Narrative:

Our club skylane was recently returned to service after a lengthy down time for repairs. I was checked out in daytime VMC and given full flight privileges. I decided to get my night currency with a few takeoffs and lndgs at ZZZ; a non-controlled airport where the aircraft is based. It doesn't report WX; so I checked the WX for ZZZ1 (23 NM east); ZZZ2 (27 NM southwest); and ZZZ3 (43 NM west). Around XB00; the reports were as follows: ZZZ1 07008KT 9SM SCT110 20/18 A3003 rmk AO2 SLP162 T02000183. ZZZ2 automatic 06007KT 3SM br clear 21/19 A3001 rmk AO2 SLP156 T02060194. ZZZ3 05005KT 3SM br FEW008 FEW150 21/20 A3000 rmk SLP156. With winds out of the east and ZZZ1 with a ceiling of 11000 ft; I figured I would be ok just staying in the pattern. I did not call the AFSS for a briefing. When I got to ZZZ around XA45; the visibility seemed fine; and I heard and saw a helicopter pass near overhead. The ceiling looked ok. I pre-flighted and took off to the north. I have about 11 hours of instrument time; most coming within the last two months as I started on my instrument training. Only 1.5 hours of actual IMC. I was not more than 500 ft AGL when I lost all ground references and the horizon. I was severely disoriented; and struggled to 'get on the gages.' after some unusual attitudes; I managed to get myself straight and level around 1800 ft MSL (1100 ft AGL). I still had no ground references and was not sure where I was in relation to the airport. The aircraft does have an IFR approach certified GPS; so I loaded an approach to runway 36 and activated the approach mode. I decided to make one attempt at the approach and if I couldn't spot the runway on final; I would call approach and divert to ZZZ1; which has an ILS. It took me awhile; even with the approach loaded and the map display on the GPS; to get my bearings and head for the initial fix. I was below the minimum altitude for that part of the IAP (minimum altitude is 2400 ft MSL) but I was above the MDA of 1220 ft. Once I got to the IAF; I managed to stay on course pretty well to the FAF. At that point I could not see the runway itself; but I could see the flashing of the reils through the cloud layer. I began my descent and about 1400 fl MSL I saw the runway lights and managed to land without any further incident. In retrospect; the fact that I couldn't see any stars in the sky should have been a clue as to the low ceiling. Likewise; the helicopter that passed overhead before I took off was probably scud running. I am not sure that a preflight briefing would have helped in this instance (given the favorable conditions at ZZZ1); but because I didn't call; I'll never know. I'm not sure if the ceiling was due to fog or a scattered or broken layer; but it was a low ceiling regardless and I shouldn't have attempted a takeoff. One of our club members is a master CFI (who I have been taking instrument instruction from) and is of the opinion that a pilot should be instrument rated before doing night flts. I can certainly understand his position after this incident. In the future; I don't plan to fly VFR at night unless the sky is severe clear and I get a favorable report from an AFSS briefer. I could have easily become another VFR into IMC statistic. I was lucky this time. I don't intend to press my luck again. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter thought the GPS system was an apollo gx 600. He's not sure about the exact model. Their flying club has previously conducted a demonstration with the unit and he had practiced and trained with it. That minimal level of practice allowed him to program and safely return using that unit. He believed this unit was fairly easy to use versus the garmin 250 or 350 installed in another club aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LOW TIME VFR C182 PLT ENCOUNTERED IMC AFTER DEP AND WAS ABLE TO PROGRAM A GPS SYSTEM FOR AN APCH TO HIS HOME BASE.

