Narrative:

Trip was to pick up friend who was basing plane at ZZZ. On first leg; had problems with transponder and attitude indicator. Did not come up until I was 5 mins into flight. VFR conditions. I could see WX moving in from southwest as I approached. I looked back on base and could see total VFR for at least 25 NM. Landed; picked up passenger; and departed east. As I climbed; I saw WX above and moving in front of me. I did not trust attitude indicator or transponder to file IFR and climb into WX; so I started to turn back. My passenger; who has several thousand hours; was not happy about this and asked me to fly north and try and get around WX. Against my better judgement; I tried this. As a few mi went by; I determined this was the wrong thing to do and informed departure I was returning for a landing. By this time; the WX had moved in behind me. The MVA was 6000 ft MSL and I was at 5000 ft so stay VFR. I picked up the ILS and landed. I am not sure I stayed VFR all the time. I am sure there was terrain 7600 ft MSL around me and I was at 5000 ft MSL. I should have turned back when I first saw there was a problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: pilot stated his passenger was aggressive and even today maintains an attitude about this pilot's prudent turn back behavior. Reporter stated that he has never before this seen the WX deteriorate so rapidly. In a matter of 3-5 mins; the visibility decreased from 10 mi to 1/2 mi and a cloud deck from 5000 ft to 9000 ft covered the area. Reporter has the highest compliments for the 'callback' publication and catalogs the issues for his students to read.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT DEPARTED INTO DETERIORATING WX AND RETURNED TO HIS DEP ARPT WHEN UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR.

Narrative: TRIP WAS TO PICK UP FRIEND WHO WAS BASING PLANE AT ZZZ. ON FIRST LEG; HAD PROBS WITH XPONDER AND ATTITUDE INDICATOR. DID NOT COME UP UNTIL I WAS 5 MINS INTO FLT. VFR CONDITIONS. I COULD SEE WX MOVING IN FROM SW AS I APCHED. I LOOKED BACK ON BASE AND COULD SEE TOTAL VFR FOR AT LEAST 25 NM. LANDED; PICKED UP PAX; AND DEPARTED E. AS I CLBED; I SAW WX ABOVE AND MOVING IN FRONT OF ME. I DID NOT TRUST ATTITUDE INDICATOR OR XPONDER TO FILE IFR AND CLB INTO WX; SO I STARTED TO TURN BACK. MY PAX; WHO HAS SEVERAL THOUSAND HRS; WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THIS AND ASKED ME TO FLY N AND TRY AND GET AROUND WX. AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT; I TRIED THIS. AS A FEW MI WENT BY; I DETERMINED THIS WAS THE WRONG THING TO DO AND INFORMED DEP I WAS RETURNING FOR A LNDG. BY THIS TIME; THE WX HAD MOVED IN BEHIND ME. THE MVA WAS 6000 FT MSL AND I WAS AT 5000 FT SO STAY VFR. I PICKED UP THE ILS AND LANDED. I AM NOT SURE I STAYED VFR ALL THE TIME. I AM SURE THERE WAS TERRAIN 7600 FT MSL AROUND ME AND I WAS AT 5000 FT MSL. I SHOULD HAVE TURNED BACK WHEN I FIRST SAW THERE WAS A PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: PLT STATED HIS PAX WAS AGGRESSIVE AND EVEN TODAY MAINTAINS AN ATTITUDE ABOUT THIS PLT'S PRUDENT TURN BACK BEHAVIOR. RPTR STATED THAT HE HAS NEVER BEFORE THIS SEEN THE WX DETERIORATE SO RAPIDLY. IN A MATTER OF 3-5 MINS; THE VISIBILITY DECREASED FROM 10 MI TO 1/2 MI AND A CLOUD DECK FROM 5000 FT TO 9000 FT COVERED THE AREA. RPTR HAS THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENTS FOR THE 'CALLBACK' PUB AND CATALOGS THE ISSUES FOR HIS STUDENTS TO READ.

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.