Narrative:

I flew from ZZZ3 airport this morning to ZZZ4; after I contacted the local FSS for current and forecasted WX for the flight. The trip to ZZZ4 this morning went well with great WX as predicted. I returned to the ZZZ4 airport about XA00 for the return flight to ZZZ3 and found the airport heavy overcast with light drizzle. I didn't feel comfortable with the departure and called the FSS to check WX and the forecast for local and back to ZZZ3. I was informed the report for ZZZ4 was broken 3500 ft with 10 mi visibility. I waited at the airport until XC15 pm when the local WX finally started to break up. I again called FSS and was told the WX was breaking up locally and reported scattered clouds along the route with ZZZ3 broken clouds at 5500 ft. I felt comfortable I could get above the clouds to get through the pass and then drop down and fly back the opposite route I took in the morning and bypass all of the controled airspace until I came back near ZZZ3 class D airspace. The clouds remained heavy longer than I expected and I saw a commercial plane come up to the east and realized I was further south than I thought. I checked my charts and turned east believing I was still north of city and a long ways north of the class B airspace. After the cloud cover finally broke I realized I was heading straight for ZZZ5 airport and then contacted approach. After flying east with the help of these people I was told to contact the approach supervisor; by phone; due to encroaching on the class B airspace. I needed their help to continue east then south to get back to ZZZ3 with the cloud cover so thick I couldn't see the ground until I was directly over the airport at 7000 ft. They passed me off to approach to help me get down through the broken clouds. I passed the cloud layer staying out of the clouds around 5500 ft and then contacted ZZZ3 tower for the final approach and landing. I have been considering the purchase of an aviation GPS unit for instances like this. I believe I should have contacted approach long before I did since I was guessing the exact location and flying toward the class B. The tail winds must have been much faster than anticipated and the clouds were not anything as forecast by the FSS. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said the FAA person responding to his post flight phone call simply requested that in the future he be more aware of his aircraft's position. The person he spoke with stated that four other pilots had the same deviation as he. Therefore he continues to assume that the wind was the primary cause of his flying off course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR PA28 PLT ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE ABOVE AN OVERCAST BECAUSE HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HIS POS VISUALLY.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM ZZZ3 ARPT THIS MORNING TO ZZZ4; AFTER I CONTACTED THE LOCAL FSS FOR CURRENT AND FORECASTED WX FOR THE FLT. THE TRIP TO ZZZ4 THIS MORNING WENT WELL WITH GREAT WX AS PREDICTED. I RETURNED TO THE ZZZ4 ARPT ABOUT XA00 FOR THE RETURN FLT TO ZZZ3 AND FOUND THE ARPT HEAVY OVERCAST WITH LIGHT DRIZZLE. I DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE DEP AND CALLED THE FSS TO CHECK WX AND THE FORECAST FOR LOCAL AND BACK TO ZZZ3. I WAS INFORMED THE RPT FOR ZZZ4 WAS BROKEN 3500 FT WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY. I WAITED AT THE ARPT UNTIL XC15 PM WHEN THE LOCAL WX FINALLY STARTED TO BREAK UP. I AGAIN CALLED FSS AND WAS TOLD THE WX WAS BREAKING UP LOCALLY AND RPTED SCATTERED CLOUDS ALONG THE ROUTE WITH ZZZ3 BROKEN CLOUDS AT 5500 FT. I FELT COMFORTABLE I COULD GET ABOVE THE CLOUDS TO GET THROUGH THE PASS AND THEN DROP DOWN AND FLY BACK THE OPPOSITE RTE I TOOK IN THE MORNING AND BYPASS ALL OF THE CTLED AIRSPACE UNTIL I CAME BACK NEAR ZZZ3 CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE CLOUDS REMAINED HEAVY LONGER THAN I EXPECTED AND I SAW A COMMERCIAL PLANE COME UP TO THE E AND REALIZED I WAS FURTHER S THAN I THOUGHT. I CHECKED MY CHARTS AND TURNED E BELIEVING I WAS STILL N OF CITY AND A LONG WAYS N OF THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER THE CLOUD COVER FINALLY BROKE I REALIZED I WAS HEADING STRAIGHT FOR ZZZ5 AIRPORT AND THEN CONTACTED APCH. AFTER FLYING E WITH THE HELP OF THESE PEOPLE I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE APCH SUPVR; BY PHONE; DUE TO ENCROACHING ON THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I NEEDED THEIR HELP TO CONTINUE E THEN S TO GET BACK TO ZZZ3 WITH THE CLOUD COVER SO THICK I COULDN'T SEE THE GND UNTIL I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT AT 7000 FT. THEY PASSED ME OFF TO APCH TO HELP ME GET DOWN THROUGH THE BROKEN CLOUDS. I PASSED THE CLOUD LAYER STAYING OUT OF THE CLOUDS AROUND 5500 FT AND THEN CONTACTED ZZZ3 TWR FOR THE FINAL APCH AND LNDG. I HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING THE PURCHASE OF AN AVIATION GPS UNIT FOR INSTANCES LIKE THIS. I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED APCH LONG BEFORE I DID SINCE I WAS GUESSING THE EXACT LOCATION AND FLYING TOWARD THE CLASS B. THE TAIL WINDS MUST HAVE BEEN MUCH FASTER THAN ANTICIPATED AND THE CLOUDS WERE NOT ANYTHING AS FORECAST BY THE FSS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THE FAA PERSON RESPONDING TO HIS POST FLT PHONE CALL SIMPLY REQUESTED THAT IN THE FUTURE HE BE MORE AWARE OF HIS ACFT'S POS. THE PERSON HE SPOKE WITH STATED THAT FOUR OTHER PLTS HAD THE SAME DEVIATION AS HE. THEREFORE HE CONTINUES TO ASSUME THAT THE WIND WAS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF HIS FLYING OFF COURSE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.