Narrative:

Flying from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2; WX was mixed with scattered to broken clouds at about 3000 ft MSL and clear below as a WX system was leaving the area. Freezing level was forecast near 5000 ft MSL. Normal IFR route is climb to 6000 ft and fly down V25 along the spine of the coastal mountains which were clouded over. Given the orographic lift and freezing level; I had concerns about icing and didn't want to try to 'out climb' it with a normally aspirated engine. From the airport I could see down the valley along the direct route toward ZZZ2 and the bottoms of the clouds were well illuminated by the city lights. I departed VFR and proceeded southwest at about 2500 ft until approaching the hills at the reservoir. At that point; I could see the lights a city below the clouds and above the hills; although I needed to climb a bit to retain ground clearance -- especially with the dark hills more difficult to discern. As I proceeded toward the clearly visible lights; they quickly vanished and I realized through a combination of unconscious pulling on the stick and a falling ceiling I'd entered the bases of the clouds. I immediately executed a 180 degree right turn but in the turn realized 4 scary things: 1) I hadn't checked my heading before starting the turn and was flustered enough not to be sure where I should roll out. 2) I had climbed a bit more in the turn and so might not pop into VMC at the point I left it. 3) there was a big hill to my right that I thought I had altitude to clear but wasn't positive. 4) I didn't really know what my turn radius would be. To regain situational awareness; I looked at my 430's moving map but the image was confusing and it took several seconds to decide to point the airplane at the depiction of ZZZ3. The confusion resulted from the fact that my 430 is configured for 'desire track up' which works very well in most IFR operations. I had never tried to use the 430 to navigation 'backwards;' however; and I was momentarily confused by seeing the airplane icon flying toward the bottom of the screen. This presentation also severely limited the amount of map information 'in front' of me since the present position is drawn about 80% of the way down the screen. Once I regained situational awareness; I realized I was in a tight hole between hills; clouds; and class C airspace. I tried to contact approach for a pop-up IFR clearance but got no response on one frequency and told to contact the first frequency when I called a second frequency. I finally elected to proceed down the valley toward ZZZ3 to get away from the class C airspace since approach wouldn't respond and go around the bottom of the mountains. As soon as I started moving southeast; though I saw clear sky above me and climbed through a hole on top of what turned out to be a very thin layer at which point the flight continued uneventfully. In hindsight; the improperly planned and executed 180 degree turn in the clouds was probably the highest risk element of the flight. Had I filed IFR; the chances are high there wouldn't have been any ice; and if there were; I could turn left or right to reach lower terrain and descend. Once encountering IMC; had I climbed even a few hundred ft or proceeded straight ahead for a few mi; I would have re-entered VMC with no terrain hazard. It makes me wonder if the unconditional 'turn around if you enter IMC' advice so often given to VFR pilots is actually safest. As is almost always the case; thinking for a few seconds and making a plan 'before' executing it would go a long way. Giving consideration to climbing to reach VMC; especially when stratus is involved would be prudent. In this case; and I would expect nearly always; there are other factors pushing a pilot toward the edge of a VFR into IMC situation and those factors may well be more dangerous than the clouds themselves. Obviously; I should have broken the chain of events sooner than I did and in the future I will be better equipped to recognize and maintain proper cloud clearance; or avoid the situation entirely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR RV6A PLT ENTERED IMC NEAR MOUNTAINS AND EXECUTED TURN TO REGAIN VMC WHILE ATTEMPTING UNSUCCESSFULLY TO CONTACT ATC.