Narrative: OUR CLUB SKYLANE WAS RECENTLY RETURNED TO SVC AFTER A LENGTHY DOWN TIME FOR REPAIRS. I WAS CHKED OUT IN DAYTIME VMC AND GIVEN FULL FLT PRIVILEGES. I DECIDED TO GET MY NIGHT CURRENCY WITH A FEW TKOFS AND LNDGS AT ZZZ; A NON-CONTROLLED ARPT WHERE THE ACFT IS BASED. IT DOESN'T RPT WX; SO I CHKED THE WX FOR ZZZ1 (23 NM E); ZZZ2 (27 NM SW); AND ZZZ3 (43 NM W). AROUND XB00; THE RPTS WERE AS FOLLOWS: ZZZ1 07008KT 9SM SCT110 20/18 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP162 T02000183. ZZZ2 AUTO 06007KT 3SM BR CLR 21/19 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP156 T02060194. ZZZ3 05005KT 3SM BR FEW008 FEW150 21/20 A3000 RMK SLP156. WITH WINDS OUT OF THE E AND ZZZ1 WITH A CEILING OF 11000 FT; I FIGURED I WOULD BE OK JUST STAYING IN THE PATTERN. I DID NOT CALL THE AFSS FOR A BRIEFING. WHEN I GOT TO ZZZ AROUND XA45; THE VISIBILITY SEEMED FINE; AND I HEARD AND SAW A HELI PASS NEAR OVERHEAD. THE CEILING LOOKED OK. I PRE-FLIGHTED AND TOOK OFF TO THE N. I HAVE ABOUT 11 HRS OF INSTRUMENT TIME; MOST COMING WITHIN THE LAST TWO MONTHS AS I STARTED ON MY INSTRUMENT TRAINING. ONLY 1.5 HRS OF ACTUAL IMC. I WAS NOT MORE THAN 500 FT AGL WHEN I LOST ALL GND REFERENCES AND THE HORIZON. I WAS SEVERELY DISORIENTED; AND STRUGGLED TO 'GET ON THE GAGES.' AFTER SOME UNUSUAL ATTITUDES; I MANAGED TO GET MYSELF STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AROUND 1800 FT MSL (1100 FT AGL). I STILL HAD NO GND REFERENCES AND WAS NOT SURE WHERE I WAS IN RELATION TO THE ARPT. THE ACFT DOES HAVE AN IFR APCH CERTIFIED GPS; SO I LOADED AN APCH TO RWY 36 AND ACTIVATED THE APCH MODE. I DECIDED TO MAKE ONE ATTEMPT AT THE APCH AND IF I COULDN'T SPOT THE RWY ON FINAL; I WOULD CALL APCH AND DIVERT TO ZZZ1; WHICH HAS AN ILS. IT TOOK ME AWHILE; EVEN WITH THE APCH LOADED AND THE MAP DISPLAY ON THE GPS; TO GET MY BEARINGS AND HEAD FOR THE INITIAL FIX. I WAS BELOW THE MINIMUM ALT FOR THAT PART OF THE IAP (MINIMUM ALT IS 2400 FT MSL) BUT I WAS ABOVE THE MDA OF 1220 FT. ONCE I GOT TO THE IAF; I MANAGED TO STAY ON COURSE PRETTY WELL TO THE FAF. AT THAT POINT I COULD NOT SEE THE RWY ITSELF; BUT I COULD SEE THE FLASHING OF THE REILS THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER. I BEGAN MY DSCNT AND ABOUT 1400 FL MSL I SAW THE RWY LIGHTS AND MANAGED TO LAND WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INCIDENT. IN RETROSPECT; THE FACT THAT I COULDN'T SEE ANY STARS IN THE SKY SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CLUE AS TO THE LOW CEILING. LIKEWISE; THE HELI THAT PASSED OVERHEAD BEFORE I TOOK OFF WAS PROBABLY SCUD RUNNING. I AM NOT SURE THAT A PREFLT BRIEFING WOULD HAVE HELPED IN THIS INSTANCE (GIVEN THE FAVORABLE CONDITIONS AT ZZZ1); BUT BECAUSE I DIDN'T CALL; I'LL NEVER KNOW. I'M NOT SURE IF THE CEILING WAS DUE TO FOG OR A SCATTERED OR BROKEN LAYER; BUT IT WAS A LOW CEILING REGARDLESS AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE ATTEMPTED A TKOF. ONE OF OUR CLUB MEMBERS IS A MASTER CFI (WHO I HAVE BEEN TAKING INSTRUMENT INSTRUCTION FROM) AND IS OF THE OPINION THAT A PLT SHOULD BE INSTRUMENT RATED BEFORE DOING NIGHT FLTS. I CAN CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND HIS POSITION AFTER THIS INCIDENT. IN THE FUTURE; I DON'T PLAN TO FLY VFR AT NIGHT UNLESS THE SKY IS SEVERE CLR AND I GET A FAVORABLE RPT FROM AN AFSS BRIEFER. I COULD HAVE EASILY BECOME ANOTHER VFR INTO IMC STATISTIC. I WAS LUCKY THIS TIME. I DON'T INTEND TO PRESS MY LUCK AGAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR THOUGHT THE GPS SYSTEM WAS AN APOLLO GX 600. HE'S NOT SURE ABOUT THE EXACT MODEL. THEIR FLYING CLUB HAS PREVIOUSLY CONDUCTED A DEMONSTRATION WITH THE UNIT AND HE HAD PRACTICED AND TRAINED WITH IT. THAT MINIMAL LEVEL OF PRACTICE ALLOWED HIM TO PROGRAM AND SAFELY RETURN USING THAT UNIT. HE BELIEVED THIS UNIT WAS FAIRLY EASY TO USE VERSUS THE GARMIN 250 OR 350 INSTALLED IN ANOTHER CLUB ACFT.

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.