Narrative:

On dec/sat/98, flying my C152 to van wert, oh, vnw, from a fuel stop at london, ky, VFR into IMC occurred following the FSS brief at XA30 pm at london started the engine. During the run-up the engine would not clear. Mags or plugs? The FBO called in a mechanic. Eventually 3 mechanics were investigating the problem (plugs). Another call to FSS around XC20 pm. WX had started to deteriorate further north. Lexington, ky, was around where lower ceilings and visibility were developing. Cincinnati area VFR flight not recommended. Dayton and fort wayne was at best marginal VFR. A front coming from the west was in progress. I elected to proceed. Staring engine at XC35 pm I flew north VFR. Somewhere south of the falmouth VOR flm and ese from lexington, lower ceilings were encountered. I flew through some clouds to VFR on top right around 6500 ft. I called flight following prior to the encounter. ZID, lexington, and later cincinnati and dayton approachs were communicated with. The WX specialists were right on this time. Dayton approach called ft wayne to check for possible holes or VFR airports in the area. None in the area. 2 hours 30 mins of fuel left (approximately). Still time enough to head south to VFR airports with london a little over 1 hour south, why not go back? Dayton approach advised me I'd broken far 91. 'What do you want to do?' dayton approach asked. I replied that I'd like to go to versailles because it had an ADF and that I also believe I said I could land at dayton. Dayton approach told me they could only help if I declared an emergency. This tells me that I am on my own unless I declared an emergency. I elected to declare an emergency to obtain radar assistance landing plus separation, especially if I was going into a busy airport like dayton international. 'Ok, I'll have to do that,' I said. 'Are you declaring an emergency?' dayton asked. 'Yes, I guess I am.' now dayton has a plan. Directions were given by the dayton approach controller. I was well advised and directed as to when to make heading changes to land at dayton runway 6L. However, I thought the controller would step me down at a greater rate than my own 500 FPM. The controller was doing an excellent job providing clear and concise instructions keeping me informed continually to the airplane's position either right or left of the runway heading 060 degrees. At 4000 ft, the controller stated that I was too high and that he was going to turn me around and go back (I think) 14 or 16 mi and make another approach. 'Is that ok with you?' the controller asked. I commented words to that effect of 'ok, sounds good.' another run out and back in only this time I break through and land runway 6L. Runway lights ablaze and the welcoming committee consisting of a fire truck and airport police car. On the way to parking at one of the FBO's, I am instructed to make a phone call to the tower. After supplying the fire department personnel and airport police my name, address, etc, I called the number and spoke with the watch supervisor who collected the same information as the fire department and police department took. The watch supervisor was the controller when I declared an emergency (didn't have much choice). He also stated that I had done a good job and didn't get rattled as most VFR pilots would have in similar sits. The incorrect decision to continue the flight or even to start the flight in the first place is evident. People make mistakes and I've certainly made mine. The positive side of this is that arrangements have been initiated to commence instrument training. Considering the numerous times I've been unable to start or continue a VFR flight and the cost of rental cars, motels, and tie down fees as well as the inconvenience and wasted time, the IFR rating should have been attained yrs ago.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152, NON INST RATED PLT FLEW ABOVE AN OVCST, AND REQUIRED ATC ASSISTANCE IN ORDER TO LAND.

