Narrative:

A WX briefing was obtained from FSS at approximately XA00. The forecast was for VFR until after XC00. The briefer did mention that the WX about 50 NM away was 2000 ft; 2 mi; in snow showers. I am a commercial student and departed (VFR) from ZZZ at XA45. The ZZZ ASOS was reporting 8500 ft few and 10 mi. I headed to the practice area about 8 NM east of ZZZ in order to practice commercial maneuvers. My thought was that if the WX began to deteriorate; I could quickly return to ZZZ. At about XB30 I completed my practice session and turned west to return to ZZZ. As I headed west; I could no longer see ZZZ due to snow showers. I descended to 1500 ft MSL and crossed a ridge line about 4 mi east of ZZZ. I then descended to 1000 ft MSL. The visibility was now down to no more than 3 mi (it might have been less) so I could not see the airport but I could clearly see the ground. It should be noted that this piper arrow does not have an autoplt; GPS; or DME; so I could not go direct to the airport. At this point; I heard a radio call from a debonair saying he was about 5 mi east of ZZZ and inbound for landing. I looked to my left; and saw the debonair. I climbed; he dived and we missed each other. At this point; I decided it would be much safer to climb; contact ZZZ1 approach and get a 'pop up' IFR clearance. As I was climbing to the ese (now in IFR conditions); I called ZZZ1 approach. I requested an IFR clearance to do the VOR approach into ZZZ. He told me to contact ZZZ2 approach. (ZZZ lies near the boundary between ZZZ1 and ZZZ2 airspace.) I now made the same request of ZZZ2. They said to go back to ZZZ1; which I did. The ZZZ1 controller asked me to identify on 1200; which I did. He said I was definitely in ZZZ2 airspace. I asked him for a position. He said I was 3 mi north of the VOR. This surprised me as I thought I was more to the southeast of ZZZ. At this point; I discovered that my directional gyro had precessed due to the practice commercial maneuvers. I should also note that at this point I am solid IFR and hand flying the arrow. So; I call ZZZ2 approach again. I tell the controller that I am 3 mi north of VOR and need a pop-up IFR clearance. He thinks I said 3 mi north of ZZZ and tells me to contact ZZZ1. I clarify to him that I am 3 mi north of VOR; that I need an IFR clearance to do the VOR approach into ZZZ. He responds saying to contact FSS and file an IFR flight plan! I must say that at this point I am in IFR conditions; in clouds/snow showers; there is an airmet for icing to 15000 ft; unsure of my exact position with ZZZ1 and ZZZ2 controllers bouncing me back and forth and unwilling to help me. The prospect of trying to file a flight plan and hand fly an airplane that I only have 12 hours in and have never flown IFR did not appeal to me at all. To say I was feeling a sense of urgency is an understatement. At this point I radioed ZZZ2 approach and said 'aircraft X is declaring an emergency. I need an IFR clearance for the VOR at ZZZ.' I was immediately given a squawk code; told to climb and maintain 3000 ft; fly heading 180 degrees and cleared for the VOR into ZZZ the approach wasn't the best I've ever flown; but it did the job and in a few mins I circled to runway at ZZZ and safely landed. I still think that I did the right thing (and the safe thing) by climbing after the encounter with the debonair. However; I was shocked when I could not get ZZZ1 or ZZZ2 approach to help me until I declared an emergency. I would never ask (and most IFR pilots I know would never ask) for a pop-up IFR clearance unless I really needed it. Controllers should understand this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT ENTERS IMC WHILE VFR. HAS DIFFICULTY OBTAINING ATC ASSISTANCE.

