An small aircraft pilot flew through a cloud on a night visual approach.

Attributes
ACN	224020
Time
Date	199210
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pwk airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 1450 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	224020
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While making a visual approach to pwk in VMC at night, I entered a cloud or fog bank, approximately 5 mi east of the airport. There was nothing from approach control or ATIS to indicate this. ATIS called for 25000 overcast, visibility 10 mi. I was then vectored for the ILS approach and landed, uneventfully, in VMC. The bad part was that I offered to cancel IFR, and the controller stayed with me on a visual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT FLEW THROUGH A CLOUD ON A NIGHT VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: WHILE MAKING A VISUAL APCH TO PWK IN VMC AT NIGHT, I ENTERED A CLOUD OR FOG BANK, APPROX 5 MI E OF THE ARPT. THERE WAS NOTHING FROM APCH CTL OR ATIS TO INDICATE THIS. ATIS CALLED FOR 25000 OVCST, VISIBILITY 10 MI. I WAS THEN VECTORED FOR THE ILS APCH AND LANDED, UNEVENTFULLY, IN VMC. THE BAD PART WAS THAT I OFFERED TO CANCEL IFR, AND THE CTLR STAYED WITH ME ON A VISUAL.

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.