Narrative:

VFR flight from N14 (lumberton, nj) to ZZZ. Received WX brief from AFSS and doublechked with computer at N14. WX reported 10 mi in haze along route, skc. Tried to transition nyc class B airspace. They couldn't handle me. Climbed to 7500 ft to overfly, and 7500 ft was above haze. Past lga, 050 degrees, approximately 18 NM, the haze thickened and I suddenly was in IMC. Postflt, passenger reported she could see us approaching cloud. Evidently my sunglasses reduced contrast so I couldn't tell the difference between haze and clouds -- she wasn't wearing any. This became obvious post-incident when I switched to regular glasses. According to GPS and LORAN, I was at the lateral limit of class B airspace. I knew there was VFR below because I was listening to approach. Rather than do a 180 degree turn, I reduced power, kept the wings level and descended. Ground contact was regained approximately 6500 ft. I continued down to 5500 ft and completed the flight without further difficulty. Looking back, I should have perhaps declared an emergency but getting that sorted out with approach would have taken more time than the approximately 1 min it took to get down from the cloud. A 180 degree turn would have had me going in the wrong direction for that altitude. I'm certainly going to frequently check differences in visibility between different glasses. I had been checking ATIS/AWOS WX along the route and had checked with flight watch. I had gotten no reports of clouds at that altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C177 PLT, DURING VFR FLT, ENTERS IMC.

Narrative: VFR FLT FROM N14 (LUMBERTON, NJ) TO ZZZ. RECEIVED WX BRIEF FROM AFSS AND DOUBLECHKED WITH COMPUTER AT N14. WX RPTED 10 MI IN HAZE ALONG RTE, SKC. TRIED TO TRANSITION NYC CLASS B AIRSPACE. THEY COULDN'T HANDLE ME. CLBED TO 7500 FT TO OVERFLY, AND 7500 FT WAS ABOVE HAZE. PAST LGA, 050 DEGS, APPROX 18 NM, THE HAZE THICKENED AND I SUDDENLY WAS IN IMC. POSTFLT, PAX RPTED SHE COULD SEE US APCHING CLOUD. EVIDENTLY MY SUNGLASSES REDUCED CONTRAST SO I COULDN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE BTWN HAZE AND CLOUDS -- SHE WASN'T WEARING ANY. THIS BECAME OBVIOUS POST-INCIDENT WHEN I SWITCHED TO REGULAR GLASSES. ACCORDING TO GPS AND LORAN, I WAS AT THE LATERAL LIMIT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. I KNEW THERE WAS VFR BELOW BECAUSE I WAS LISTENING TO APCH. RATHER THAN DO A 180 DEG TURN, I REDUCED PWR, KEPT THE WINGS LEVEL AND DSNDED. GND CONTACT WAS REGAINED APPROX 6500 FT. I CONTINUED DOWN TO 5500 FT AND COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTY. LOOKING BACK, I SHOULD HAVE PERHAPS DECLARED AN EMER BUT GETTING THAT SORTED OUT WITH APCH WOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME THAN THE APPROX 1 MIN IT TOOK TO GET DOWN FROM THE CLOUD. A 180 DEG TURN WOULD HAVE HAD ME GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION FOR THAT ALT. I'M CERTAINLY GOING TO FREQUENTLY CHK DIFFERENCES IN VISIBILITY BTWN DIFFERENT GLASSES. I HAD BEEN CHKING ATIS/AWOS WX ALONG THE RTE AND HAD CHKED WITH FLT WATCH. I HAD GOTTEN NO RPTS OF CLOUDS AT THAT 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.