Narrative: FLYING FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2; WX WAS MIXED WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS AT ABOUT 3000 FT MSL AND CLR BELOW AS A WX SYS WAS LEAVING THE AREA. FREEZING LEVEL WAS FORECAST NEAR 5000 FT MSL. NORMAL IFR RTE IS CLB TO 6000 FT AND FLY DOWN V25 ALONG THE SPINE OF THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS WHICH WERE CLOUDED OVER. GIVEN THE OROGRAPHIC LIFT AND FREEZING LEVEL; I HAD CONCERNS ABOUT ICING AND DIDN'T WANT TO TRY TO 'OUT CLB' IT WITH A NORMALLY ASPIRATED ENG. FROM THE ARPT I COULD SEE DOWN THE VALLEY ALONG THE DIRECT RTE TOWARD ZZZ2 AND THE BOTTOMS OF THE CLOUDS WERE WELL ILLUMINATED BY THE CITY LIGHTS. I DEPARTED VFR AND PROCEEDED SW AT ABOUT 2500 FT UNTIL APCHING THE HILLS AT THE RESERVOIR. AT THAT POINT; I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS A CITY BELOW THE CLOUDS AND ABOVE THE HILLS; ALTHOUGH I NEEDED TO CLB A BIT TO RETAIN GND CLRNC -- ESPECIALLY WITH THE DARK HILLS MORE DIFFICULT TO DISCERN. AS I PROCEEDED TOWARD THE CLEARLY VISIBLE LIGHTS; THEY QUICKLY VANISHED AND I REALIZED THROUGH A COMBINATION OF UNCONSCIOUS PULLING ON THE STICK AND A FALLING CEILING I'D ENTERED THE BASES OF THE CLOUDS. I IMMEDIATELY EXECUTED A 180 DEG R TURN BUT IN THE TURN REALIZED 4 SCARY THINGS: 1) I HADN'T CHKED MY HDG BEFORE STARTING THE TURN AND WAS FLUSTERED ENOUGH NOT TO BE SURE WHERE I SHOULD ROLL OUT. 2) I HAD CLBED A BIT MORE IN THE TURN AND SO MIGHT NOT POP INTO VMC AT THE POINT I LEFT IT. 3) THERE WAS A BIG HILL TO MY R THAT I THOUGHT I HAD ALT TO CLR BUT WASN'T POSITIVE. 4) I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW WHAT MY TURN RADIUS WOULD BE. TO REGAIN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; I LOOKED AT MY 430'S MOVING MAP BUT THE IMAGE WAS CONFUSING AND IT TOOK SEVERAL SECONDS TO DECIDE TO POINT THE AIRPLANE AT THE DEPICTION OF ZZZ3. THE CONFUSION RESULTED FROM THE FACT THAT MY 430 IS CONFIGURED FOR 'DESIRE TRACK UP' WHICH WORKS VERY WELL IN MOST IFR OPS. I HAD NEVER TRIED TO USE THE 430 TO NAV 'BACKWARDS;' HOWEVER; AND I WAS MOMENTARILY CONFUSED BY SEEING THE AIRPLANE ICON FLYING TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN. THIS PRESENTATION ALSO SEVERELY LIMITED THE AMOUNT OF MAP INFO 'IN FRONT' OF ME SINCE THE PRESENT POS IS DRAWN ABOUT 80% OF THE WAY DOWN THE SCREEN. ONCE I REGAINED SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; I REALIZED I WAS IN A TIGHT HOLE BTWN HILLS; CLOUDS; AND CLASS C AIRSPACE. I TRIED TO CONTACT APCH FOR A POP-UP IFR CLRNC BUT GOT NO RESPONSE ON ONE FREQ AND TOLD TO CONTACT THE FIRST FREQ WHEN I CALLED A SECOND FREQ. I FINALLY ELECTED TO PROCEED DOWN THE VALLEY TOWARD ZZZ3 TO GET AWAY FROM THE CLASS C AIRSPACE SINCE APCH WOULDN'T RESPOND AND GO AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE MOUNTAINS. AS SOON AS I STARTED MOVING SE; THOUGH I SAW CLR SKY ABOVE ME AND CLBED THROUGH A HOLE ON TOP OF WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A VERY THIN LAYER AT WHICH POINT THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY. IN HINDSIGHT; THE IMPROPERLY PLANNED AND EXECUTED 180 DEG TURN IN THE CLOUDS WAS PROBABLY THE HIGHEST RISK ELEMENT OF THE FLT. HAD I FILED IFR; THE CHANCES ARE HIGH THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ANY ICE; AND IF THERE WERE; I COULD TURN L OR R TO REACH LOWER TERRAIN AND DSND. ONCE ENCOUNTERING IMC; HAD I CLBED EVEN A FEW HUNDRED FT OR PROCEEDED STRAIGHT AHEAD FOR A FEW MI; I WOULD HAVE RE-ENTERED VMC WITH NO TERRAIN HAZARD. IT MAKES ME WONDER IF THE UNCONDITIONAL 'TURN AROUND IF YOU ENTER IMC' ADVICE SO OFTEN GIVEN TO VFR PLTS IS ACTUALLY SAFEST. AS IS ALMOST ALWAYS THE CASE; THINKING FOR A FEW SECONDS AND MAKING A PLAN 'BEFORE' EXECUTING IT WOULD GO A LONG WAY. GIVING CONSIDERATION TO CLBING TO REACH VMC; ESPECIALLY WHEN STRATUS IS INVOLVED WOULD BE PRUDENT. IN THIS CASE; AND I WOULD EXPECT NEARLY ALWAYS; THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS PUSHING A PLT TOWARD THE EDGE OF A VFR INTO IMC SIT AND THOSE FACTORS MAY WELL BE MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE CLOUDS THEMSELVES. OBVIOUSLY; I SHOULD HAVE BROKEN THE CHAIN OF EVENTS SOONER THAN I DID AND IN THE FUTURE I WILL BE BETTER EQUIPPED TO RECOGNIZE AND MAINTAIN PROPER CLOUD CLRNC; OR AVOID THE SIT ENTIRELY.

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.