Narrative:

I departed smx for a VFR flight to trk. I looked at the WX conditions before departure from a home computer. I neglected to call FSS for a WX report for the route of flight. I did call a friend who is a pilot at truckee (the destination airport) and he informed me that there was a hole over truckee but if I could not get in that he would drive down to auburn; ca (aun) and pick me up. Contributing factor #1: insufficient WX information and poor preflight planning. I have on board real time WX and during the flight I notice the WX deterioration along the route of flight. My alternative airport (aun) was not VFR. I called from my cell phone and told my friend not to pick us up and that we would land in at sac airport and rent a car. At this point I made a decision to go under the cloud layer and try to get in at sac rather than go 'on top' and try to go to trk or rno. This turned out to be contributing factor #2: going under the WX; I ran out of VFR and into IFR conditions. Although I am IFR rated; I had not flown IFR in some time; and although I am technically compliant; I was certainly not confident and have much higher personal minimums than was present on this day. Approaching sac; I was almost out of VFR and I called approach and asked to file IFR into sac airport. They accepted my request. Although I had good situational awareness; I did not realize the strength of the crosswind on final approach and I was blown off the ILS. The approach control told me to go missed and try again. I was vectored for another approach. I was at 3000 ft AGL; on my second approach I put my gear down too soon. I was going slow and hit some moderate turbulence. As I tracked the ILS I noticed a drastic loss of airspeed followed by a loss of altitude and a steep (30 degree bank to the left). I believe that I got too slow and hit turbulence that made the plane steeply bank. I was close to an unusual attitude. I recovered and called for help to the approach control. Approach control told me to fly the airplane and regain control. I scared myself; but recovered. Contributing factor #3: I should have terminated all approachs and asked for vectors to a nearby VFR airport. Approach control was incredibly professional; non judgemental and helpful. They suggested I fly to smf airport because the ceiling was higher. They told me that the ceiling was 659 ft AGL. This is below my personal minimum and I should have left the area. Again; I had trouble getting in on the first attempt. I did not hold the ILS; because of moderate turbulence and a large crosswind. I went missed and I asked for another try. ATC suggest I go to a VFR airport. But I wanted to try again. I made a successful landing on the next attempt although I was still several hundred ft off the centerline of the runway when I broke through the clouds. Contributing factor #4: continuing to try the approach when I was already flustered and frustrated. I should have left the area and flown to a VFR airport. Human performance consideration: my judgement on this day was poor. I kept on telling myself that because I was IFR trained and current; that I must be able to do it. It did not occur to me even after I almost lost control of the airplane that the conditions present were above my ability. I have humbled myself since then. I made many mistakes that day. I should have been more informed on the WX. I should not have filed IFR because the conditions were above my ability. I should have listened to ATC when they suggested I might try a VFR airport. I should have asked to and flown to a VFR airport. I can hardly explain my thinking at the time. I just felt that I should be able to do it because of my training; so I kept attempting even though I was having problems. Fortunately; I landed fine and only bruised my pride. The steps I have taken to correct my mistakes are as follows: I immediately grounded myself from all IFR flight. I signed up for and attended cessna 210 proficiency course. I have flown with instructors twice since this instance. I am still in the process of completely retraining myself on IFR flying. I have flown over 30 hours of VFR since this incident but have not flown any actual ifrand I will not fly IFR again until such time as I have finished retraining and pass a new instrument proficiency check.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PLT ON A VFR FLT DIVERTS DUE TO WX AT DEST; SUBSEQUENTLY ENTERING IMC AT BOTH HIS FIRST AND SECOND ALTERNATE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED SMX FOR A VFR FLT TO TRK. I LOOKED AT THE WX CONDITIONS BEFORE DEP FROM A HOME COMPUTER. I NEGLECTED TO CALL FSS FOR A WX RPT FOR THE RTE OF FLT. I DID CALL A FRIEND WHO IS A PLT AT TRUCKEE (THE DEST ARPT) AND HE INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A HOLE OVER TRUCKEE BUT IF I COULD NOT GET IN THAT HE WOULD DRIVE DOWN TO AUBURN; CA (AUN) AND PICK ME UP. