Narrative:

We left okeechobee about XA00 that morning. FSS had called for 4-6 mi in haze, clear below 12000 ft with scattered thunderstorms varying in size coming in from the gulf moving sse. We had already circumvented 2 large cells at lakeland and north of orlando when we approached the third one. As we turned to the ene, I dialed in tlh ATIS to see if conditions had changed. ATIS reported clear below 12000 ft with 6 mi in haze. I thought I would be able to go around the cell and be in the clear despite darkening skies in front of me. I kept thinking I would be able to see my way through because of the previous cells and the ATIS report. I was at 6500 ft and the visibility was getting worse and the clouds were closing in fast. I waited too long to react. I saw openings above and tried to climb. I turned off the autoplt and tried to climb, but a PA32 at 6500 ft has no substantial climb rate, so I turned to the left to try and do a 180 degree turn. I was already in IMC and lost control. I had climbed to almost 8300 ft when I turned. The vertical speed indicator showed 2000 FPM. I froze on this instrument because I couldn't comprehend up or down. The 2000 ft mark is 180 degrees out from 0 ft or straight and level. I don't know if I looked at anything else as it happened so quickly. I eased back on the yoke and the indicator started moving back toward 1000 FPM. I continued to pull back until the descent was 200-300 FPM, at which time I engaged the autoplt. I was around 6000-6500 ft and had turned approximately 290 degrees with no visibility. I contacted approach to let them know I was a VFR only pilot in IFR conditions and to please vector me away from cells and towards tlh. They were a tremendous help and I thank god for them every day. With the help from them and the autoplt, I descended to 3000 ft to VFR conditions and landed at tlh. In summary, I realize I chose to believe what I heard (ATIS) instead of what I was actually seeing, even though I was over 30 mi from the airport. I used poor judgement, made bad decisions and failed to take corrective action soon enough. Once I realized my mistake I was so intent on staying clear of the clouds that I committed several more. First mistake: slow to react and not believing what I was seeing. Second mistake: turned autoplt off. Third mistake: tried to climb. Fourth mistake: turning. I would have been better off straight ahead and level. I was trained to do a 180 degree turn back. I'm not sure if the climb caused me to become so disoriented so quick or not. I do know IFR training is in the near future and any plane I should ever own will be equipped with an autoplt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: WE LEFT OKEECHOBEE ABOUT XA00 THAT MORNING. FSS HAD CALLED FOR 4-6 MI IN HAZE, CLR BELOW 12000 FT WITH SCATTERED TSTMS VARYING IN SIZE COMING IN FROM THE GULF MOVING SSE. WE HAD ALREADY CIRCUMVENTED 2 LARGE CELLS AT LAKELAND AND N OF ORLANDO WHEN WE APCHED THE THIRD ONE. AS WE TURNED TO THE ENE, I DIALED IN TLH ATIS TO SEE IF CONDITIONS HAD CHANGED. ATIS RPTED CLR BELOW 12000 FT WITH 6 MI IN HAZE. I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GO AROUND THE CELL AND BE IN THE CLR DESPITE DARKENING SKIES IN FRONT OF ME. I KEPT THINKING I WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE MY WAY THROUGH BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS CELLS AND THE ATIS RPT. I WAS AT 6500 FT AND THE VISIBILITY WAS GETTING WORSE AND THE CLOUDS WERE CLOSING IN FAST. I WAITED TOO LONG TO REACT. I SAW OPENINGS ABOVE AND TRIED TO CLB. I TURNED OFF THE AUTOPLT AND TRIED TO CLB, BUT A PA32 AT 6500 FT HAS NO SUBSTANTIAL CLB RATE, SO I TURNED TO THE L TO TRY AND DO A 180 DEG TURN. I WAS ALREADY IN IMC AND LOST CTL. I HAD CLBED TO ALMOST 8300 FT WHEN I TURNED. THE VERT SPD INDICATOR SHOWED 2000 FPM. I FROZE ON THIS INST BECAUSE I COULDN'T COMPREHEND UP OR DOWN. THE 2000 FT MARK IS 180 DEGS OUT FROM 0 FT OR STRAIGHT AND LEVEL. I DON'T KNOW IF I LOOKED AT ANYTHING ELSE AS IT HAPPENED SO QUICKLY. I EASED BACK ON THE YOKE AND THE INDICATOR STARTED MOVING BACK TOWARD 1000 FPM. I CONTINUED TO PULL BACK UNTIL THE DSCNT WAS 200-300 FPM, AT WHICH TIME I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT. I WAS AROUND 6000-6500 FT AND HAD TURNED APPROX 290 DEGS WITH NO VISIBILITY. I CONTACTED APCH TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS A VFR ONLY PLT IN IFR CONDITIONS AND TO PLEASE VECTOR ME AWAY FROM CELLS AND TOWARDS TLH. THEY WERE A TREMENDOUS HELP AND I THANK GOD FOR THEM EVERY DAY. WITH THE HELP FROM THEM AND THE AUTOPLT, I DSNDED TO 3000 FT TO VFR CONDITIONS AND LANDED AT TLH. IN SUMMARY, I REALIZE I CHOSE TO BELIEVE WHAT I HEARD (ATIS) INSTEAD OF WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY SEEING, EVEN THOUGH I WAS OVER 30 MI FROM THE ARPT. I USED POOR JUDGEMENT, MADE BAD DECISIONS AND FAILED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION SOON ENOUGH. ONCE I REALIZED MY MISTAKE I WAS SO INTENT ON STAYING CLR OF THE CLOUDS THAT I COMMITTED SEVERAL MORE. FIRST MISTAKE: SLOW TO REACT AND NOT BELIEVING WHAT I WAS SEEING. SECOND MISTAKE: TURNED AUTOPLT OFF. THIRD MISTAKE: TRIED TO CLB. FOURTH MISTAKE: TURNING. I WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER OFF STRAIGHT AHEAD AND LEVEL. I WAS TRAINED TO DO A 180 DEG TURN BACK. I'M NOT SURE IF THE CLB CAUSED ME TO BECOME SO DISORIENTED SO QUICK OR NOT. I DO KNOW IFR TRAINING IS IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND ANY PLANE I SHOULD EVER OWN WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOPLT.

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.