Narrative:

I am an airline pilot, with much experience. I am IFR rated but my aircraft is equipped with a 'needle and ball' turn and bank indicator, LORAN, and compass -- VFR only. My initial WX briefing began with 'WX in ct is ok, but you won't be able to get there due to rain showers and thunderstorms, and IFR conditions through ohio, indiana and illinois. Here I made my first critical error. I didn't call FSS to update the WX. After the fact, I realized I hadn't heard a single observation or forecast for my destination in the WX briefings. Approaching avp, I made my second critical error. I had been staying low to avoid getting caught over an overcast without IFR equipment in my home-built. A single cell was over avp and it looked like I could climb over the cumulus, and descend into VFR on the other side. At 7500 ft, I was VFR, and proceeded past the cell at avp. I was anxious to find an entry to VFR conditions knowing I'd have to return west of avp if I didn't find a hole. I found a hole and descended to VFR, but was in a valley ringed by cloud bottoms too close to hilltops to continue, so I climbed back up to 4000 ft VFR again, where I committed critical error #3. The prudent thing would have been to return to west of avp. I had the fuel and time remaining before sunset, but I assumed there would be more holes in the WX ahead, and continued east. As I continued, cloud tops disappeared, and were replaced by haze. I tuned swf's ATIS and the reality of this situation I had put myself in finally sank in -- swf was reporting 800 ft overcast and 6 mi. I still had the gas and time to return west of avp, but was intent on getting the aircraft on the ground safely, and soon. I called swf tower and got a frequency for ny approach, asked ny approach if there was any place nearby with VFR conditions. They suggested pou -- it was 1200 ft overcast and 6 mi. I told them I was IFR rated and VFR equipped, and that I was in VFR conditions, but needed to get in VFR conditions below the clouds. They descended me to minimum vectoring altitude, 2300 ft, in the clouds, and offered no gyroscope vectors to pou. Within 5 NM of pou I began descending, and broke out aligned with runway 24 at about 1400 ft. I changed to pou tower and thanked them and asked tower to thank approach and assure the controller I was ok. Pou tower replied 'we were just about to roll the equipment,' 'no problem -- that's what we're here for' and 'we'll tell ny approach.' my home field, 44N, 6 NM east of pou was visible, so I proceeded there to land. As I write this I can't believe I got myself into this situation and safely recovered from it. I very nearly was another 'continued VFR into IFR' fatality. One of my favorite sayings is 'the superior pilot uses his superior judgement to avoid those sits which might require the use of his superior skill.' the closer I got to home, the more I believed I could make it -- a sort of creeping get-homeitis, and poor judgement. In the end, I relied on my 'superior skills' and the controller's superior skills. I hadn't done any 'needle and ball' flying in yrs and wasn't sure I could manage it, but knew I must to save my son and myself. I had considered landing in ohio and taking an airline home. Next time, I will. I will also go get some practice in no gyroscope flying. I also hope this experience will improve my decision-making skills.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EXPERIENCED AIRLINE PLT, FLYING IN A HOME-BUILT WITH HIS SON, BLUNDERED INTO IMC WITH A VFR EQUIPPED AIRPLANE.

