Narrative:

I must be lucky. In more than 500 hours of flight I have not had much difficulty with WX forecasts that turn out wrong. Yesterday was different. I received a WX briefing online the night before; checked the meteorological terminal at my home base; called flight service for any last minute tfr's and filed my flight plan. After departure; I checked for any updates to the WX with flight watch. They were reporting moderate turbulence below 8000 ft; so with passenger comfort in mind; I elected to climb through the scattered layer at 3500 ft. Cloud tops were around 8000 ft. I made a PIREP and proceeded toward ZZZ. As I passed ZZZ; the scattered layer quickly became an undercast with several layers. This wasn't in anyone's forecast or reports. The cloud tops began building along my route; I climbed to 9500 ft. At this point I got flustered. I have a hard and fast personal limit of 10000 ft without supplemental oxygen. This is something learned from hiking on the continental divide and climbing mountains. All along my route the tops were slowly building. Then I spotted a hole in which I could 'safely' descend. Without too much thought; I went for it. My descent wasn't straight. I zigged and zagged to avoid various layers. The undercast was at 3000 ft. I flew toward what I thought was ZZZ2; but it was ZZZ3. I was smack in the middle of ZZZ4's airspace. Then I did something even dumber; I had been monitoring ZZZ4 approach. But I failed to advise them of the situation. My 5 yr old son was distracting me because his ears hurt. I explained to him how to clear his ears; settled him down -- and then I was outside ZZZ4's airspace. It turned out later that the airmet for moderate turbulence was not nearly as serious as it sounded and; oh yeah; the skies went back to scattered clouds at 3500 ft. I could have stayed at 9500 ft. While I'm not IFR current; I had no trouble practicing several VOR; GPS; and ILS approachs only a week before. I seem to have an aversion to using my instrument skills when doing so might be the lesser of the two evils. In hindsight my problems were: 1) poor appraisal of changing WX. 2) passenger distraction. 3) not using IFR skills when it would have been appropriate. I'll also try to take another adult with me next time I take my young children. I can't always be a pilot and a daddy at the same time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the flight plan was cancelled after departure. The difference between forecast and actual WX was surprising. There was no contact made with ATC regarding the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN THE PROCESS OF AVOIDING CLOUDS; A C177 PLT FINDS HIMSELF IN CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I MUST BE LUCKY. IN MORE THAN 500 HRS OF FLT I HAVE NOT HAD MUCH DIFFICULTY WITH WX FORECASTS THAT TURN OUT WRONG. YESTERDAY WAS DIFFERENT. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING ONLINE THE NIGHT BEFORE; CHKED THE METEOROLOGICAL TERMINAL AT MY HOME BASE; CALLED FLT SVC FOR ANY LAST MINUTE TFR'S AND FILED MY FLT PLAN. AFTER DEP; I CHKED FOR ANY UPDATES TO THE WX WITH FLT WATCH. THEY WERE RPTING MODERATE TURB BELOW 8000 FT; SO WITH PAX COMFORT IN MIND; I ELECTED TO CLB THROUGH THE SCATTERED LAYER AT 3500 FT. CLOUD TOPS WERE AROUND 8000 FT. I MADE A PIREP AND PROCEEDED TOWARD ZZZ. AS I PASSED ZZZ; THE SCATTERED LAYER QUICKLY BECAME AN UNDERCAST WITH SEVERAL LAYERS. THIS WASN'T IN ANYONE'S FORECAST OR RPTS. THE CLOUD TOPS BEGAN BUILDING ALONG MY RTE; I CLBED TO 9500 FT. AT THIS POINT I GOT FLUSTERED. I HAVE A HARD AND FAST PERSONAL LIMIT OF 10000 FT WITHOUT SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN. THIS IS SOMETHING LEARNED FROM HIKING ON THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE AND CLBING MOUNTAINS. ALL ALONG MY RTE THE TOPS WERE SLOWLY BUILDING. THEN I SPOTTED A HOLE IN WHICH I COULD 'SAFELY' DSND. WITHOUT TOO MUCH THOUGHT; I WENT FOR IT. MY DSCNT WASN'T STRAIGHT. I ZIGGED AND ZAGGED TO AVOID VARIOUS LAYERS. THE UNDERCAST WAS AT 3000 FT. I FLEW TOWARD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS ZZZ2; BUT IT WAS ZZZ3. I WAS SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF ZZZ4'S AIRSPACE. THEN I DID SOMETHING EVEN DUMBER; I HAD BEEN MONITORING ZZZ4 APCH. BUT I FAILED TO ADVISE THEM OF THE SIT. MY 5 YR OLD SON WAS DISTRACTING ME BECAUSE HIS EARS HURT. I EXPLAINED TO HIM HOW TO CLR HIS EARS; SETTLED HIM DOWN -- AND THEN I WAS OUTSIDE ZZZ4'S AIRSPACE. IT TURNED OUT LATER THAT THE AIRMET FOR MODERATE TURB WAS NOT NEARLY AS SERIOUS AS IT SOUNDED AND; OH YEAH; THE SKIES WENT BACK TO SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 3500 FT. I COULD HAVE STAYED AT 9500 FT. WHILE I'M NOT IFR CURRENT; I HAD NO TROUBLE PRACTICING SEVERAL VOR; GPS; AND ILS APCHS ONLY A WEEK BEFORE. I SEEM TO HAVE AN AVERSION TO USING MY INSTRUMENT SKILLS WHEN DOING SO MIGHT BE THE LESSER OF THE TWO EVILS. IN HINDSIGHT MY PROBS WERE: 1) POOR APPRAISAL OF CHANGING WX. 2) PAX DISTRACTION. 3) NOT USING IFR SKILLS WHEN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE. I'LL ALSO TRY TO TAKE ANOTHER ADULT WITH ME NEXT TIME I TAKE MY YOUNG CHILDREN. I CAN'T ALWAYS BE A PLT AND A DADDY AT THE SAME TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FLT PLAN WAS CANCELLED AFTER DEP. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORECAST AND ACTUAL WX WAS SURPRISING. THERE WAS NO CONTACT MADE WITH ATC REGARDING THE INCIDENT.

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.