Narrative:

I am a private pilot and am currently in IFR training. The flight was a VFR training flight without passenger. Took off from san carlos airport (sql) and stayed in the pattern there for 3 touch-and-goes. The ATIS at sql indicated VFR conditions at the time. Departed sql for lvk for more pattern work. Arrived at lvk, landed to a full stop and tied down at transient parking to use the facilities. Took off and did 4-5 touch-and-goes. Departed for sql for more pattern work. After leaving the lvk class D airspace, tuned to sql ATIS. The ATIS at sql indicated VFR conditions. At that time I was at 3000 ft over sunol golf course and began my descent into sql with the intention of contacting sql tower at coyote hills. ATIS had reported 7 mi visibility and over 3000 ft scattered. I could faintly see coyote hills from sunol and concluded that it was over 7 mi. I, therefore, also concluded that the reported ceiling was accurate. Apparently, the ceiling had deteriorated since the last ATIS update which was about 25 mins old. I proceeded with my descent to coyote hills. When I was over fremont, at 1300 ft and about 5 mi from coyote hills, the visibility deteriorated. Coyote hills became fainter. I made a decision to turn around and go back to livermore. Since I had descended over hills to fremont, I felt that I needed to do a 180 degree climb out to the left. That was my mistake. I should have made a level 180 degree turn to keep my visual ground references, and climbed over the terrain as I neared it. During that climb out, I went into the clouds at about 1600 ft. I became disoriented with respect to geography, topography, and location. My orientation with respect to the aircraft attitude and altitude was fine -- based solely on instruments. I knew that there were 4200 ft peaks in the vicinity, so I climbed to 6000 ft. Having never flown in the clouds, I became concerned to the point where I was totally fixed on the instruments to keep a safe attitude and altitude, so I did not think of other strategies to descend below the ceiling. I climbed eventually to 8500 ft and circled, and had still not reached the cloud tops. I then became concerned about the C152's capabilities at higher altitudes, so I squawked 7700 and made a 'mayday' call on 121.5. Eventually, stockton control contacted me and gave me radar vectors to a visual level, about 5500 ft, near tracy. I landed at tracy and called TRACON, as directed by the stockton ATC, and let them know that I was down safely. After the fact, I thought that the best escape strategy would have been to use the modesto or stockton VOR as a reference, flown 'to' it, circled and descended to a visual altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR PLT ENTERS IFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: I AM A PVT PLT AND AM CURRENTLY IN IFR TRAINING. THE FLT WAS A VFR TRAINING FLT WITHOUT PAX. TOOK OFF FROM SAN CARLOS ARPT (SQL) AND STAYED IN THE PATTERN THERE FOR 3 TOUCH-AND-GOES. THE ATIS AT SQL INDICATED VFR CONDITIONS AT THE TIME. DEPARTED SQL FOR LVK FOR MORE PATTERN WORK. ARRIVED AT LVK, LANDED TO A FULL STOP AND TIED DOWN AT TRANSIENT PARKING TO USE THE FACILITIES. TOOK OFF AND DID 4-5 TOUCH-AND-GOES. DEPARTED FOR SQL FOR MORE PATTERN WORK. AFTER LEAVING THE LVK CLASS D AIRSPACE, TUNED TO SQL ATIS. THE ATIS AT SQL INDICATED VFR CONDITIONS. AT THAT TIME I WAS AT 3000 FT OVER SUNOL GOLF COURSE AND BEGAN MY DSCNT INTO SQL WITH THE INTENTION OF CONTACTING SQL TWR AT COYOTE HILLS. ATIS HAD RPTED 7 MI VISIBILITY AND OVER 3000 FT SCATTERED. I COULD FAINTLY SEE COYOTE HILLS FROM SUNOL AND CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS OVER 7 MI. I, THEREFORE, ALSO CONCLUDED THAT THE RPTED CEILING WAS ACCURATE. APPARENTLY, THE CEILING HAD DETERIORATED SINCE THE LAST ATIS UPDATE WHICH WAS ABOUT 25 MINS OLD. I PROCEEDED WITH MY DSCNT TO COYOTE HILLS. WHEN I WAS OVER FREMONT, AT 1300 FT AND ABOUT 5 MI FROM COYOTE HILLS, THE VISIBILITY DETERIORATED. COYOTE HILLS BECAME FAINTER. I MADE A DECISION TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK TO LIVERMORE. SINCE I HAD DSNDED OVER HILLS TO FREMONT, I FELT THAT I NEEDED TO DO A 180 DEG CLBOUT TO THE L. THAT WAS MY MISTAKE. I SHOULD HAVE MADE A LEVEL 180 DEG TURN TO KEEP MY VISUAL GND REFS, AND CLBED OVER THE TERRAIN AS I NEARED IT. DURING THAT CLBOUT, I WENT INTO THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1600 FT. I BECAME DISORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO GEOGRAPHY, TOPOGRAPHY, AND LOCATION. MY ORIENTATION WITH RESPECT TO THE ACFT ATTITUDE AND ALT WAS FINE -- BASED SOLELY ON INSTS. I KNEW THAT THERE WERE 4200 FT PEAKS IN THE VICINITY, SO I CLBED TO 6000 FT. HAVING NEVER FLOWN IN THE CLOUDS, I BECAME CONCERNED TO THE POINT WHERE I WAS TOTALLY FIXED ON THE INSTS TO KEEP A SAFE ATTITUDE AND ALT, SO I DID NOT THINK OF OTHER STRATEGIES TO DSND BELOW THE CEILING. I CLBED EVENTUALLY TO 8500 FT AND CIRCLED, AND HAD STILL NOT REACHED THE CLOUD TOPS. I THEN BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE C152'S CAPABILITIES AT HIGHER ALTS, SO I SQUAWKED 7700 AND MADE A 'MAYDAY' CALL ON 121.5. EVENTUALLY, STOCKTON CTL CONTACTED ME AND GAVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO A VISUAL LEVEL, ABOUT 5500 FT, NEAR TRACY. I LANDED AT TRACY AND CALLED TRACON, AS DIRECTED BY THE STOCKTON ATC, AND LET THEM KNOW THAT I WAS DOWN SAFELY. AFTER THE FACT, I THOUGHT THAT THE BEST ESCAPE STRATEGY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO USE THE MODESTO OR STOCKTON VOR AS A REF, FLOWN 'TO' IT, CIRCLED AND DSNDED TO A VISUAL ALT.

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.