Narrative: A WX BRIEFING WAS OBTAINED FROM FSS AT APPROX XA00. THE FORECAST WAS FOR VFR UNTIL AFTER XC00. THE BRIEFER DID MENTION THAT THE WX ABOUT 50 NM AWAY WAS 2000 FT; 2 MI; IN SNOW SHOWERS. I AM A COMMERCIAL STUDENT AND DEPARTED (VFR) FROM ZZZ AT XA45. THE ZZZ ASOS WAS RPTING 8500 FT FEW AND 10 MI. I HEADED TO THE PRACTICE AREA ABOUT 8 NM E OF ZZZ IN ORDER TO PRACTICE COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS. MY THOUGHT WAS THAT IF THE WX BEGAN TO DETERIORATE; I COULD QUICKLY RETURN TO ZZZ. AT ABOUT XB30 I COMPLETED MY PRACTICE SESSION AND TURNED W TO RETURN TO ZZZ. AS I HEADED W; I COULD NO LONGER SEE ZZZ DUE TO SNOW SHOWERS. I DSNDED TO 1500 FT MSL AND CROSSED A RIDGE LINE ABOUT 4 MI E OF ZZZ. I THEN DSNDED TO 1000 FT MSL. THE VISIBILITY WAS NOW DOWN TO NO MORE THAN 3 MI (IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN LESS) SO I COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT BUT I COULD CLEARLY SEE THE GND. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS PIPER ARROW DOES NOT HAVE AN AUTOPLT; GPS; OR DME; SO I COULD NOT GO DIRECT TO THE ARPT. AT THIS POINT; I HEARD A RADIO CALL FROM A DEBONAIR SAYING HE WAS ABOUT 5 MI E OF ZZZ AND INBOUND FOR LNDG. I LOOKED TO MY L; AND SAW THE DEBONAIR. I CLBED; HE DIVED AND WE MISSED EACH OTHER. AT THIS POINT; I DECIDED IT WOULD BE MUCH SAFER TO CLB; CONTACT ZZZ1 APCH AND GET A 'POP UP' IFR CLRNC. AS I WAS CLBING TO THE ESE (NOW IN IFR CONDITIONS); I CALLED ZZZ1 APCH. I REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC TO DO THE VOR APCH INTO ZZZ. HE TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZZZ2 APCH. (ZZZ LIES NEAR THE BOUNDARY BTWN ZZZ1 AND ZZZ2 AIRSPACE.) I NOW MADE THE SAME REQUEST OF ZZZ2. THEY SAID TO GO BACK TO ZZZ1; WHICH I DID. THE ZZZ1 CTLR ASKED ME TO IDENT ON 1200; WHICH I DID. HE SAID I WAS DEFINITELY IN ZZZ2 AIRSPACE. I ASKED HIM FOR A POS. HE SAID I WAS 3 MI N OF THE VOR. THIS SURPRISED ME AS I THOUGHT I WAS MORE TO THE SE OF ZZZ. AT THIS POINT; I DISCOVERED THAT MY DIRECTIONAL GYRO HAD PRECESSED DUE TO THE PRACTICE COMMERCIAL MANEUVERS. I SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT AT THIS POINT I AM SOLID IFR AND HAND FLYING THE ARROW. SO; I CALL ZZZ2 APCH AGAIN. I TELL THE CTLR THAT I AM 3 MI N OF VOR AND NEED A POP-UP IFR CLRNC. HE THINKS I SAID 3 MI N OF ZZZ AND TELLS ME TO CONTACT ZZZ1. I CLARIFY TO HIM THAT I AM 3 MI N OF VOR; THAT I NEED AN IFR CLRNC TO DO THE VOR APCH INTO ZZZ. HE RESPONDS SAYING TO CONTACT FSS AND FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN! I MUST SAY THAT AT THIS POINT I AM IN IFR CONDITIONS; IN CLOUDS/SNOW SHOWERS; THERE IS AN AIRMET FOR ICING TO 15000 FT; UNSURE OF MY EXACT POS WITH ZZZ1 AND ZZZ2 CTLRS BOUNCING ME BACK AND FORTH AND UNWILLING TO HELP ME. THE PROSPECT OF TRYING TO FILE A FLT PLAN AND HAND FLY AN AIRPLANE THAT I ONLY HAVE 12 HRS IN AND HAVE NEVER FLOWN IFR DID NOT APPEAL TO ME AT ALL. TO SAY I WAS FEELING A SENSE OF URGENCY IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT. AT THIS POINT I RADIOED ZZZ2 APCH AND SAID 'ACFT X IS DECLARING AN EMER. I NEED AN IFR CLRNC FOR THE VOR AT ZZZ.' I WAS IMMEDIATELY GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE; TOLD TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT; FLY HDG 180 DEGS AND CLRED FOR THE VOR INTO ZZZ THE APCH WASN'T THE BEST I'VE EVER FLOWN; BUT IT DID THE JOB AND IN A FEW MINS I CIRCLED TO RWY AT ZZZ AND SAFELY LANDED. I STILL THINK THAT I DID THE RIGHT THING (AND THE SAFE THING) BY CLBING AFTER THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE DEBONAIR. HOWEVER; I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I COULD NOT GET ZZZ1 OR ZZZ2 APCH TO HELP ME UNTIL I DECLARED AN EMER. I WOULD NEVER ASK (AND MOST IFR PLTS I KNOW WOULD NEVER ASK) FOR A POP-UP IFR CLRNC UNLESS I REALLY NEEDED IT. CTLRS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THIS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.