Narrative:

VFR flight into IMC conditions occurred as a result of multiple factors relating to fixation on 'getting there.' I was PIC. The flight was the last flight of the day. We took off at XX00 pm for a 2 hour flight into what could only be described as marginal VFR at best. I recall that my attitude was, 'let's go take a look and see, we can always turn back.' the temperature/dew point spread was non existent, winds were light, and I was flying in an area that I was not very familiar with, in an area of the country that I was not familiar with. Our WX briefing indicated that we could expect widespread fog and total obscuration at stations just north of our destination at the time of departure. As the flight progressed, I began noticing patches of fog near the surface, and I recall saying to myself, and perhaps even verbally to the newly certified private pilot accompanying me, 'we should start looking for a place to land this thing and get some sleep.' it was my first flight using a LORAN, and while this may seem like an irrelevant fact, it was in fact contributory. The LORAN had proven itself so accurate during the day that I found myself totally relying upon it for navigation, west/O backup. At this point I remember thinking 'it is only another 30 mi.' the fog became exponentially worse from this point on, and in a matter of 10 mins, I was in total IMC, between layers. But the LORAN was so accurate, and 'it is only a few more mi...' at 3000' MSL in complete IMC, just 2-3 mi from the destination, it occurred to me that I ought to check the elevation of the destination airport. 1640'!!! At this point I initiated an immediate climb, declared that this was a terrible mistake and began assessing the situation. 2 1/2 hours fuel remaining, fog closing in behind me, I reversed course to what I hoped was still VFR conditions. I called FSS to verify WX conditions in the area ahead, decided to continue to that point, 1 hour away, and at that time declare an emergency and confess my situation and ask for assistance, if need be. This time I was incredibly lucky. The WX held, we landed and within 10 mins the fog closed in and the field was 0-0. Other factors: fatigue, indecision in the face of obvious facts, overconfidence in LORAN, stupidity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DEPARTS VFR WITH EXTREMELY QUESTIONABLE WX. ENTERS IMC, REVERSES COURSE, LANDS IN MINIMAL CONDITIONS.

Narrative: VFR FLT INTO IMC CONDITIONS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF MULTIPLE FACTORS RELATING TO FIXATION ON 'GETTING THERE.' I WAS PIC. THE FLT WAS THE LAST FLT OF THE DAY. WE TOOK OFF AT XX00 PM FOR A 2 HR FLT INTO WHAT COULD ONLY BE DESCRIBED AS MARGINAL VFR AT BEST. I RECALL THAT MY ATTITUDE WAS, 'LET'S GO TAKE A LOOK AND SEE, WE CAN ALWAYS TURN BACK.' THE TEMP/DEW POINT SPREAD WAS NON EXISTENT, WINDS WERE LIGHT, AND I WAS FLYING IN AN AREA THAT I WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH, IN AN AREA OF THE COUNTRY THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH. OUR WX BRIEFING INDICATED THAT WE COULD EXPECT WIDESPREAD FOG AND TOTAL OBSCURATION AT STATIONS JUST N OF OUR DEST AT THE TIME OF DEP. AS THE FLT PROGRESSED, I BEGAN NOTICING PATCHES OF FOG NEAR THE SURFACE, AND I RECALL SAYING TO MYSELF, AND PERHAPS EVEN VERBALLY TO THE NEWLY CERTIFIED PVT PLT ACCOMPANYING ME, 'WE SHOULD START LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND THIS THING AND GET SOME SLEEP.' IT WAS MY FIRST FLT USING A LORAN, AND WHILE THIS MAY SEEM LIKE AN IRRELEVANT FACT, IT WAS IN FACT CONTRIBUTORY. THE LORAN HAD PROVEN ITSELF SO ACCURATE DURING THE DAY THAT I FOUND MYSELF TOTALLY RELYING UPON IT FOR NAV, W/O BACKUP. AT THIS POINT I REMEMBER THINKING 'IT IS ONLY ANOTHER 30 MI.' THE FOG BECAME EXPONENTIALLY WORSE FROM THIS POINT ON, AND IN A MATTER OF 10 MINS, I WAS IN TOTAL IMC, BTWN LAYERS. BUT THE LORAN WAS SO ACCURATE, AND 'IT IS ONLY A FEW MORE MI...' AT 3000' MSL IN COMPLETE IMC, JUST 2-3 MI FROM THE DEST, IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I OUGHT TO CHK THE ELEVATION OF THE DEST ARPT. 1640'!!! AT THIS POINT I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE CLB, DECLARED THAT THIS WAS A TERRIBLE MISTAKE AND BEGAN ASSESSING THE SITUATION. 2 1/2 HRS FUEL REMAINING, FOG CLOSING IN BEHIND ME, I REVERSED COURSE TO WHAT I HOPED WAS STILL VFR CONDITIONS. I CALLED FSS TO VERIFY WX CONDITIONS IN THE AREA AHEAD, DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO THAT POINT, 1 HR AWAY, AND AT THAT TIME DECLARE AN EMER AND CONFESS MY SITUATION AND ASK FOR ASSISTANCE, IF NEED BE. THIS TIME I WAS INCREDIBLY LUCKY. THE WX HELD, WE LANDED AND WITHIN 10 MINS THE FOG CLOSED IN AND THE FIELD WAS 0-0. OTHER FACTORS: FATIGUE, INDECISION IN THE FACE OF OBVIOUS FACTS, OVERCONFIDENCE IN LORAN, STUPIDITY.

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