Narrative:

On nov/sun/02, XA00 am, I was preparing to leave ZZZ, va, on a VFR flight plan intending to return to my home base, 3b2, in marshfield, ma. I talked with leesburg FSS and received a thorough standard briefing for my entire route of flight. I was informed that ceilings in the area would range from 4500 ft at the start of my flight to higher than 12500 ft en route. Visibility was reported as greater than 6 mi to unlimited for the entire route of flight. FSS informed me that conditions through XA00 to XB00 were forecasted to be VFR with the lowest ceiling in the providence, ri/marshfield, ma area reported to be 4500 ft and visibility was reported as greater than 6 mi at my destination. FSS also reported significant direct tailwinds averaging 47-51 KTS at 3000 ft and 6000 ft for my entire route of flight. FSS also reported that ceilings were going to drop in the marshfield 3b2 area after XB00 local on nov/sun/02 to 2500 ft and rain. We left ZZZ at XA34 am after a thorough preflight inspection. During my flight I talked with the flight watch on 2 occasions -- once while flying over chester county airport (40N) and then once again while I was in the new york class B airspace for WX advisories. At no time was I given pause for concern of the worsening conditions that I was flying into at a rate of speed that averaged 25% faster than my normal cruising speed. I was cleared into the new york class B at 5500 ft and traveled directly over ewr, manhattan and lga. After exiting the class B, I requested a VFR descent to maintain VFR as the cloud deck was getting denser and denser and the broken layer was quickly closing. ZNY approved a VFR descent. As I began my VFR descent, I noticed that the broken layer was quickly closing. To avoid IMC, I climbed back to approximately 4000 ft or 5000 ft (I do not recall exactly). I informed ATC that I was on a VFR flight plan and was not instrument rated. I flew for another 5 or so mins (averaging 145 KTS) and then saw that what had been a broken layer had now totally closed up. I circled back to find VFR conditions and discovered that the broken layer behind me had now also totally closed up. I was now stuck in an on top situation over IMC. I talked with ATC to get an update for field conditions at any airport closest to my route of flight. I was advised that my best bet would be to head to ZZZ1 which, at the time, reported 1300 ft overcast. ATC suggested descending to 3000 ft and vectored me to ZZZ1. It was also at this time that I left new york radar area and was switched over to providence approach control. I informed providence of my situation and they then vectored me to ZZZ1. I was at this time in solid IMC conditions and under ATC control. I was less than 1 mi from ZZZ1 at 1200 ft and was still in solid IMC conditions. Providence then informed me that ZZZ1 was now at 800 ft overcast. I informed ATC that I was unwilling to land at ZZZ1 with these low ceilings and asked for a better alternative. Providence got in touch with bradley approach and bradley took me from there. I then flew under their control and assistance in IMC conditions from ZZZ1 to bdl. I have had approximately 10 hours of simulated instrument conditions and am presently pursuing my IFR rating. My latest IFR lessons were on oct/xx/02 (1.2 hours of hood time) and nov/xx/02, with .5 hours of hood time and 1.5 hours of IFR ground school. My plane is also IFR equipped with dual VOR/GS/ILS as well as a king KLN89B GPS (cards updated monthly). I informed ATC that I had approximately 10 hours of IFR training and, while I had not done an ILS approach, I had done a GPS approach a couple of times. I also updated him to give him an estimate of my fuel on board (approximately 10 gals usable which was a +1 hour reserve). I did not have my approach plates in my flight bag. Bradley ATC gave me a private frequency to talk with the controller and he very kindly tracked my approach and descent as he stepped me down from 3000 ft to 2500 ft to 1600 ft to 1400 ft while I used the ILS for runway 33 at bdl. I broke through the IMC at approximately 1400 ft and safely landed a couple of mins later in very significant xwinds on runway 24 at bdl. As I reflect back on my situation, I am, first, very thankful that I have had the instrument training that I have had along with an IFR equipped aircraft. The WX was so significantly worse than reported that I honestly do not know what I could have done to avoid IMC conditions as the conditions worsened at an alarming rate. Clearly IMC was not something that I intended or wanted to be in at any time. Diverting to a ny airport was out of the question as long island was totally socked in and the coastal airports in ct were in a similar situation. Conditions at pvd and 3b2 were not much better. The ceilings ended up being similar to ZZZ1 and winds were gusting to 30 KTS. While I truly regret this circumstance I have to also honestly say that I remembered what my cfii has taught me -- I flew the airplane, remained calm and collected and safely landed at bdl. I remained confident and controled as the PIC. It was my sole mission to find the safest and closest airport to get out of IMC conditions. In addition I can also state that I will be stepping up my IFR training so that the next time I inadvertently find myself in a worsening marginal to IMC condition that I will have the appropriate rating for IMC conditions and approachs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INST RATED C172 PLT INADVERTENTLY FLIES INTO IMC.

