Narrative:

We left N47 at xa. Ceilings 10000' broken, visibility 10 mi. WX briefings had stated lowering ceilings central to eastern oh and in until after a cold front passed, then clearing. Our destination was mdw, with a fuel stop at akron/canton, and a planned layover until the WX cleared to the west. About an hour into the flight, the ceilings dropped to 2500 or 3000'. We were in a low hill region, tops at about 2800-2900', and just below the clouds at 2600'. We were on VFR advisories from ZNY, and they gave us several airports to go to that were in the vicinity. University park was about 40 NM to the west, but I felt that the ceilings were lowering in that direction, so ny advised me of penn valley, directly east of us. We opted for penn valley, and asked permission to climb to 4000' into the clouds, but above the local hilltops, which we could see above us. ZNY said ok, and I climbed to 4000' and flew on a heading of 090 degrees as vectored by them. I continued on his courses, to 075 degrees until the airport was 10 NM and at 12 O'clock. At this point I let down until I was out of the clouds, at about 3500'. I continued toward the airport under his advisories until I was about 1 mi away and had the airport in sight. ZNY then let me resume my own navigation, and change my transponder to 1200, and change frequencys. We landed at penn valley and left the next day. The WX briefing indicated the front was going to pass to the south of our route of flight about xb to xc through oh and in, and get a lot clearer. The first IFR or marginal VFR was in the mansfield, oh, area, west of our fuel stop.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BECAUSE OF DETERIORATING WX REPORTER ELECTED TO FLY IN IMC WITH ATC ADVISORIES ON A VFR FLT PLAN AND WITHOUT AN INSTRUMENT RATING.

Narrative: WE LEFT N47 AT XA. CEILINGS 10000' BROKEN, VISIBILITY 10 MI. WX BRIEFINGS HAD STATED LOWERING CEILINGS CENTRAL TO EASTERN OH AND IN UNTIL AFTER A COLD FRONT PASSED, THEN CLEARING. OUR DEST WAS MDW, WITH A FUEL STOP AT AKRON/CANTON, AND A PLANNED LAYOVER UNTIL THE WX CLRED TO THE W. ABOUT AN HR INTO THE FLT, THE CEILINGS DROPPED TO 2500 OR 3000'. WE WERE IN A LOW HILL REGION, TOPS AT ABOUT 2800-2900', AND JUST BELOW THE CLOUDS AT 2600'. WE WERE ON VFR ADVISORIES FROM ZNY, AND THEY GAVE US SEVERAL ARPTS TO GO TO THAT WERE IN THE VICINITY. UNIVERSITY PARK WAS ABOUT 40 NM TO THE W, BUT I FELT THAT THE CEILINGS WERE LOWERING IN THAT DIRECTION, SO NY ADVISED ME OF PENN VALLEY, DIRECTLY E OF US. WE OPTED FOR PENN VALLEY, AND ASKED PERMISSION TO CLB TO 4000' INTO THE CLOUDS, BUT ABOVE THE LCL HILLTOPS, WHICH WE COULD SEE ABOVE US. ZNY SAID OK, AND I CLBED TO 4000' AND FLEW ON A HDG OF 090 DEGS AS VECTORED BY THEM. I CONTINUED ON HIS COURSES, TO 075 DEGS UNTIL THE ARPT WAS 10 NM AND AT 12 O'CLOCK. AT THIS POINT I LET DOWN UNTIL I WAS OUT OF THE CLOUDS, AT ABOUT 3500'. I CONTINUED TOWARD THE ARPT UNDER HIS ADVISORIES UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 1 MI AWAY AND HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. ZNY THEN LET ME RESUME MY OWN NAV, AND CHANGE MY XPONDER TO 1200, AND CHANGE FREQS. WE LANDED AT PENN VALLEY AND LEFT THE NEXT DAY. THE WX BRIEFING INDICATED THE FRONT WAS GOING TO PASS TO THE S OF OUR ROUTE OF FLT ABOUT XB TO XC THROUGH OH AND IN, AND GET A LOT CLEARER. THE FIRST IFR OR MARGINAL VFR WAS IN THE MANSFIELD, OH, AREA, W OF OUR FUEL STOP.

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.