Narrative:

When I arrived at roa for the 40 NM flight to base at lwb, over mountainous terrain, I was tired and looking forward to a quick VFR flight home. I wanted to avoid entering clouds because of the low temperatures and fear of ice. The WX at roa was good -- ATIS reported few clouds at 6000 ft, 12000 ft overcast visibility. The WX termination terminal was down, and I did not check destination WX. En route, the ceiling was indistinct, and I stopped my climb at 5500 ft MSL (roa is about 12000 ft MSL) to maintain VMC. The visibility was good but decreased as I proceeded. I called lwb tower 15 mi out and informed the controller that I would be delayed because the visibility seemed lower toward the airport, and I planned to divert to the west to go around it. He said, from his vantage point, it was worse that way, so I elected to proceed direct to the airport. I asked for lwb sky conditions, and he reported 9000 ft overcast and 6 mi visibility. I never saw a distinct cloud -- rather, the sky more resembled a hazy summer day in that visibility to the sides was 6 T0 8 mi, but forward visibility was poor. I maintained good ground contact at all times. I recognized landmarks as I approached the airport, but when I was 2 mi out (GPS), I did not have the airport in sight. I overflew at 6000 ft, and turned toward bushy LOM, deciding to descend to 5000 ft because I knew that would assure terrain clearance in that area. At 5500 ft, I recognized the city of lewisburg, and turned back to the field, which I immediately spotted. I reported my position to tower, was cleared to land, and flew through light snow, landing without incident. I did blunder into IMC, or at least low MVFR, for a short time, without a clearance. Human factors: 1) tired, 2) get homeitis, 3) believed reported WX instead of what I saw out the windscreen. Also, I delayed turning back because the WX shift was so gradual. I should have returned to good VMC and filed IFR, or just returned to roa, but I thought it would stay VMC, and I planned on getting a SVFR clearance if needed.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 COMMERCIAL PLT ENTERS A CTL ZONE WHILE IMC IN VFR FLT WITHOUT CLRNC E OF LWB, WV.

Narrative: WHEN I ARRIVED AT ROA FOR THE 40 NM FLT TO BASE AT LWB, OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, I WAS TIRED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO A QUICK VFR FLT HOME. I WANTED TO AVOID ENTERING CLOUDS BECAUSE OF THE LOW TEMPS AND FEAR OF ICE. THE WX AT ROA WAS GOOD -- ATIS RPTED FEW CLOUDS AT 6000 FT, 12000 FT OVCST VISIBILITY. THE WX TERMINATION TERMINAL WAS DOWN, AND I DID NOT CHK DEST WX. ENRTE, THE CEILING WAS INDISTINCT, AND I STOPPED MY CLB AT 5500 FT MSL (ROA IS ABOUT 12000 FT MSL) TO MAINTAIN VMC. THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD BUT DECREASED AS I PROCEEDED. I CALLED LWB TWR 15 MI OUT AND INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD BE DELAYED BECAUSE THE VISIBILITY SEEMED LOWER TOWARD THE ARPT, AND I PLANNED TO DIVERT TO THE W TO GO AROUND IT. HE SAID, FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT, IT WAS WORSE THAT WAY, SO I ELECTED TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE ARPT. I ASKED FOR LWB SKY CONDITIONS, AND HE RPTED 9000 FT OVCST AND 6 MI VISIBILITY. I NEVER SAW A DISTINCT CLOUD -- RATHER, THE SKY MORE RESEMBLED A HAZY SUMMER DAY IN THAT VISIBILITY TO THE SIDES WAS 6 T0 8 MI, BUT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS POOR. I MAINTAINED GOOD GND CONTACT AT ALL TIMES. I RECOGNIZED LANDMARKS AS I APCHED THE ARPT, BUT WHEN I WAS 2 MI OUT (GPS), I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I OVERFLEW AT 6000 FT, AND TURNED TOWARD BUSHY LOM, DECIDING TO DSND TO 5000 FT BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WOULD ASSURE TERRAIN CLRNC IN THAT AREA. AT 5500 FT, I RECOGNIZED THE CITY OF LEWISBURG, AND TURNED BACK TO THE FIELD, WHICH I IMMEDIATELY SPOTTED. I RPTED MY POS TO TWR, WAS CLRED TO LAND, AND FLEW THROUGH LIGHT SNOW, LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DID BLUNDER INTO IMC, OR AT LEAST LOW MVFR, FOR A SHORT TIME, WITHOUT A CLRNC. HUMAN FACTORS: 1) TIRED, 2) GET HOMEITIS, 3) BELIEVED RPTED WX INSTEAD OF WHAT I SAW OUT THE WINDSCREEN. ALSO, I DELAYED TURNING BACK BECAUSE THE WX SHIFT WAS SO GRADUAL. I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO GOOD VMC AND FILED IFR, OR JUST RETURNED TO ROA, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD STAY VMC, AND I PLANNED ON GETTING A SVFR CLRNC IF NEEDED.

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.