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR #1: INSUFFICIENT WX INFO AND POOR PREFLT PLANNING. I HAVE ON BOARD REAL TIME WX AND DURING THE FLT I NOTICE THE WX DETERIORATION ALONG THE RTE OF FLT. MY ALTERNATIVE ARPT (AUN) WAS NOT VFR. I CALLED FROM MY CELL PHONE AND TOLD MY FRIEND NOT TO PICK US UP AND THAT WE WOULD LAND IN AT SAC ARPT AND RENT A CAR. AT THIS POINT I MADE A DECISION TO GO UNDER THE CLOUD LAYER AND TRY TO GET IN AT SAC RATHER THAN GO 'ON TOP' AND TRY TO GO TO TRK OR RNO. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR #2: GOING UNDER THE WX; I RAN OUT OF VFR AND INTO IFR CONDITIONS. ALTHOUGH I AM IFR RATED; I HAD NOT FLOWN IFR IN SOME TIME; AND ALTHOUGH I AM TECHNICALLY COMPLIANT; I WAS CERTAINLY NOT CONFIDENT AND HAVE MUCH HIGHER PERSONAL MINIMUMS THAN WAS PRESENT ON THIS DAY. APCHING SAC; I WAS ALMOST OUT OF VFR AND I CALLED APCH AND ASKED TO FILE IFR INTO SAC ARPT. THEY ACCEPTED MY REQUEST. ALTHOUGH I HAD GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; I DID NOT REALIZE THE STRENGTH OF THE XWIND ON FINAL APCH AND I WAS BLOWN OFF THE ILS. THE APCH CTL TOLD ME TO GO MISSED AND TRY AGAIN. I WAS VECTORED FOR ANOTHER APCH. I WAS AT 3000 FT AGL; ON MY SECOND APCH I PUT MY GEAR DOWN TOO SOON. I WAS GOING SLOW AND HIT SOME MODERATE TURB. AS I TRACKED THE ILS I NOTICED A DRASTIC LOSS OF AIRSPD FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF ALT AND A STEEP (30 DEG BANK TO THE L). I BELIEVE THAT I GOT TOO SLOW AND HIT TURB THAT MADE THE PLANE STEEPLY BANK. I WAS CLOSE TO AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. I RECOVERED AND CALLED FOR HELP TO THE APCH CTL. APCH CTL TOLD ME TO FLY THE AIRPLANE AND REGAIN CTL. I SCARED MYSELF; BUT RECOVERED. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR #3: I SHOULD HAVE TERMINATED ALL APCHS AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO A NEARBY VFR ARPT. APCH CTL WAS INCREDIBLY PROFESSIONAL; NON JUDGEMENTAL AND HELPFUL. THEY SUGGESTED I FLY TO SMF ARPT BECAUSE THE CEILING WAS HIGHER. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE CEILING WAS 659 FT AGL. THIS IS BELOW MY PERSONAL MINIMUM AND I SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE AREA. AGAIN; I HAD TROUBLE GETTING IN ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. I DID NOT HOLD THE ILS; BECAUSE OF MODERATE TURB AND A LARGE XWIND. I WENT MISSED AND I ASKED FOR ANOTHER TRY. ATC SUGGEST I GO TO A VFR ARPT. BUT I WANTED TO TRY AGAIN. I MADE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG ON THE NEXT ATTEMPT ALTHOUGH I WAS STILL SEVERAL HUNDRED FT OFF THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY WHEN I BROKE THROUGH THE CLOUDS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR #4: CONTINUING TO TRY THE APCH WHEN I WAS ALREADY FLUSTERED AND FRUSTRATED. I SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE AREA AND FLOWN TO A VFR ARPT. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATION: MY JUDGEMENT ON THIS DAY WAS POOR. I KEPT ON TELLING MYSELF THAT BECAUSE I WAS IFR TRAINED AND CURRENT; THAT I MUST BE ABLE TO DO IT. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME EVEN AFTER I ALMOST LOST CTL OF THE AIRPLANE THAT THE CONDITIONS PRESENT WERE ABOVE MY ABILITY. I HAVE HUMBLED MYSELF SINCE THEN. I MADE MANY MISTAKES THAT DAY. I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE INFORMED ON THE WX. I SHOULD NOT HAVE FILED IFR BECAUSE THE CONDITIONS WERE ABOVE MY ABILITY. I SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ATC WHEN THEY SUGGESTED I MIGHT TRY A VFR ARPT. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED TO AND FLOWN TO A VFR ARPT. I CAN HARDLY EXPLAIN MY THINKING AT THE TIME. I JUST FELT THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE OF MY TRAINING; SO I KEPT ATTEMPTING EVEN THOUGH I WAS HAVING PROBS. FORTUNATELY; I LANDED FINE AND ONLY BRUISED MY PRIDE. THE STEPS I HAVE TAKEN TO CORRECT MY MISTAKES ARE AS FOLLOWS: I IMMEDIATELY GNDED MYSELF FROM ALL IFR FLT. I SIGNED UP FOR AND ATTENDED CESSNA 210 PROFICIENCY COURSE. I HAVE FLOWN WITH INSTRUCTORS TWICE SINCE THIS INSTANCE. I AM STILL IN THE PROCESS OF COMPLETELY RETRAINING MYSELF ON IFR FLYING. I HAVE FLOWN OVER 30 HRS OF VFR SINCE THIS INCIDENT BUT HAVE NOT FLOWN ANY ACTUAL IFRAND I WILL NOT FLY IFR AGAIN UNTIL SUCH TIME AS I HAVE FINISHED RETRAINING AND PASS A NEW INST PROFICIENCY CHK.

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.