Narrative:

The WX briefer told me that the WX was IMC at my home airport, but that another airport approximately 80 mi south was still VFR. I decided to see how close I could get to home while staying in VFR conditions. A flight that would normally have taken 2 hours took 2 1/2 hours due to headwinds. En route, I noticed the clouds getting thicker below me (I was flying at 6500 ft MSL). At that time, I asked flight following if I could descend below the clouds and was granted permission. The clouds were approximately 4000 ft MSL, so I descended to 3500 ft and continued, still in VFR conditions. At this point, it was getting very dark, however, I could still see lights on the ground several mi ahead of me. I was over 1/2 way home and still had VFR conditions, which surprised me. I really had not expected to get that far without having to deviate. Surprisingly, I made it almost home, within about 13 mi, when I was handed off to the control tower. The controller informed me that they had ceilings reported at 400 ft and conditions were IMC. I was surprised because I was only about 8 mi away now and still in VFR conditions. I thought that maybe I had been lucky enough to arrive just when there was a break in the cloud cover. I told the controller that I was only 8 mi away and was still VFR, then I checked my GPS moving map display to make sure of my exact distance and location from the airport. When I looked up, visibility was zero. I contacted the tower and told him I had lost visibility. He told me to fly south and ascend to 3000 ft. At the time, I could hear him bringing an IFR flight in on final approach on the ILS. As I was turning south and ascending, I momentarily got vertigo. I struggled to stay on the instruments. Although I felt like I was in a steep right turn, I knew that I was flying level. While this was happening, I got a little disoriented and ended up southeast of the airport instead of due south. At this time, the controller asked me where I was located, and I mistakenly told him northeast about 2 mi from the airport. I was actually southeast, but did not realize until later that I had told him wrong. At this point, I declared an emergency to get help getting to a VFR airport. I was given back to approach and vectored to a VFR airport about 35 mi east. I feel that I made some bad mistakes in judgement, probably due to lack of sleep the previous night and fatigue. First, I should have turned around immediately when the controller told me that the airport was IFR. In the past I have always been a WX coward. Secondly, I should have not been flying toward IFR conditions at night in the first place. I want to say that I received a wake-up call. Had I caused someone to get hurt or killed I would not have been able to live with myself. In the future I will stay far, far away from IFR conditions until I get an instrument rating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA C172 PLT ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS ON VFR FLT PLAN NEAR ATL, GA. PLT LANDED SAFETY AFTER DECLARING AN EMER.

Narrative: THE WX BRIEFER TOLD ME THAT THE WX WAS IMC AT MY HOME ARPT, BUT THAT ANOTHER ARPT APPROX 80 MI S WAS STILL VFR. I DECIDED TO SEE HOW CLOSE I COULD GET TO HOME WHILE STAYING IN VFR CONDITIONS. A FLT THAT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TAKEN 2 HRS TOOK 2 1/2 HRS DUE TO HEADWINDS. ENRTE, I NOTICED THE CLOUDS GETTING THICKER BELOW ME (I WAS FLYING AT 6500 FT MSL). AT THAT TIME, I ASKED FLT FOLLOWING IF I COULD DSND BELOW THE CLOUDS AND WAS GRANTED PERMISSION. THE CLOUDS WERE APPROX 4000 FT MSL, SO I DSNDED TO 3500 FT AND CONTINUED, STILL IN VFR CONDITIONS. AT THIS POINT, IT WAS GETTING VERY DARK, HOWEVER, I COULD STILL SEE LIGHTS ON THE GND SEVERAL MI AHEAD OF ME. I WAS OVER 1/2 WAY HOME AND STILL HAD VFR CONDITIONS, WHICH SURPRISED ME. I REALLY HAD NOT EXPECTED TO GET THAT FAR WITHOUT HAVING TO DEVIATE. SURPRISINGLY, I MADE IT ALMOST HOME, WITHIN ABOUT 13 MI, WHEN I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE CTL TWR. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD CEILINGS RPTED AT 400 FT AND CONDITIONS WERE IMC. I WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE I WAS ONLY ABOUT 8 MI AWAY NOW AND STILL IN VFR CONDITIONS. I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I HAD BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO ARRIVE JUST WHEN THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE CLOUD COVER. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS ONLY 8 MI AWAY AND WAS STILL VFR, THEN I CHKED MY GPS MOVING MAP DISPLAY TO MAKE SURE OF MY EXACT DISTANCE AND LOCATION FROM THE ARPT. WHEN I LOOKED UP, VISIBILITY WAS ZERO. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND TOLD HIM I HAD LOST VISIBILITY. HE TOLD ME TO FLY S AND ASCEND TO 3000 FT. AT THE TIME, I COULD HEAR HIM BRINGING AN IFR FLT IN ON FINAL APCH ON THE ILS. AS I WAS TURNING S AND ASCENDING, I MOMENTARILY GOT VERTIGO. I STRUGGLED TO STAY ON THE INSTS. ALTHOUGH I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A STEEP R TURN, I KNEW THAT I WAS FLYING LEVEL. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING, I GOT A LITTLE DISORIENTED AND ENDED UP SE OF THE ARPT INSTEAD OF DUE S. AT THIS TIME, THE CTLR ASKED ME WHERE I WAS LOCATED, AND I MISTAKENLY TOLD HIM NE ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE ARPT. I WAS ACTUALLY SE, BUT DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL LATER THAT I HAD TOLD HIM WRONG. AT THIS POINT, I DECLARED AN EMER TO GET HELP GETTING TO A VFR ARPT. I WAS GIVEN BACK TO APCH AND VECTORED TO A VFR ARPT ABOUT 35 MI E. I FEEL THAT I MADE SOME BAD MISTAKES IN JUDGEMENT, PROBABLY DUE TO LACK OF SLEEP THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND FATIGUE. FIRST, I SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT THE ARPT WAS IFR. IN THE PAST I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A WX COWARD. SECONDLY, I SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN FLYING TOWARD IFR CONDITIONS AT NIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WANT TO SAY THAT I RECEIVED A WAKE-UP CALL. HAD I CAUSED SOMEONE TO GET HURT OR KILLED I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LIVE WITH MYSELF. IN THE FUTURE I WILL STAY FAR, FAR AWAY FROM IFR CONDITIONS UNTIL I GET AN INST RATING.

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.