Narrative:

At approximately XA30, I and my passenger arrived at the aircraft (cessna) to return home. I performed a normal preflight walkaround inspection. After my inspection was complete, I called up macon FSS to get a standard WX briefing with my cell phone. Conditions on my flight path were marginal, but manageable to complete the trip home. My starting point was ahn, GA, and our destination was lzu. The ceiling at both airports was reporting above 3000 ft. The flight to gwinnett county airport ensued with no incident or change in reported WX conditions. Upon arriving at gwinnett county airport, I dropped my passenger off and topped off the fuel to ensure that I had enough fuel to return home. The time was approximately XA15. During the WX briefing at XA30, the briefer stated the ceilings at mcn were reported at 2100 ft. I decided to fly at an altitude of 2500 ft for the trip back to maintain VFR en route to mcn. As I was flying, the ceilings started to drop lower than 2100 ft as was expected from the briefing. As I was adjusting my altitude to maintain VFR, I noticed an airport that was not on my route of flight. Coming to the realization that I was off course, I immediately tried to triangulate my position using the 2 VOR instruments. I tried using different frequencys and neither instrument was receiving a signal from atl, ahn, or mcn VOR stations. My altitude at this time was 1500 ft and I was below the controling center's radar. At this time, I did not know where I was or which way to turn to find out where I could go. I decided at that time to climb up to an altitude where ATC can read me on radar to tell me where I was. I notified them of my intentions, and within the conversation, I told the controller that I was not instrument rated. I was given a squawk code and climbed to 4000 ft in IMC. Once I was spotted on radar, I was asked if I wanted to turn around or continue on to my destination. I replied that I would like to continue to my destination. At that time, I ws told I was being reported to FSS, and was also told that the controller will do his best to help me. At all times, the controller(south) were professional and courteous during this ordeal. The controller was trying to get a handoff to approach control, but was unsuccessful due to myself not being instrument rated. The controller then informed me that I had to turn to an airport that had VFR conditions. I was given a choice of gwinnett county or athens -- I chose athens. I made the turn toward athens, stayed in contact with my controller, landed safely in VFR conditions, and informed the controller I was safe on the ground and was really grateful for his help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DETERIORATING WX PUTS A 75 HR NON INST RATED PVT PLT IN CONDITIONS THAT PROMPT HIM TO REQUEST HELP FROM ATC AND CLB INTO IMC.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA30, I AND MY PAX ARRIVED AT THE ACFT (CESSNA) TO RETURN HOME. I PERFORMED A NORMAL PREFLT WALKAROUND INSPECTION. AFTER MY INSPECTION WAS COMPLETE, I CALLED UP MACON FSS TO GET A STANDARD WX BRIEFING WITH MY CELL PHONE. CONDITIONS ON MY FLT PATH WERE MARGINAL, BUT MANAGEABLE TO COMPLETE THE TRIP HOME. MY STARTING POINT WAS AHN, GA, AND OUR DEST WAS LZU. THE CEILING AT BOTH ARPTS WAS RPTING ABOVE 3000 FT. THE FLT TO GWINNETT COUNTY ARPT ENSUED WITH NO INCIDENT OR CHANGE IN RPTED WX CONDITIONS. UPON ARRIVING AT GWINNETT COUNTY ARPT, I DROPPED MY PAX OFF AND TOPPED OFF THE FUEL TO ENSURE THAT I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO RETURN HOME. THE TIME WAS APPROX XA15. DURING THE WX BRIEFING AT XA30, THE BRIEFER STATED THE CEILINGS AT MCN WERE RPTED AT 2100 FT. I DECIDED TO FLY AT AN ALT OF 2500 FT FOR THE TRIP BACK TO MAINTAIN VFR ENRTE TO MCN. AS I WAS FLYING, THE CEILINGS STARTED TO DROP LOWER THAN 2100 FT AS WAS EXPECTED FROM THE BRIEFING. AS I WAS ADJUSTING MY ALT TO MAINTAIN VFR, I NOTICED AN ARPT THAT WAS NOT ON MY RTE OF FLT. COMING TO THE REALIZATION THAT I WAS OFF COURSE, I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO TRIANGULATE MY POS USING THE 2 VOR INSTS. I TRIED USING DIFFERENT FREQS AND NEITHER INST WAS RECEIVING A SIGNAL FROM ATL, AHN, OR MCN VOR STATIONS. MY ALT AT THIS TIME WAS 1500 FT AND I WAS BELOW THE CTLING CTR'S RADAR. AT THIS TIME, I DID NOT KNOW WHERE I WAS OR WHICH WAY TO TURN TO FIND OUT WHERE I COULD GO. I DECIDED AT THAT TIME TO CLB UP TO AN ALT WHERE ATC CAN READ ME ON RADAR TO TELL ME WHERE I WAS. I NOTIFIED THEM OF MY INTENTIONS, AND WITHIN THE CONVERSATION, I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS NOT INST RATED. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND CLBED TO 4000 FT IN IMC. ONCE I WAS SPOTTED ON RADAR, I WAS ASKED IF I WANTED TO TURN AROUND OR CONTINUE ON TO MY DEST. I REPLIED THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE TO MY DEST. AT THAT TIME, I WS TOLD I WAS BEING RPTED TO FSS, AND WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE CTLR WILL DO HIS BEST TO HELP ME. AT ALL TIMES, THE CTLR(S) WERE PROFESSIONAL AND COURTEOUS DURING THIS ORDEAL. THE CTLR WAS TRYING TO GET A HDOF TO APCH CTL, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL DUE TO MYSELF NOT BEING INST RATED. THE CTLR THEN INFORMED ME THAT I HAD TO TURN TO AN ARPT THAT HAD VFR CONDITIONS. I WAS GIVEN A CHOICE OF GWINNETT COUNTY OR ATHENS -- I CHOSE ATHENS. I MADE THE TURN TOWARD ATHENS, STAYED IN CONTACT WITH MY CTLR, LANDED SAFELY IN VFR CONDITIONS, AND INFORMED THE CTLR I WAS SAFE ON THE GND AND WAS REALLY GRATEFUL FOR HIS HELP.

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.