Narrative:

I called the local us WX bureau office at the evv and was told that time at that there was a measured 800' ceiling, it was overcast and visibility was 5 mi with fog. The wind was 300 at 10 KTS. The ceiling was forecast to be 1200' overcast with 5 mi visibility and fog. I had the tanks filled to the tabs by the FBO and I preflted the plane. We started the plane engine and I listened to ATIS and contacted clearance delivery and told them I wanted to fly to skylane. Clearance delivery told me they would approve a special VFR and I should contact ground control for the clearance. I contacted ground control and they gave me a special VFR clearance and said to stay below 2500' and gave me a transponder code to use, and was told to remain on the control tower frequency 118.70. I made the engine run up and advised the control tower that I was ready for takeoff on runway 36. I took off, made a left turn out at 600' MSL and retracted the flaps and I observed we were flying at the base of the cloud layer (200' AGL) and the ceiling and the visibility were not what I was told to expect. I don't think I was off the ground for more than 1 min, when I called the control tower and told them I was in a very marginal visibility situation and wanted to return to evv and land. I may have said I wanted to land on runway 36. They told me or advised me to fly a southerly heading (I think 180 degrees). I flew the southerly heading and told them I could not see the airport since I was suddenly engulfed in a cloud. I was trying to stay at 600 to 700' MSL when the controller tower advised me to climb to 2500' MSL and gave me a heading of 270 degrees and we found a VFR space between the cloud layers. I told the tower we were flying over some good size holes in the cloud layer that I could descend through, but the tower did not think that was a good idea because the ceiling was probably not any better at the holes than it was just west of the airport. About this time I advised changed to approach and advised that I had the radio equipment, including a G/south to use the ILS on runway 22, if they would give me vectors for an approach, approach said they understood my plane was IFR equipped and they asked me if I was IFR rated. I advised approach that I was not IFR rated, but was currently enrolled in an IFR ground school and had flown in the right hand seat during 2 instrument apches and was familiar with the frequencys that had to be set on the navigation radios to use the ILS on runway 22. Approach advised me they were going to call and send an instrument to the tower to give me some assistance. I agreed that was a very good idea. After several mins approach advised me to change to another frequency--I believe to 120.95, and it was agreed that approach and the instrument would give me radar vectors an guidance to attempt a letdown through the cloud layer using the ILS on runway 22. One approach was attempted, but my gyro compass was acting up, and even with turn advisories I was unable to stay on the localizer and I was advised to abandon the attempted approach. I was advised to climb back to 2500' MSL and find the VFR space between the cloud layers. While climbing and turning I believe the attitude indicator may have acted up and/or I had some spatial disorientation. I had to recover from a brief nose-low unusual attitude situation an got the airplane stabilized. I observed a relatively large hole in the cloud layer while at 2500' MSL and advised approach and the instrument that I would like to descend through the hole and see what the ceiling was at the hole. Approach advised me to proceed at my discretion. I flew through the hole and found the ceiling was 1200' MSL and advised approach that I was headed south toward the airport. They gave me radar vectors and I turned the ADF radio to 284, the frequency for the NDB at the airport. Approach asked me if I wanted to land on runway 18, but I advised them I preferred runway 22 and they advised me I was cleared to land on runway 22.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT PLT ACCEPTED SPECIAL VFR CLRNC, THEN UNABLE MAINTAIN VFR.

