Narrative:

Before departure I made a last check of the WX; which showed legal ceilings and visibility; took a good look at the sky in my departure direction; which looked flyable and departed. Reported ceiling was 1700 ft broken when I left; with the lowest reported ceiling of 1300 ft broken; 2700 ft overcast on my route. On departure climb out; I became distracted when I noticed my generator was not charging. I engaged the autoplt and took a few mins to troubleshoot the generator; when it suddenly started working. While I was engaged in this; the aircraft had climbed a bit and I looked up to see solid IMC and my altitude had increased to 1800 ft. After a slight moment of intense panic I regained composure and descended back into VFR. If I had been smart; I would have turned back immediately. After a few more mins; ceilings lowered to around 1200 ft MSL. I knew I had good WX in at most 50 more mi so I foolishly elected to continue. The ceilings lowered to about 1000 ft MSL and I finally decided to turn back to houston. When I made the turn I saw that the WX had worsened behind me. Not wanting to re-enter the busy houston airspace at below 1000 ft; with no guarantee of finding my airport; I turned my aircraft toward home and entered IMC. If I had not had a confirmation of clear WX at the home airport; I would have called ZHU and declared an emergency. In retrospect; I should have called them and requested an IFR popup. At least I would have been in the system. I kept the autoplt engaged; navigating by GPS and proceeded to slowly climb to 2500 ft MSL. I reasoned that 2500 ft would keep me separated from any IFR traffic and no other VFR pilot would be foolish enough to fly at 2500 ft. After what seemed an eternity; but was in reality only 20 mins or so; the ground began appearing again and I was able to descend to a legal altitude and remain clear of clouds. The rest of the flight was uneventful and I made a standard approach and landing at my home airport. I am resolved to never; ever let this happen to me again. It was foolish. To help make myself a safer pilot; I am going to pursue finishing my IFR rating and in the meantime I am raising my personal minimums to at least 2000 ft AGL and 5 mi visibility on the entire route; I or will not go.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOLLOWING A DEP INTO MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS AND DISTRACTED BY A MALFUNCTIONING GENERATOR; A LOW TIME PRIVATE PLT FINDS HIMSELF IN SOLID IMC.

Narrative: BEFORE DEP I MADE A LAST CHK OF THE WX; WHICH SHOWED LEGAL CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY; TOOK A GOOD LOOK AT THE SKY IN MY DEP DIRECTION; WHICH LOOKED FLYABLE AND DEPARTED. RPTED CEILING WAS 1700 FT BROKEN WHEN I LEFT; WITH THE LOWEST RPTED CEILING OF 1300 FT BROKEN; 2700 FT OVCST ON MY RTE. ON DEP CLBOUT; I BECAME DISTRACTED WHEN I NOTICED MY GENERATOR WAS NOT CHARGING. I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND TOOK A FEW MINS TO TROUBLESHOOT THE GENERATOR; WHEN IT SUDDENLY STARTED WORKING. WHILE I WAS ENGAGED IN THIS; THE ACFT HAD CLBED A BIT AND I LOOKED UP TO SEE SOLID IMC AND MY ALT HAD INCREASED TO 1800 FT. AFTER A SLIGHT MOMENT OF INTENSE PANIC I REGAINED COMPOSURE AND DSNDED BACK INTO VFR. IF I HAD BEEN SMART; I WOULD HAVE TURNED BACK IMMEDIATELY. AFTER A FEW MORE MINS; CEILINGS LOWERED TO AROUND 1200 FT MSL. I KNEW I HAD GOOD WX IN AT MOST 50 MORE MI SO I FOOLISHLY ELECTED TO CONTINUE. THE CEILINGS LOWERED TO ABOUT 1000 FT MSL AND I FINALLY DECIDED TO TURN BACK TO HOUSTON. WHEN I MADE THE TURN I SAW THAT THE WX HAD WORSENED BEHIND ME. NOT WANTING TO RE-ENTER THE BUSY HOUSTON AIRSPACE AT BELOW 1000 FT; WITH NO GUARANTEE OF FINDING MY ARPT; I TURNED MY ACFT TOWARD HOME AND ENTERED IMC. IF I HAD NOT HAD A CONFIRMATION OF CLR WX AT THE HOME ARPT; I WOULD HAVE CALLED ZHU AND DECLARED AN EMER. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE CALLED THEM AND REQUESTED AN IFR POPUP. AT LEAST I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE SYS. I KEPT THE AUTOPLT ENGAGED; NAVING BY GPS AND PROCEEDED TO SLOWLY CLB TO 2500 FT MSL. I REASONED THAT 2500 FT WOULD KEEP ME SEPARATED FROM ANY IFR TFC AND NO OTHER VFR PLT WOULD BE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO FLY AT 2500 FT. AFTER WHAT SEEMED AN ETERNITY; BUT WAS IN REALITY ONLY 20 MINS OR SO; THE GND BEGAN APPEARING AGAIN AND I WAS ABLE TO DSND TO A LEGAL ALT AND REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I MADE A STANDARD APCH AND LNDG AT MY HOME ARPT. I AM RESOLVED TO NEVER; EVER LET THIS HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN. IT WAS FOOLISH. TO HELP MAKE MYSELF A SAFER PLT; I AM GOING TO PURSUE FINISHING MY IFR RATING AND IN THE MEANTIME I AM RAISING MY PERSONAL MINIMUMS TO AT LEAST 2000 FT AGL AND 5 MI VISIBILITY ON THE ENTIRE RTE; I OR WILL NOT GO.

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.