Narrative:

I had just completed my instrument check ride the previous day. The WX was marginal VFR, and the light was waning, so I opted to spend the night in a hotel rather than test my new skills at night. The next day was 600 ft overcast with tops more than 9000 ft, but my destination was predicted to have VFR conditions at my time of arrival. Freezing levels were above 9000 ft, so I felt like the trip could be handled with my skill level -- I had spent several hours in 'actual' during my training. My departure clearance was to climb 7000 ft, proceed to leb via V141 when able, and then direct basuu. I was able to quickly locate leb on my chart, but not basuu -- I assumed I would have plenty of time to figure out the remainder of the route once in flight. How wrong I was. Once I was in the clouds, I found the task of aviating the non-autoplt equipped plane consuming all of my attention. Every time I glanced down at the chart, the airplane would divert 20 degrees. I joined V141 and made several attempts to locate basuu on the chart. Finally, I found myself over leb and not sure where to turn. Center queried me as to if I was cleared over leb, and requested vectors to basuu. Center gave me a heading and a radial from leb. Essentially at this point, I had lost situational awareness. I had an idea of where I was, but was not sure where I was going. I turned to the heading center provided, and proceeded towards basuu until I was handed over to manchester approach. Clearly, I attempted a mission that was beyond my skill level. I made several mistakes, including not verifying the route before departure, and not getting help right away when I was unsure of my route. The route, and required actions seem simple in retrospect, but I found the workload maintaining course and altitude all consuming while flying in the clouds. I won't attempt the same again without getting further training and experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AA5 BRAND NEW INST PLT HAD A TRACK DEV AFTER ATTEMPTING FLT IN IFR CONDITIONS IN ZBW CLASS E.

Narrative: I HAD JUST COMPLETED MY INST CHK RIDE THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE WX WAS MARGINAL VFR, AND THE LIGHT WAS WANING, SO I OPTED TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN A HOTEL RATHER THAN TEST MY NEW SKILLS AT NIGHT. THE NEXT DAY WAS 600 FT OVCST WITH TOPS MORE THAN 9000 FT, BUT MY DEST WAS PREDICTED TO HAVE VFR CONDITIONS AT MY TIME OF ARR. FREEZING LEVELS WERE ABOVE 9000 FT, SO I FELT LIKE THE TRIP COULD BE HANDLED WITH MY SKILL LEVEL -- I HAD SPENT SEVERAL HRS IN 'ACTUAL' DURING MY TRAINING. MY DEP CLRNC WAS TO CLB 7000 FT, PROCEED TO LEB VIA V141 WHEN ABLE, AND THEN DIRECT BASUU. I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY LOCATE LEB ON MY CHART, BUT NOT BASUU -- I ASSUMED I WOULD HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO FIGURE OUT THE REMAINDER OF THE RTE ONCE IN FLT. HOW WRONG I WAS. ONCE I WAS IN THE CLOUDS, I FOUND THE TASK OF AVIATING THE NON-AUTOPLT EQUIPPED PLANE CONSUMING ALL OF MY ATTN. EVERY TIME I GLANCED DOWN AT THE CHART, THE AIRPLANE WOULD DIVERT 20 DEGS. I JOINED V141 AND MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO LOCATE BASUU ON THE CHART. FINALLY, I FOUND MYSELF OVER LEB AND NOT SURE WHERE TO TURN. CTR QUERIED ME AS TO IF I WAS CLRED OVER LEB, AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO BASUU. CTR GAVE ME A HEADING AND A RADIAL FROM LEB. ESSENTIALLY AT THIS POINT, I HAD LOST SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. I HAD AN IDEA OF WHERE I WAS, BUT WAS NOT SURE WHERE I WAS GOING. I TURNED TO THE HEADING CTR PROVIDED, AND PROCEEDED TOWARDS BASUU UNTIL I WAS HANDED OVER TO MANCHESTER APCH. CLRLY, I ATTEMPTED A MISSION THAT WAS BEYOND MY SKILL LEVEL. I MADE SEVERAL MISTAKES, INCLUDING NOT VERIFYING THE RTE BEFORE DEP, AND NOT GETTING HELP RIGHT AWAY WHEN I WAS UNSURE OF MY RTE. THE RTE, AND REQUIRED ACTIONS SEEM SIMPLE IN RETROSPECT, BUT I FOUND THE WORKLOAD MAINTAINING COURSE AND ALT ALL CONSUMING WHILE FLYING IN THE CLOUDS. I WON'T ATTEMPT THE SAME AGAIN WITHOUT GETTING FURTHER TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE.

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.