Narrative: I CALLED THE LCL U.S. WX BUREAU OFFICE AT THE EVV AND WAS TOLD THAT TIME AT THAT THERE WAS A MEASURED 800' CEILING, IT WAS OVCST AND VISIBILITY WAS 5 MI WITH FOG. THE WIND WAS 300 AT 10 KTS. THE CEILING WAS FORECAST TO BE 1200' OVCST WITH 5 MI VISIBILITY AND FOG. I HAD THE TANKS FILLED TO THE TABS BY THE FBO AND I PREFLTED THE PLANE. WE STARTED THE PLANE ENG AND I LISTENED TO ATIS AND CONTACTED CLRNC DELIVERY AND TOLD THEM I WANTED TO FLY TO SKYLANE. CLRNC DELIVERY TOLD ME THEY WOULD APPROVE A SPECIAL VFR AND I SHOULD CONTACT GND CTL FOR THE CLRNC. I CONTACTED GND CTL AND THEY GAVE ME A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC AND SAID TO STAY BELOW 2500' AND GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE TO USE, AND WAS TOLD TO REMAIN ON THE CTL TWR FREQ 118.70. I MADE THE ENG RUN UP AND ADVISED THE CTL TWR THAT I WAS READY FOR TKOF ON RWY 36. I TOOK OFF, MADE A LEFT TURN OUT AT 600' MSL AND RETRACTED THE FLAPS AND I OBSERVED WE WERE FLYING AT THE BASE OF THE CLOUD LAYER (200' AGL) AND THE CEILING AND THE VISIBILITY WERE NOT WHAT I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT. I DON'T THINK I WAS OFF THE GND FOR MORE THAN 1 MIN, WHEN I CALLED THE CTL TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS IN A VERY MARGINAL VISIBILITY SITUATION AND WANTED TO RETURN TO EVV AND LAND. I MAY HAVE SAID I WANTED TO LAND ON RWY 36. THEY TOLD ME OR ADVISED ME TO FLY A SOUTHERLY HDG (I THINK 180 DEGS). I FLEW THE SOUTHERLY HDG AND TOLD THEM I COULD NOT SEE THE ARPT SINCE I WAS SUDDENLY ENGULFED IN A CLOUD. I WAS TRYING TO STAY AT 600 TO 700' MSL WHEN THE CTLR TWR ADVISED ME TO CLB TO 2500' MSL AND GAVE ME A HDG OF 270 DEGS AND WE FOUND A VFR SPACE BTWN THE CLOUD LAYERS. I TOLD THE TWR WE WERE FLYING OVER SOME GOOD SIZE HOLES IN THE CLOUD LAYER THAT I COULD DSND THROUGH, BUT THE TWR DID NOT THINK THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE THE CEILING WAS PROBABLY NOT ANY BETTER AT THE HOLES THAN IT WAS JUST W OF THE ARPT. ABOUT THIS TIME I ADVISED CHANGED TO APCH AND ADVISED THAT I HAD THE RADIO EQUIP, INCLUDING A G/S TO USE THE ILS ON RWY 22, IF THEY WOULD GIVE ME VECTORS FOR AN APCH, APCH SAID THEY UNDERSTOOD MY PLANE WAS IFR EQUIPPED AND THEY ASKED ME IF I WAS IFR RATED. I ADVISED APCH THAT I WAS NOT IFR RATED, BUT WAS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN AN IFR GND SCHOOL AND HAD FLOWN IN THE RIGHT HAND SEAT DURING 2 INSTR APCHES AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE FREQS THAT HAD TO BE SET ON THE NAV RADIOS TO USE THE ILS ON RWY 22. APCH ADVISED ME THEY WERE GOING TO CALL AND SEND AN INSTR TO THE TWR TO GIVE ME SOME ASSISTANCE. I AGREED THAT WAS A VERY GOOD IDEA. AFTER SEVERAL MINS APCH ADVISED ME TO CHANGE TO ANOTHER FREQ--I BELIEVE TO 120.95, AND IT WAS AGREED THAT APCH AND THE INSTR WOULD GIVE ME RADAR VECTORS AN GUIDANCE TO ATTEMPT A LETDOWN THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER USING THE ILS ON RWY 22. ONE APCH WAS ATTEMPTED, BUT MY GYRO COMPASS WAS ACTING UP, AND EVEN WITH TURN ADVISORIES I WAS UNABLE TO STAY ON THE LOC AND I WAS ADVISED TO ABANDON THE ATTEMPTED APCH. I WAS ADVISED TO CLB BACK TO 2500' MSL AND FIND THE VFR SPACE BTWN THE CLOUD LAYERS. WHILE CLBING AND TURNING I BELIEVE THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR MAY HAVE ACTED UP AND/OR I HAD SOME SPATIAL DISORIENTATION. I HAD TO RECOVER FROM A BRIEF NOSE-LOW UNUSUAL ATTITUDE SITUATION AN GOT THE AIRPLANE STABILIZED. I OBSERVED A RELATIVELY LARGE HOLE IN THE CLOUD LAYER WHILE AT 2500' MSL AND ADVISED APCH AND THE INSTR THAT I WOULD LIKE TO DSND THROUGH THE HOLE AND SEE WHAT THE CEILING WAS AT THE HOLE. APCH ADVISED ME TO PROCEED AT MY DISCRETION. I FLEW THROUGH THE HOLE AND FOUND THE CEILING WAS 1200' MSL AND ADVISED APCH THAT I WAS HEADED S TOWARD THE ARPT. THEY GAVE ME RADAR VECTORS AND I TURNED THE ADF RADIO TO 284, THE FREQ FOR THE NDB AT THE ARPT. APCH ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO LAND ON RWY 18, BUT I ADVISED THEM I PREFERRED RWY 22 AND THEY ADVISED ME I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 22.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.