Narrative: ON NOV/SUN/02, XA00 AM, I WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE ZZZ, VA, ON A VFR FLT PLAN INTENDING TO RETURN TO MY HOME BASE, 3B2, IN MARSHFIELD, MA. I TALKED WITH LEESBURG FSS AND RECEIVED A THOROUGH STANDARD BRIEFING FOR MY ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. I WAS INFORMED THAT CEILINGS IN THE AREA WOULD RANGE FROM 4500 FT AT THE START OF MY FLT TO HIGHER THAN 12500 FT ENRTE. VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AS GREATER THAN 6 MI TO UNLIMITED FOR THE ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. FSS INFORMED ME THAT CONDITIONS THROUGH XA00 TO XB00 WERE FORECASTED TO BE VFR WITH THE LOWEST CEILING IN THE PROVIDENCE, RI/MARSHFIELD, MA AREA RPTED TO BE 4500 FT AND VISIBILITY WAS RPTED AS GREATER THAN 6 MI AT MY DEST. FSS ALSO RPTED SIGNIFICANT DIRECT TAILWINDS AVERAGING 47-51 KTS AT 3000 FT AND 6000 FT FOR MY ENTIRE RTE OF FLT. FSS ALSO RPTED THAT CEILINGS WERE GOING TO DROP IN THE MARSHFIELD 3B2 AREA AFTER XB00 LCL ON NOV/SUN/02 TO 2500 FT AND RAIN. WE LEFT ZZZ AT XA34 AM AFTER A THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION. DURING MY FLT I TALKED WITH THE FLT WATCH ON 2 OCCASIONS -- ONCE WHILE FLYING OVER CHESTER COUNTY ARPT (40N) AND THEN ONCE AGAIN WHILE I WAS IN THE NEW YORK CLASS B AIRSPACE FOR WX ADVISORIES. AT NO TIME WAS I GIVEN PAUSE FOR CONCERN OF THE WORSENING CONDITIONS THAT I WAS FLYING INTO AT A RATE OF SPD THAT AVERAGED 25% FASTER THAN MY NORMAL CRUISING SPD. I WAS CLRED INTO THE NEW YORK CLASS B AT 5500 FT AND TRAVELED DIRECTLY OVER EWR, MANHATTAN AND LGA. AFTER EXITING THE CLASS B, I REQUESTED A VFR DSCNT TO MAINTAIN VFR AS THE CLOUD DECK WAS GETTING DENSER AND DENSER AND THE BROKEN LAYER WAS QUICKLY CLOSING. ZNY APPROVED A VFR DSCNT. AS I BEGAN MY VFR DSCNT, I NOTICED THAT THE BROKEN LAYER WAS QUICKLY CLOSING. TO AVOID IMC, I CLBED BACK TO APPROX 4000 FT OR 5000 FT (I DO NOT RECALL EXACTLY). I INFORMED ATC THAT I WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN AND WAS NOT INST RATED. I FLEW FOR ANOTHER 5 OR SO MINS (AVERAGING 145 KTS) AND THEN SAW THAT WHAT HAD BEEN A BROKEN LAYER HAD NOW TOTALLY CLOSED UP. I CIRCLED BACK TO FIND VFR CONDITIONS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE BROKEN LAYER BEHIND ME HAD NOW ALSO TOTALLY CLOSED UP. I WAS NOW STUCK IN AN ON TOP SIT OVER IMC. I TALKED WITH ATC TO GET AN UPDATE FOR FIELD CONDITIONS AT ANY ARPT CLOSEST TO MY RTE OF FLT. I WAS ADVISED THAT MY BEST BET WOULD BE TO HEAD TO ZZZ1 WHICH, AT THE TIME, RPTED 1300 FT OVCST. ATC SUGGESTED DSNDING TO 3000 FT AND VECTORED ME TO ZZZ1. IT WAS ALSO AT THIS TIME THAT I LEFT NEW YORK RADAR AREA AND WAS SWITCHED OVER TO PROVIDENCE APCH CTL. I INFORMED PROVIDENCE OF MY SIT AND THEY THEN VECTORED ME TO