Narrative:

07/tue/05; I departed VFR from ZZZ1 just before the airport was closing; I flew to ZZZ2 to access an approaching WX front via the FBO's live radar. After discussing the WX with a briefer at the FSS; I decided to depart VFR on a southeast heading with the intentions of flying approximately 60 NM so as to encounter clear skies and then to continue my flight VFR to destination. I was aware of an approaching line of WX; but conditions and radar indicated that I could leave then and beat the system; otherwise be 'grounded' for approximately 12 hours or more! I departed VFR using TRSA services on the 140 degree heading and maintained VFR. At some point the controller stated 'radar service terminated; frequency change approved.' some time later; the ceiling began to lower and visibility began to decline to about 2 mi. As the WX ahead was reported 'clear' at ZZZ3; I monitored cross frequency and actually talked to an aircraft landing at ZZZ3 that said it was clear; but that a thunderstorm cell was northwest of the area! As I was approximately 19 NM northwest; it was easy to determine that the lower visibilities could be attributed to the proximity of the cell; thus the need for evasive action. As I began to deviate and maintain VFR; I had passed over ZZZ4 (uncontrolled) previously and considering doing a 180 degree turn for that airport. However; while on an easterly heading for WX avoidance; I spotted ZZZ5 airport. I then realized 'they' would have their control zone effective due to the rain and visibility and a clearance would be required. I grabbed the sectional chart and retrieved the tower frequency to contact them. Of course; they didn't know I was 'there' and I apologized and said I was 'south' and wanted to enter a left downwind and left base for runway 27; which they approved. I landed uneventfully and entered the FBO. Sometime later; a lady from the tower stopped by to discuss the event with me; and rightfully so! She was very nice and wanted to know how I had gotten myself in that predicament; which is essentially explained above! I spent the night in the ZZZ5 area and departed VFR on an IFR flight plan the following day for destination; where once again; the forecast was for VFR conditions upon arrival in the area! In summary; I entered a control zone inadvertently and contacted the tower within seconds after discovering the error. Of course; I was very close to the airport when contact was established. Also; WX conditions deteriorated much faster than I anticipated on my route of flight; which contributed to the event. As a 'personal policy;' I don't fly IFR with embedded thunderstorms as I have no WX detection equipment in the airplane other than my eyes and 'radio static!' I limit my IFR in light aircraft without WX detection equipment to stratus clouds only. As thunderstorms were forecast along and ahead of this front; I had no intentions of departing ZZZ2 on an IFR flight plan; thus the decision to depart VFR to head for clear skies to the southeast; which didn't 'work out' as planned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR BE35 PLT ENTERED IMC AND CLASS D AIRSPACE AVOIDING WX. PLT OBTAINED CLASS D LNDG CLRNC TO AVOID APCHING WX.

Narrative: 07/TUE/05; I DEPARTED VFR FROM ZZZ1 JUST BEFORE THE ARPT WAS CLOSING; I FLEW TO ZZZ2 TO ACCESS AN APCHING WX FRONT VIA THE FBO'S LIVE RADAR. AFTER DISCUSSING THE WX WITH A BRIEFER AT THE FSS; I DECIDED TO DEPART VFR ON A SE HDG WITH THE INTENTIONS OF FLYING APPROX 60 NM SO AS TO ENCOUNTER CLR SKIES AND THEN TO CONTINUE MY FLT VFR TO DEST. I WAS AWARE OF AN APCHING LINE OF WX; BUT CONDITIONS AND RADAR INDICATED THAT I COULD LEAVE THEN AND BEAT THE SYSTEM; OTHERWISE BE 'GROUNDED' FOR APPROX 12 HRS OR MORE! I DEPARTED VFR USING TRSA SVCS ON THE 140 DEG HDG AND MAINTAINED VFR. AT SOME POINT THE CTLR STATED 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED; FREQUENCY CHANGE APPROVED.' SOME TIME LATER; THE CEILING BEGAN TO LOWER AND VISIBILITY BEGAN TO DECLINE TO ABOUT 2 MI. AS THE WX AHEAD WAS RPTED 'CLR' AT ZZZ3; I MONITORED CROSS FREQUENCY AND ACTUALLY TALKED TO AN ACFT LNDG AT ZZZ3 THAT SAID IT WAS CLR; BUT THAT A THUNDERSTORM CELL WAS NW OF THE AREA! AS I WAS APPROX 19 NM NW; IT WAS EASY TO DETERMINE THAT THE LOWER VISIBILITIES COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE PROXIMITY OF THE CELL; THUS THE NEED FOR EVASIVE ACTION. AS I BEGAN TO DEVIATE AND MAINTAIN VFR; I HAD PASSED OVER ZZZ4 (UNCONTROLLED) PREVIOUSLY AND CONSIDERING DOING A 180 DEG TURN FOR THAT ARPT. HOWEVER; WHILE ON AN EASTERLY HDG FOR WX AVOIDANCE; I SPOTTED ZZZ5 ARPT. I THEN REALIZED 'THEY' WOULD HAVE THEIR CTL ZONE EFFECTIVE DUE TO THE RAIN AND VISIBILITY AND A CLRNC WOULD BE REQUIRED. I GRABBED THE SECTIONAL CHART AND RETRIEVED THE TWR FREQUENCY TO CONTACT THEM. OF COURSE; THEY DIDN'T KNOW I WAS 'THERE' AND I APOLOGIZED AND SAID I WAS 'S' AND WANTED TO ENTER A L DOWNWIND AND L BASE FOR RWY 27; WHICH THEY APPROVED. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND ENTERED THE FBO. SOMETIME LATER; A LADY FROM THE TWR STOPPED BY TO DISCUSS THE EVENT WITH ME; AND RIGHTFULLY SO! SHE WAS VERY NICE AND WANTED TO KNOW HOW I HAD GOTTEN MYSELF IN THAT PREDICAMENT; WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY EXPLAINED ABOVE! I SPENT THE NIGHT IN THE ZZZ5 AREA AND DEPARTED VFR ON AN IFR FLT PLAN THE FOLLOWING DAY FOR DEST; WHERE ONCE AGAIN; THE FORECAST WAS FOR VFR CONDITIONS UPON ARR IN THE AREA! IN SUMMARY; I ENTERED A CTL ZONE INADVERTENTLY AND CONTACTED THE TWR WITHIN SECONDS AFTER DISCOVERING THE ERROR. OF COURSE; I WAS VERY CLOSE TO THE ARPT WHEN CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED. ALSO; WX CONDITIONS DETERIORATED MUCH FASTER THAN I ANTICIPATED ON MY RTE OF FLT; WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE EVENT. AS A 'PERSONAL POLICY;' I DON'T FLY IFR WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS AS I HAVE NO WX DETECTION EQUIPMENT IN THE AIRPLANE OTHER THAN MY EYES AND 'RADIO STATIC!' I LIMIT MY IFR IN LIGHT ACFT WITHOUT WX DETECTION EQUIPMENT TO STRATUS CLOUDS ONLY. AS THUNDERSTORMS WERE FORECAST ALONG AND AHEAD OF THIS FRONT; I HAD NO INTENTIONS OF DEPARTING ZZZ2 ON AN IFR FLT PLAN; THUS THE DECISION TO DEPART VFR TO HEAD FOR CLR SKIES TO THE SE; WHICH DIDN'T 'WORK OUT' AS PLANNED.

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.