took off for the short flight back to K34 with the intent of flying just below the clouds and remaining within sight of the ground. At about 400 ft all of the houses and lights disappeared. I have been through about 2/3 of the instrument flight program but that was 6 months ago. This aircraft was equipped with a VOR/localizer and a VFR GPS. I already had the GPS configured for the flight to K34 so I maintained my attitude and course. I chose to climb a bit for safety. I felt that returning to 3GV would not be any safer than continuing to K34. When the GPS said I was over K34 I clicked up the airport lights. I could see the runway under me but not in front of me. I could not turn the plane quickly enough to remain within sight of the field and not become disoriented. At this point I climbed and called the tower at the nearby field and asked their conditions. I was told 200 ft overcast. They xferred me to center who told me to climb until I was VFR on top. At 9000 ft my C152 was used up and I still didn't see any stars or moon. I actually was above the clouds, but there was a haze on top that to me looked just the same. Center was sending me to mhk about 90 mi away, the nearest VFR airport. En route I switched frequencys and the new controller asked if I had any instrument experience. Since the radar coverage at mhk isn't very good they offered to talk me through the localizer approach at foe which by then was just under me. Center told me when I was over the OM and cleared me down to 1500 ft on the localizer. At 1700 ft I started to see runway lights, and at 1500 ft I broke out. Center cleared me to land and handed me off to ground control. The return flight the next day was uneventful with 2000 ft overcast and 5 mi visibility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C152 FLYING AT NIGHT ENCOUNTERS A LOW CEILNG AND IS UNABLE TO REMAIN IN SIGHT OF INTENDED ARPT. HE RECEIVES A FLT ASSIST FROM CTR CTLR AND DIVERTS TO A MORE HOSPITABLE ENVIRONMENT TO LAND.

Narrative: I WAS TAKING THE PLANE TO ANOTHER ARPT TO SHOW IT TO A PROSPECTIVE BUYER. AFTER THE MEETING I WAS TO FLY TO ANOTHER ARPT TO DROP THE PLANE OFF FOR ITS XPONDER RE- CERTIFICATION TO BE DONE THE NEXT DAY. I HAD ARRANGED FOR A FRIEND TO DRIVE TO THE AVIONICS SHOP AND GIVE ME A RIDE HOME. ON MY WAY TO THE PLANE I TOOK NOTE OF THE VFR STATUS OF A NEARBY TWRED ARPT AND OF PLANES MAKING LOW ALT FLT IN VMC. AS I PERFORMED MY PREFLT, I AGAIN SAW ACFT VFR IN VMC. ONCE AIRBORNE FROM THE UNCTLED STRIP AT K34 I TUNED THE ATIS FOR MKC WHERE I WAS TO MEET THE BUYER. THE RPT WAS 1500 FT OVCST AND 5 MI VISIBILITY. I MADE THE SHORT FLT ENTIRELY VFR. I WAS ON THE GND WITH THE BUYER FOR ABOUT 2 HRS. UPON MY DEP FROM MKC TO 3GV THE ATIS WAS STILL 1500 FT OVCST AND 5 MI VISIBILITY. I FELT THAT THE VISIBILITY HAD ACTUALLY IMPROVED A LITTLE, AND MADE THE VFR FLT TO 3GV. ONCE THERE, I FOUND THAT THE AVIONICS SHOP HAD A CANCELLATION AND COULD DO THE CERTIFICATION WHILE I WAITED. I STROLLED ABOUT THE ARPT WATCHING THE SKIES AND THERE APPEARED TO BE NO CHANGE. MY FRIEND ARRIVED AND WE WENT TO DINNER AS THE AVIONICS SHOP FINISHED THEIR WORK. AFTER WE RETURNED, IT WAS DARK. THE VISIBILITY AT GND LEVEL WAS THE SAME AS BEFORE AND OF COURSE IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO ESTIMATE THE CEILINGS BUT THE WX HAD BEEN STABLE ALL DAY. I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA SO I WAS COMFORTABLE FLYING IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS. I TOOK OFF FOR THE SHORT FLT BACK TO K34 WITH THE INTENT OF FLYING JUST BELOW THE CLOUDS AND REMAINING WITHIN SIGHT OF THE GND. AT ABOUT 400 FT ALL OF THE HOUSES AND LIGHTS DISAPPEARED. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH ABOUT 2/3 OF THE INST FLT PROGRAM BUT THAT WAS 6 MONTHS AGO. THIS ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A VOR/LOC AND A VFR GPS. I ALREADY HAD THE GPS CONFIGURED FOR THE FLT TO K34 SO I MAINTAINED MY ATTITUDE AND COURSE. I CHOSE TO CLB A BIT FOR SAFETY. I FELT THAT RETURNING TO 3GV WOULD NOT BE ANY SAFER THAN CONTINUING TO K34. WHEN THE GPS SAID I WAS OVER K34 I CLICKED UP THE ARPT LIGHTS. I COULD SEE THE RWY UNDER ME BUT NOT IN FRONT OF ME. I COULD NOT TURN THE PLANE QUICKLY ENOUGH TO REMAIN WITHIN SIGHT OF THE FIELD AND NOT BECOME DISORIENTED. AT THIS POINT I CLBED AND CALLED THE TWR AT THE NEARBY FIELD AND ASKED THEIR CONDITIONS. I WAS TOLD 200 FT OVCST. THEY XFERRED ME TO CTR WHO TOLD ME TO CLB UNTIL I WAS VFR ON TOP. AT 9000 FT MY C152 WAS USED UP AND I STILL DIDN'T SEE ANY STARS OR MOON. I ACTUALLY WAS ABOVE THE CLOUDS, BUT THERE WAS A HAZE ON TOP THAT TO ME LOOKED JUST THE SAME. CTR WAS SENDING ME TO MHK ABOUT 90 MI AWAY, THE NEAREST VFR ARPT. ENRTE I SWITCHED FREQS AND THE NEW CTLR ASKED IF I HAD ANY INST EXPERIENCE. SINCE THE RADAR COVERAGE AT MHK ISN'T VERY GOOD THEY OFFERED TO TALK ME THROUGH THE LOC APCH AT FOE WHICH BY THEN WAS JUST UNDER ME. CTR TOLD ME WHEN I WAS OVER THE OM AND CLRED ME DOWN TO 1500 FT ON THE LOC. AT 1700 FT I STARTED TO SEE RWY LIGHTS, AND AT 1500 FT I BROKE OUT. CTR CLRED ME TO LAND AND HANDED ME OFF TO GND CTL. THE RETURN FLT THE NEXT DAY WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH 2000 FT OVCST AND 5 MI VISIBILITY.

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.