ZZZ1. I WAS AT THIS TIME IN SOLID IMC CONDITIONS AND UNDER ATC CTL. I WAS LESS THAN 1 MI FROM ZZZ1 AT 1200 FT AND WAS STILL IN SOLID IMC CONDITIONS. PROVIDENCE THEN INFORMED ME THAT ZZZ1 WAS NOW AT 800 FT OVCST. I INFORMED ATC THAT I WAS UNWILLING TO LAND AT ZZZ1 WITH THESE LOW CEILINGS AND ASKED FOR A BETTER ALTERNATIVE. PROVIDENCE GOT IN TOUCH WITH BRADLEY APCH AND BRADLEY TOOK ME FROM THERE. I THEN FLEW UNDER THEIR CTL AND ASSISTANCE IN IMC CONDITIONS FROM ZZZ1 TO BDL. I HAVE HAD APPROX 10 HRS OF SIMULATED INST CONDITIONS AND AM PRESENTLY PURSUING MY IFR RATING. MY LATEST IFR LESSONS WERE ON OCT/XX/02 (1.2 HRS OF HOOD TIME) AND NOV/XX/02, WITH .5 HRS OF HOOD TIME AND 1.5 HRS OF IFR GND SCHOOL. MY PLANE IS ALSO IFR EQUIPPED WITH DUAL VOR/GS/ILS AS WELL AS A KING KLN89B GPS (CARDS UPDATED MONTHLY). I INFORMED ATC THAT I HAD APPROX 10 HRS OF IFR TRAINING AND, WHILE I HAD NOT DONE AN ILS APCH, I HAD DONE A GPS APCH A COUPLE OF TIMES. I ALSO UPDATED HIM TO GIVE HIM AN ESTIMATE OF MY FUEL ON BOARD (APPROX 10 GALS USABLE WHICH WAS A +1 HR RESERVE). I DID NOT HAVE MY APCH PLATES IN MY FLT BAG. BRADLEY ATC GAVE ME A PVT FREQ TO TALK WITH THE CTLR AND HE VERY KINDLY TRACKED MY APCH AND DSCNT AS HE STEPPED ME DOWN FROM 3000 FT TO 2500 FT TO 1600 FT TO 1400 FT WHILE I USED THE ILS FOR RWY 33 AT BDL. I BROKE THROUGH THE IMC AT APPROX 1400 FT AND SAFELY LANDED A COUPLE OF MINS LATER IN VERY SIGNIFICANT XWINDS ON RWY 24 AT BDL. AS I REFLECT BACK ON MY SIT, I AM, FIRST, VERY THANKFUL THAT I HAVE HAD THE INST TRAINING THAT I HAVE HAD ALONG WITH AN IFR EQUIPPED ACFT. THE WX WAS SO SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE THAN RPTED THAT I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE TO AVOID IMC CONDITIONS AS THE CONDITIONS WORSENED AT AN ALARMING RATE. CLRLY IMC WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I INTENDED OR WANTED TO BE IN AT ANY TIME. DIVERTING TO A NY ARPT WAS OUT OF THE QUESTION AS LONG ISLAND WAS TOTALLY SOCKED IN AND THE COASTAL ARPTS IN CT WERE IN A SIMILAR SIT. CONDITIONS AT PVD AND 3B2 WERE NOT MUCH BETTER. THE CEILINGS ENDED UP BEING SIMILAR TO ZZZ1 AND WINDS WERE GUSTING TO 30 KTS. WHILE I TRULY REGRET THIS CIRCUMSTANCE I HAVE TO ALSO HONESTLY SAY THAT I REMEMBERED WHAT MY CFII HAS TAUGHT ME -- I FLEW THE AIRPLANE, REMAINED CALM AND COLLECTED AND SAFELY LANDED AT BDL. I REMAINED CONFIDENT AND CTLED AS THE PIC. IT WAS MY SOLE MISSION TO FIND THE SAFEST AND CLOSEST ARPT TO GET OUT OF IMC CONDITIONS. IN ADDITION I CAN ALSO STATE THAT I WILL BE STEPPING UP MY IFR TRAINING SO THAT THE NEXT TIME I INADVERTENTLY FIND MYSELF IN A WORSENING MARGINAL TO IMC CONDITION THAT I WILL HAVE THE APPROPRIATE RATING FOR IMC CONDITIONS AND APCHS.

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.