Narrative:

While returning from nc to smoketown airport I became stuck on top of clouds. When I got to smoketown I circled down through the clouds which were from 3800-1800' MSL and began to look for the airport. Due to poor visibility (3 mi in fog) and my never having flown over the area when snow covered I was having trouble locating the airport. While circling at 1500' MSL I was monitoring the lancaster tower frequency for traffic. I heard the tower notify an eastbound aircraft of a VFR traffic circling smoketown (me) and called lancaster to let them know I was aware of traffic and was looking for smoketown. They asked me if I wanted to land at lancaster and I said yes. (Due to better runway lighting I figured it would be easier to find). They told me to climb to 3000' MSL and head north which I did. They then asked me if the aircraft and myself were IFR rated. I told them the aircraft was but I was not. They told me lancaster was IFR conditions and I should call harrisburg approach. I called them and they said I could go to wilkes-barre which had marginal VFR or they could give me vectors for harrisburg int. I went to harrisburg and landed west/O incident. During this time I flew VFR in IFR conditions three times. (Circling down to smoketown, climb up and landing at harrisburg). The last two were at the direction of ATC and the first was due to my poor preflight or en route planning. I should note the field elevation at smoketown is 360' MSL and I was only in IFR during the descent through the clouds. Lancaster and harrisburg were IFR due to low ceilings. (800' and 700' AGL). Reporter states he received a letter from FAA, went to FSDO to talk. FAA has now closed the file. Reporter reviewed situation with instructor and was informed of several misconceptions he held. Analyst counseled as well.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR PLT ENTERS CLOUDS TO DESCEND TO VMC, ACCEPTS CLRNC FROM AT WHICH TAKES HIM BACK INTO CLOUDS.

Narrative: WHILE RETURNING FROM NC TO SMOKETOWN ARPT I BECAME STUCK ON TOP OF CLOUDS. WHEN I GOT TO SMOKETOWN I CIRCLED DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUDS WHICH WERE FROM 3800-1800' MSL AND BEGAN TO LOOK FOR THE ARPT. DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY (3 MI IN FOG) AND MY NEVER HAVING FLOWN OVER THE AREA WHEN SNOW COVERED I WAS HAVING TROUBLE LOCATING THE ARPT. WHILE CIRCLING AT 1500' MSL I WAS MONITORING THE LANCASTER TWR FREQ FOR TFC. I HEARD THE TWR NOTIFY AN EBND ACFT OF A VFR TFC CIRCLING SMOKETOWN (ME) AND CALLED LANCASTER TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS AWARE OF TFC AND WAS LOOKING FOR SMOKETOWN. THEY ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO LAND AT LANCASTER AND I SAID YES. (DUE TO BETTER RWY LIGHTING I FIGURED IT WOULD BE EASIER TO FIND). THEY TOLD ME TO CLB TO 3000' MSL AND HEAD N WHICH I DID. THEY THEN ASKED ME IF THE ACFT AND MYSELF WERE IFR RATED. I TOLD THEM THE ACFT WAS BUT I WAS NOT. THEY TOLD ME LANCASTER WAS IFR CONDITIONS AND I SHOULD CALL HARRISBURG APCH. I CALLED THEM AND THEY SAID I COULD GO TO WILKES-BARRE WHICH HAD MARGINAL VFR OR THEY COULD GIVE ME VECTORS FOR HARRISBURG INT. I WENT TO HARRISBURG AND LANDED W/O INCIDENT. DURING THIS TIME I FLEW VFR IN IFR CONDITIONS THREE TIMES. (CIRCLING DOWN TO SMOKETOWN, CLB UP AND LNDG AT HARRISBURG). THE LAST TWO WERE AT THE DIRECTION OF ATC AND THE FIRST WAS DUE TO MY POOR PREFLT OR ENRTE PLANNING. I SHOULD NOTE THE FIELD ELEVATION AT SMOKETOWN IS 360' MSL AND I WAS ONLY IN IFR DURING THE DSNT THROUGH THE CLOUDS. LANCASTER AND HARRISBURG WERE IFR DUE TO LOW CEILINGS. (800' AND 700' AGL). RPTR STATES HE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FAA, WENT TO FSDO TO TALK. FAA HAS NOW CLOSED THE FILE. RPTR REVIEWED SITUATION WITH INSTRUCTOR AND WAS INFORMED OF SEVERAL MISCONCEPTIONS HE HELD. ANALYST COUNSELED AS WELL.

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.