Narrative:

ATC advised to expect visual approach to omn, then at the last min issued VOR approach clearance. However, by that time, I was too close to the airport and even though I accelerated my descent, I was past the airport and still IMC. I was momentarily distraction when advised by ATC that I overflew the airport. I followed ATC instructions for climb, altitude and course and while being vectored for another approach, and while in VFR conditions 'IFR on top,' I canceled IFR and proceeded to new smyrna airport for refueling. The approach and landing were in excellent VFR conditions. After refueling, I took off VFR into what appeared to be a low haze but was low clouds. After inadvertently entering the low cloud bank, I immediately made a left turn crosswind and then downwind to land at the airport, but continued to remain in the clouds and could not land. Realizing from my previous approach that the cloud tops were at about 3000 ft MSL, I climbed and immediately contacted dab approach and advised them of my situation. He issued me an IFR clearance. However, I canceled IFR and proceeded on VFR on course to pmp where I landed. I would have filed IFR new smyrna to pmp, but the short refueling stop, the VFR conditions inbound to new smyrna (dab was IFR), not realizing that the low cloud deck was drifting southerly from omn and dab to new smyrna airport, and the day was approaching dusk, all contributed to the later inadvertent IFR incursion. The approach situation was created by ATC authorizing the omb approach too late, the pilot's delay in executing the missed approach per approach plate. ATC was very cooperative throughout the 2 events recited here, and I was not advised to 'call the tower.' however, I will seek advice on these matters.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PIPER SENECA, PA34-200, FLEW INTO CLOUDS AFTER A VFR TKOF AND CIRCLED THE ARPT DOWNWIND WITHOUT BREAKING OUT OF THE OVCST RESULTING IN CLBING TO ON TOP AND CONTACTING APCH CTL.

Narrative: ATC ADVISED TO EXPECT VISUAL APCH TO OMN, THEN AT THE LAST MIN ISSUED VOR APCH CLRNC. HOWEVER, BY THAT TIME, I WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE ARPT AND EVEN THOUGH I ACCELERATED MY DSCNT, I WAS PAST THE ARPT AND STILL IMC. I WAS MOMENTARILY DISTR WHEN ADVISED BY ATC THAT I OVERFLEW THE ARPT. I FOLLOWED ATC INSTRUCTIONS FOR CLB, ALT AND COURSE AND WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH, AND WHILE IN VFR CONDITIONS 'IFR ON TOP,' I CANCELED IFR AND PROCEEDED TO NEW SMYRNA ARPT FOR REFUELING. THE APCH AND LNDG WERE IN EXCELLENT VFR CONDITIONS. AFTER REFUELING, I TOOK OFF VFR INTO WHAT APPEARED TO BE A LOW HAZE BUT WAS LOW CLOUDS. AFTER INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE LOW CLOUD BANK, I IMMEDIATELY MADE A L TURN XWIND AND THEN DOWNWIND TO LAND AT THE ARPT, BUT CONTINUED TO REMAIN IN THE CLOUDS AND COULD NOT LAND. REALIZING FROM MY PREVIOUS APCH THAT THE CLOUD TOPS WERE AT ABOUT 3000 FT MSL, I CLBED AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED DAB APCH AND ADVISED THEM OF MY SIT. HE ISSUED ME AN IFR CLRNC. HOWEVER, I CANCELED IFR AND PROCEEDED ON VFR ON COURSE TO PMP WHERE I LANDED. I WOULD HAVE FILED IFR NEW SMYRNA TO PMP, BUT THE SHORT REFUELING STOP, THE VFR CONDITIONS INBOUND TO NEW SMYRNA (DAB WAS IFR), NOT REALIZING THAT THE LOW CLOUD DECK WAS DRIFTING SOUTHERLY FROM OMN AND DAB TO NEW SMYRNA ARPT, AND THE DAY WAS APCHING DUSK, ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE LATER INADVERTENT IFR INCURSION. THE APCH SIT WAS CREATED BY ATC AUTHORIZING THE OMB APCH TOO LATE, THE PLT'S DELAY IN EXECUTING THE MISSED APCH PER APCH PLATE. ATC WAS VERY COOPERATIVE THROUGHOUT THE 2 EVENTS RECITED HERE, AND I WAS NOT ADVISED TO 'CALL THE TWR.' HOWEVER, I WILL SEEK ADVICE ON THESE MATTERS.

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.