Narrative: I AM AN AIRLINE PLT, WITH MUCH EXPERIENCE. I AM IFR RATED BUT MY ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A 'NEEDLE AND BALL' TURN AND BANK INDICATOR, LORAN, AND COMPASS -- VFR ONLY. MY INITIAL WX BRIEFING BEGAN WITH 'WX IN CT IS OK, BUT YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET THERE DUE TO RAIN SHOWERS AND TSTMS, AND IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH OHIO, INDIANA AND ILLINOIS. HERE I MADE MY FIRST CRITICAL ERROR. I DIDN'T CALL FSS TO UPDATE THE WX. AFTER THE FACT, I REALIZED I HADN'T HEARD A SINGLE OBSERVATION OR FORECAST FOR MY DEST IN THE WX BRIEFINGS. APCHING AVP, I MADE MY SECOND CRITICAL ERROR. I HAD BEEN STAYING LOW TO AVOID GETTING CAUGHT OVER AN OVCST WITHOUT IFR EQUIP IN MY HOME-BUILT. A SINGLE CELL WAS OVER AVP AND IT LOOKED LIKE I COULD CLB OVER THE CUMULUS, AND DSND INTO VFR ON THE OTHER SIDE. AT 7500 FT, I WAS VFR, AND PROCEEDED PAST THE CELL AT AVP. I WAS ANXIOUS TO FIND AN ENTRY TO VFR CONDITIONS KNOWING I'D HAVE TO RETURN W OF AVP IF I DIDN'T FIND A HOLE. I FOUND A HOLE AND DSNDED TO VFR, BUT WAS IN A VALLEY RINGED BY CLOUD BOTTOMS TOO CLOSE TO HILLTOPS TO CONTINUE, SO I CLBED BACK UP TO 4000 FT VFR AGAIN, WHERE I COMMITTED CRITICAL ERROR #3. THE PRUDENT THING WOULD HAVE BEEN TO RETURN TO W OF AVP. I HAD THE FUEL AND TIME REMAINING BEFORE SUNSET, BUT I ASSUMED THERE WOULD BE MORE HOLES IN THE WX AHEAD, AND CONTINUED E. AS I CONTINUED, CLOUD TOPS DISAPPEARED, AND WERE REPLACED BY HAZE. I TUNED SWF'S ATIS AND THE REALITY OF THIS SIT I HAD PUT MYSELF IN FINALLY SANK IN -- SWF WAS RPTING 800 FT OVCST AND 6 MI. I STILL HAD THE GAS AND TIME TO RETURN W OF AVP, BUT WAS INTENT ON GETTING THE ACFT ON THE GND SAFELY, AND SOON. I CALLED SWF TWR AND GOT A FREQ FOR NY APCH, ASKED NY APCH IF THERE WAS ANY PLACE NEARBY WITH VFR CONDITIONS. THEY SUGGESTED POU -- IT WAS 1200 FT OVCST AND 6 MI. I TOLD THEM I WAS IFR RATED AND VFR EQUIPPED, AND THAT I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS, BUT NEEDED TO GET IN VFR CONDITIONS BELOW THE CLOUDS. THEY DSNDED ME TO MINIMUM VECTORING ALT, 2300 FT, IN THE CLOUDS, AND OFFERED NO GYROSCOPE VECTORS TO POU. WITHIN 5 NM OF POU I BEGAN DSNDING, AND BROKE OUT ALIGNED WITH RWY 24 AT ABOUT 1400 FT. I CHANGED TO POU TWR AND THANKED THEM AND ASKED TWR TO THANK APCH AND ASSURE THE CTLR I WAS OK. POU TWR REPLIED 'WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO ROLL THE EQUIP,' 'NO PROB -- THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR' AND 'WE'LL TELL NY APCH.' MY HOME FIELD, 44N, 6 NM E OF POU WAS VISIBLE, SO I PROCEEDED THERE TO LAND. AS I WRITE THIS I CAN'T BELIEVE I GOT MYSELF INTO THIS SIT AND SAFELY RECOVERED FROM IT. I VERY NEARLY WAS ANOTHER 'CONTINUED VFR INTO IFR' FATALITY. ONE OF MY FAVORITE SAYINGS IS 'THE SUPERIOR PLT USES HIS SUPERIOR JUDGEMENT TO AVOID THOSE SITS WHICH MIGHT REQUIRE THE USE OF HIS SUPERIOR SKILL.' THE CLOSER I GOT TO HOME, THE MORE I BELIEVED I COULD MAKE IT -- A SORT OF CREEPING GET-HOMEITIS, AND POOR JUDGEMENT. IN THE END, I RELIED ON MY 'SUPERIOR SKILLS' AND THE CTLR'S SUPERIOR SKILLS. I HADN'T DONE ANY 'NEEDLE AND BALL' FLYING IN YRS AND WASN'T SURE I COULD MANAGE IT, BUT KNEW I MUST TO SAVE MY SON AND MYSELF. I HAD CONSIDERED LNDG IN OHIO AND TAKING AN AIRLINE HOME. NEXT TIME, I WILL. I WILL ALSO GO GET SOME PRACTICE IN NO GYROSCOPE FLYING. I ALSO HOPE THIS EXPERIENCE WILL IMPROVE MY DECISION-MAKING SKILLS.

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.