Narrative: ON DEC/SAT/98, FLYING MY C152 TO VAN WERT, OH, VNW, FROM A FUEL STOP AT LONDON, KY, VFR INTO IMC OCCURRED FOLLOWING THE FSS BRIEF AT XA30 PM AT LONDON STARTED THE ENG. DURING THE RUN-UP THE ENG WOULD NOT CLR. MAGS OR PLUGS? THE FBO CALLED IN A MECH. EVENTUALLY 3 MECHS WERE INVESTIGATING THE PROB (PLUGS). ANOTHER CALL TO FSS AROUND XC20 PM. WX HAD STARTED TO DETERIORATE FURTHER N. LEXINGTON, KY, WAS AROUND WHERE LOWER CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY WERE DEVELOPING. CINCINNATI AREA VFR FLT NOT RECOMMENDED. DAYTON AND FORT WAYNE WAS AT BEST MARGINAL VFR. A FRONT COMING FROM THE W WAS IN PROGRESS. I ELECTED TO PROCEED. STARING ENG AT XC35 PM I FLEW N VFR. SOMEWHERE S OF THE FALMOUTH VOR FLM AND ESE FROM LEXINGTON, LOWER CEILINGS WERE ENCOUNTERED. I FLEW THROUGH SOME CLOUDS TO VFR ON TOP RIGHT AROUND 6500 FT. I CALLED FLT FOLLOWING PRIOR TO THE ENCOUNTER. ZID, LEXINGTON, AND LATER CINCINNATI AND DAYTON APCHS WERE COMMUNICATED WITH. THE WX SPECIALISTS WERE RIGHT ON THIS TIME. DAYTON APCH CALLED FT WAYNE TO CHK FOR POSSIBLE HOLES OR VFR ARPTS IN THE AREA. NONE IN THE AREA. 2 HRS 30 MINS OF FUEL LEFT (APPROX). STILL TIME ENOUGH TO HEAD S TO VFR ARPTS WITH LONDON A LITTLE OVER 1 HR S, WHY NOT GO BACK? DAYTON APCH ADVISED ME I'D BROKEN FAR 91. 'WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO?' DAYTON APCH ASKED. I REPLIED THAT I'D LIKE TO GO TO VERSAILLES BECAUSE IT HAD AN ADF AND THAT I ALSO BELIEVE I SAID I COULD LAND AT DAYTON. DAYTON APCH TOLD ME THEY COULD ONLY HELP IF I DECLARED AN EMER. THIS TELLS ME THAT I AM ON MY OWN UNLESS I DECLARED AN EMER. I ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER TO OBTAIN RADAR ASSISTANCE LNDG PLUS SEPARATION, ESPECIALLY IF I WAS GOING INTO A BUSY ARPT LIKE DAYTON INTL. 'OK, I'LL HAVE TO DO THAT,' I SAID. 'ARE YOU DECLARING AN EMER?' DAYTON ASKED. 'YES, I GUESS I AM.' NOW DAYTON HAS A PLAN. DIRECTIONS WERE GIVEN BY THE DAYTON APCH CTLR. I WAS WELL ADVISED AND DIRECTED AS TO WHEN TO MAKE HEADING CHANGES TO LAND AT DAYTON RWY 6L. HOWEVER, I THOUGHT THE CTLR WOULD STEP ME DOWN AT A GREATER RATE THAN MY OWN 500 FPM. THE CTLR WAS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB PROVIDING CLR AND CONCISE INSTRUCTIONS KEEPING ME INFORMED CONTINUALLY TO THE AIRPLANE'S POS EITHER R OR L OF THE RWY HDG 060 DEGS. AT 4000 FT, THE CTLR STATED THAT I WAS TOO HIGH AND THAT HE WAS GOING TO TURN ME AROUND AND GO BACK (I THINK) 14 OR 16 MI AND MAKE ANOTHER APCH. 'IS THAT OK WITH YOU?' THE CTLR ASKED. I COMMENTED WORDS TO THAT EFFECT OF 'OK, SOUNDS GOOD.' ANOTHER RUN OUT AND BACK IN ONLY THIS TIME I BREAK THROUGH AND LAND RWY 6L. RWY LIGHTS ABLAZE AND THE WELCOMING COMMITTEE CONSISTING OF A FIRE TRUCK AND ARPT POLICE CAR. ON THE WAY TO PARKING AT ONE OF THE FBO'S, I AM INSTRUCTED TO MAKE A PHONE CALL TO THE TWR. AFTER SUPPLYING THE FIRE DEPT PERSONNEL AND ARPT POLICE MY NAME, ADDRESS, ETC, I CALLED THE NUMBER AND SPOKE WITH THE WATCH SUPVR WHO COLLECTED THE SAME INFO AS THE FIRE DEPT AND POLICE DEPT TOOK. THE WATCH SUPVR WAS THE CTLR WHEN I DECLARED AN EMER (DIDN'T HAVE MUCH CHOICE). HE ALSO STATED THAT I HAD DONE A GOOD JOB AND DIDN'T GET RATTLED AS MOST VFR PLTS WOULD HAVE IN SIMILAR SITS. THE INCORRECT DECISION TO CONTINUE THE FLT OR EVEN TO START THE FLT IN THE FIRST PLACE IS EVIDENT. PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES AND I'VE CERTAINLY MADE MINE. THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THIS IS THAT ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN INITIATED TO COMMENCE INST TRAINING. CONSIDERING THE NUMEROUS TIMES I'VE BEEN UNABLE TO START OR CONTINUE A VFR FLT AND THE COST OF RENTAL CARS, MOTELS, AND TIE DOWN FEES AS WELL AS THE INCONVENIENCE AND WASTED TIME, THE IFR RATING SHOULD HAVE BEEN ATTAINED YRS AGO.

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.