Narrative:

About XA00 09/tue/05; I took off from northwest regional airport (52F); and flew west for about fifteen mins and then did some air work for about 1.5 hours. Then; I headed back to 52F to land. The visibility was at least 10 miles; and clear. A beautiful day for flying; until I turned east. When I turned east; I could not see more than maybe a half mi in from of me. But I could see straight up and straight down. I went from clear and 10 mi visibility to clear (no clouds); and very limited visibility. I got very nervous. I was scared. I could see a lake in front of me and because 52F is just west of lake grapevine; I headed for the lake. I crossed a highway going east to west and remembered 35W runs from north to south so that highway going east had to take me to 35W. I followed that highway until I passed over 35W. Then; turned north. This gave me time to think and calm down. I returned to 52F and landed safely. What scared me was; if there had been any traffic flying west in from of me; I would not have had time to see the traffic and get out of the way. This morning I called the ft worth AFSS and was told there was a temperature inversion yesterday. I have been playing with little airplanes all my life and I have never saw anything like this. I have just looked at my dallas ft worth VFR terminal area chart. That highway; running from east to west must have been texas highway 380. I put that highway on the tip of my left wing and followed it until I crossed 35W. Therefore; I must have busted dto's airspace. I was not looking down; I was looking for aircraft in front of me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ERCOUPE PLT ENCOUNTERED IMC WHILE NAVIGATING TO HIS HOME BASE AND VIOLATED ANOTHER ARPT'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ABOUT XA00 09/TUE/05; I TOOK OFF FROM NORTHWEST REGIONAL ARPT (52F); AND FLEW WEST FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINS AND THEN DID SOME AIR WORK FOR ABOUT 1.5 HRS. THEN; I HEADED BACK TO 52F TO LAND. THE VISIBILITY WAS AT LEAST 10 MILES; AND CLR. A BEAUTIFUL DAY FOR FLYING; UNTIL I TURNED EAST. WHEN I TURNED EAST; I COULD NOT SEE MORE THAN MAYBE A HALF MI IN FROM OF ME. BUT I COULD SEE STRAIGHT UP AND STRAIGHT DOWN. I WENT FROM CLR AND 10 MI VISIBILITY TO CLR (NO CLOUDS); AND VERY LIMITED VISIBILITY. I GOT VERY NERVOUS. I WAS SCARED. I COULD SEE A LAKE IN FRONT OF ME AND BECAUSE 52F IS JUST W OF LAKE GRAPEVINE; I HEADED FOR THE LAKE. I CROSSED A HWY GOING E TO W AND REMEMBERED 35W RUNS FROM N TO S SO THAT HWY GOING E HAD TO TAKE ME TO 35W. I FOLLOWED THAT HWY UNTIL I PASSED OVER 35W. THEN; TURNED N. THIS GAVE ME TIME TO THINK AND CALM DOWN. I RETURNED TO 52F AND LANDED SAFELY. WHAT SCARED ME WAS; IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY TFC FLYING W IN FROM OF ME; I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TIME TO SEE THE TFC AND GET OUT OF THE WAY. THIS MORNING I CALLED THE FT WORTH AFSS AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS A TEMPERATURE INVERSION YESTERDAY. I HAVE BEEN PLAYING WITH LITTLE AIRPLANES ALL MY LIFE AND I HAVE NEVER SAW ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I HAVE JUST LOOKED AT MY DALLAS FT WORTH VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART. THAT HIGHWAY; RUNNING FROM E TO W MUST HAVE BEEN TEXAS HWY 380. I PUT THAT HWY ON THE TIP OF MY L WING AND FOLLOWED IT UNTIL I CROSSED 35W. THEREFORE; I MUST HAVE BUSTED DTO'S AIRSPACE. I WAS NOT LOOKING DOWN; I WAS LOOKING FOR ACFT IN FRONT OF ME.

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.