Narrative:

In the morning; I checked the WX around the coastal areas for a cross country which I canceled because the metars and tafs showed ceilings around 3700 ft and the visibility to be 4 SM. I had to do that flight VFR. I decided to come back IFR. We tried filing a flight plan on the ground with ZZZ1 radio but could not get them and our plan was to take off VFR and maintain VFR till we got an IFR clearance. We got into clouds before we expected at 700 ft. We leveled off for some time and the passenger behind said she could look at the ground and I turned to see and try to find the airport. But I could not find it; and the land was not visible clearly. My copilot was also IFR rated and he said we climb again because we were already flying in clouds. We were in a bank of 30 degrees without realizing for about a few seconds 3 times. But we corrected. My copilot thought we were in an unusual attitude but our airspeed was maintained and we didn't have any changes in altitude. We climbed and he was trying to talk to ZZZ1 radio and file a flight plan and was turning the aircraft unintentionally. I tried helping him with it but they could not understand us. But I was ready to talk to ZZZ1 center for pop-up IFR and we switched to them and I made the first call that we requested IFR clearance. In between; there was confusion as to who had the controls; and I said 'you have the controls' once -- and he took over for a while. They gave us a squawk code and said to maintain VFR. My copilot said we cannot maintain VFR and again she told us to maintain VFR and he told her that it's emergency request IFR flight following immediately. She gave us IFR clearance and said we were radar contact 20 mi west of abc VOR. By this time we were 3200 ft. After that; my copilot thought that the vors were not working properly; but I thought they were. But then we requested radar vectors and came on radar vectors and came back to VMC; but we did not cancel IFR and came back to do the ILS at ZZZ2. The VOR's were working fine and we had the runway in sight at all times. We had different opinions and there were disagreements about some decisions like the VOR functioning. Afterwards; I mentioned that I was worried about my license. Our faults were that we did not file and took clearance before takeoff; we thought we would be able to maintain VFR till we got our clearance. After that; our corrective action should have been to turn back; there was an aircraft taking off behind us and I was trying to find the airport but could not see it. There was a lack of CRM and there was confusion about who had the controls for a while. Also in the confusion we did not realize that we were not navigating to anything.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED PLTS OF C172 CLB INTO IMC WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET AN IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: IN THE MORNING; I CHKED THE WX AROUND THE COASTAL AREAS FOR A XCOUNTRY WHICH I CANCELED BECAUSE THE METARS AND TAFS SHOWED CEILINGS AROUND 3700 FT AND THE VISIBILITY TO BE 4 SM. I HAD TO DO THAT FLT VFR. I DECIDED TO COME BACK IFR. WE TRIED FILING A FLT PLAN ON THE GND WITH ZZZ1 RADIO BUT COULD NOT GET THEM AND OUR PLAN WAS TO TAKE OFF VFR AND MAINTAIN VFR TILL WE GOT AN IFR CLRNC. WE GOT INTO CLOUDS BEFORE WE EXPECTED AT 700 FT. WE LEVELED OFF FOR SOME TIME AND THE PAX BEHIND SAID SHE COULD LOOK AT THE GND AND I TURNED TO SEE AND TRY TO FIND THE ARPT. BUT I COULD NOT FIND IT; AND THE LAND WAS NOT VISIBLE CLEARLY. MY COPLT WAS ALSO IFR RATED AND HE SAID WE CLB AGAIN BECAUSE WE WERE ALREADY FLYING IN CLOUDS. WE WERE IN A BANK OF 30 DEGS WITHOUT REALIZING FOR ABOUT A FEW SECONDS 3 TIMES. BUT WE CORRECTED. MY COPLT THOUGHT WE WERE IN AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE BUT OUR AIRSPD WAS MAINTAINED AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHANGES IN ALT. WE CLBED AND HE WAS TRYING TO TALK TO ZZZ1 RADIO AND FILE A FLT PLAN AND WAS TURNING THE ACFT UNINTENTIONALLY. I TRIED HELPING HIM WITH IT BUT THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND US. BUT I WAS READY TO TALK TO ZZZ1 CTR FOR POP-UP IFR AND WE SWITCHED TO THEM AND I MADE THE FIRST CALL THAT WE REQUESTED IFR CLRNC. IN BTWN; THERE WAS CONFUSION AS TO WHO HAD THE CTLS; AND I SAID 'YOU HAVE THE CTLS' ONCE -- AND HE TOOK OVER FOR A WHILE. THEY GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE AND SAID TO MAINTAIN VFR. MY COPLT SAID WE CANNOT MAINTAIN VFR AND AGAIN SHE TOLD US TO MAINTAIN VFR AND HE TOLD HER THAT IT'S EMER REQUEST IFR FLT FOLLOWING IMMEDIATELY. SHE GAVE US IFR CLRNC AND SAID WE WERE RADAR CONTACT 20 MI W OF ABC VOR. BY THIS TIME WE WERE 3200 FT. AFTER THAT; MY COPLT THOUGHT THAT THE VORS WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY; BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE. BUT THEN WE REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS AND CAME ON RADAR VECTORS AND CAME BACK TO VMC; BUT WE DID NOT CANCEL IFR AND CAME BACK TO DO THE ILS AT ZZZ2. THE VOR'S WERE WORKING FINE AND WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES. WE HAD DIFFERENT OPINIONS AND THERE WERE DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT SOME DECISIONS LIKE THE VOR FUNCTIONING. AFTERWARDS; I MENTIONED THAT I WAS WORRIED ABOUT MY LICENSE. OUR FAULTS WERE THAT WE DID NOT FILE AND TOOK CLRNC BEFORE TKOF; WE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR TILL WE GOT OUR CLRNC. AFTER THAT; OUR CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN TO TURN BACK; THERE WAS AN ACFT TAKING OFF BEHIND US AND I WAS TRYING TO FIND THE ARPT BUT COULD NOT SEE IT. THERE WAS A LACK OF CRM AND THERE WAS CONFUSION ABOUT WHO HAD THE CTLS FOR A WHILE. ALSO IN THE CONFUSION WE DID NOT REALIZE THAT WE WERE NOT NAVING TO ANYTHING.

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.