Narrative:

XA59Z obtained ekm AWOS by phone. Clear below 12000 ft and 6 mi visibility. XB05Z contacted terre haute FSS. 500-700 ft ceilings in the destination area; forecast to improve later with a cold front moving to the south away from the destination. XD05Z departed ekm. Initial cruise altitude 4500 ft. Unable to contact sbn approach for flight following. Controller advised stand by. Contacted gus approach for flight following. Radar contact established. 30 mi north of fkr descended to 2500 ft. 20 mi north of fkr descended to 2000 ft. 10 mi north of fkr; gus advised radar contact lost. Fkr ceiling 500 ft and 1.75 mi visibility. Fkr in sight 6 mi north of fkr. XE05Z announced on CTAF entering left downwind runway 9 at fkr. Altitude 1600 ft and visibility over 3 mi and clear of clouds. XK10Z landed fkr. XE10Z departed fkr ceiling 900 ft and 2 mi visibility reported. Initial climb to 2000 ft and still clear of clouds. XL15Z arrived at ekm. Pilot's inaccurate understanding of flight into MVFR and then IFR at uncontrolled airport. Pilot has been inactive for over 20 yrs and recently actively flying again. Pilot had experienced cfii on board. Cfii was not instrument current and offered no assistance nor admonishing. Pilot failed to exercise independent decision making and instead relied on cfii's inaction as approval. Pilot understands the gravity of the decision and that reliance on another is not a substitute for exercising independent decision making. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that visibility remained at about 6 mi until very near to the airport and was not a problem. The problem became the lowering ceiling as the flight progressed. The cfii with him was not current and was much younger so his silence may have been intimidation by the reporter's age and the fact he didn't feel qualified to comment. But to this day the cfii has not commented on the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT ENTERED FKR IMC WHILE UNDER VFR. WX BRIEF FORECAST VFR BUT WHEN IMC ENCOUNTERED; PLT CONTINUED FLT WITH CFII ON BOARD.

Narrative: XA59Z OBTAINED EKM AWOS BY PHONE. CLR BELOW 12000 FT AND 6 MI VISIBILITY. XB05Z CONTACTED TERRE HAUTE FSS. 500-700 FT CEILINGS IN THE DEST AREA; FORECAST TO IMPROVE LATER WITH A COLD FRONT MOVING TO THE S AWAY FROM THE DEST. XD05Z DEPARTED EKM. INITIAL CRUISE ALT 4500 FT. UNABLE TO CONTACT SBN APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING. CTLR ADVISED STAND BY. CONTACTED GUS APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING. RADAR CONTACT ESTABLISHED. 30 MI N OF FKR DSNDED TO 2500 FT. 20 MI N OF FKR DSNDED TO 2000 FT. 10 MI N OF FKR; GUS ADVISED RADAR CONTACT LOST. FKR CEILING 500 FT AND 1.75 MI VISIBILITY. FKR IN SIGHT 6 MI N OF FKR. XE05Z ANNOUNCED ON CTAF ENTERING L DOWNWIND RWY 9 AT FKR. ALT 1600 FT AND VISIBILITY OVER 3 MI AND CLR OF CLOUDS. XK10Z LANDED FKR. XE10Z DEPARTED FKR CEILING 900 FT AND 2 MI VISIBILITY RPTED. INITIAL CLB TO 2000 FT AND STILL CLR OF CLOUDS. XL15Z ARRIVED AT EKM. PLT'S INACCURATE UNDERSTANDING OF FLT INTO MVFR AND THEN IFR AT UNCTLED ARPT. PLT HAS BEEN INACTIVE FOR OVER 20 YRS AND RECENTLY ACTIVELY FLYING AGAIN. PLT HAD EXPERIENCED CFII ON BOARD. CFII WAS NOT INST CURRENT AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE NOR ADMONISHING. PLT FAILED TO EXERCISE INDEPENDENT DECISION MAKING AND INSTEAD RELIED ON CFII'S INACTION AS APPROVAL. PLT UNDERSTANDS THE GRAVITY OF THE DECISION AND THAT RELIANCE ON ANOTHER IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR EXERCISING INDEPENDENT DECISION MAKING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT VISIBILITY REMAINED AT ABOUT 6 MI UNTIL VERY NEAR TO THE ARPT AND WAS NOT A PROB. THE PROB BECAME THE LOWERING CEILING AS THE FLT PROGRESSED. THE CFII WITH HIM WAS NOT CURRENT AND WAS MUCH YOUNGER SO HIS SILENCE MAY HAVE BEEN INTIMIDATION BY THE RPTR'S AGE AND THE FACT HE DIDN'T FEEL QUALIFIED TO COMMENT. BUT TO THIS DAY THE CFII HAS NOT COMMENTED ON THE FLT.

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.