Narrative:

I left sav with clear skies and light winds from the east, which were forecast to change to the west. About columbus, GA, I began to encounter clouds but not low enough to cause a change of altitude. As I continued west to sem I was tracking with a GPS which I had purchased before making the trip and was probably over confident in. As I neared mgm I was forced lower to stay below the clouds. I passed over franklin (07A), but did not see it in the trees. I looked for it in case I had to come back to land. As I neared mgm I planned to slide south of mgm's class C airspace and pick up the highway to sem. First southeast of mgm I looked at the map and realized that southwest of mgm were numerous towers that had elevations above the cloud ceiling. I called mgm approach and they said they had IMC conditions and to stay clear of the class C airspace. I declared an emergency and was allowed to fly in and land. The tower called me at FBO and later mr X from birmingham's flight standards called me. Later that day I left mgm with a 1300 ft ceiling and 5 mi visibility. As I left I was given a VFR transponder code and departed on runway 10 with a right turn out. I circled the field and followed the highway out to the west. The ceiling was soon above 5000 ft with some light rain showers as I continued west. The contributing factor was probably the new GPS which I was not familiar enough with. It provided wonderful information, but above my ability to use effectively. The second factor was the realization that the ceiling was lower than most of the towers on the map and I was not positive of my exact location. The corrective action for me is to get to work and obtain an instrument rating allowing me to work within the system instead of having to try to move around it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT -- NON INST RATED PLT CONTINUES TO DSND BELOW THE CLOUDS UNTIL BELOW 500 FT AGL.

Narrative: I LEFT SAV WITH CLR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS FROM THE E, WHICH WERE FORECAST TO CHANGE TO THE W. ABOUT COLUMBUS, GA, I BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER CLOUDS BUT NOT LOW ENOUGH TO CAUSE A CHANGE OF ALT. AS I CONTINUED W TO SEM I WAS TRACKING WITH A GPS WHICH I HAD PURCHASED BEFORE MAKING THE TRIP AND WAS PROBABLY OVER CONFIDENT IN. AS I NEARED MGM I WAS FORCED LOWER TO STAY BELOW THE CLOUDS. I PASSED OVER FRANKLIN (07A), BUT DID NOT SEE IT IN THE TREES. I LOOKED FOR IT IN CASE I HAD TO COME BACK TO LAND. AS I NEARED MGM I PLANNED TO SLIDE S OF MGM'S CLASS C AIRSPACE AND PICK UP THE HWY TO SEM. FIRST SE OF MGM I LOOKED AT THE MAP AND REALIZED THAT SW OF MGM WERE NUMEROUS TWRS THAT HAD ELEVATIONS ABOVE THE CLOUD CEILING. I CALLED MGM APCH AND THEY SAID THEY HAD IMC CONDITIONS AND TO STAY CLR OF THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. I DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS ALLOWED TO FLY IN AND LAND. THE TWR CALLED ME AT FBO AND LATER MR X FROM BIRMINGHAM'S FLT STANDARDS CALLED ME. LATER THAT DAY I LEFT MGM WITH A 1300 FT CEILING AND 5 MI VISIBILITY. AS I LEFT I WAS GIVEN A VFR XPONDER CODE AND DEPARTED ON RWY 10 WITH A R TURN OUT. I CIRCLED THE FIELD AND FOLLOWED THE HWY OUT TO THE W. THE CEILING WAS SOON ABOVE 5000 FT WITH SOME LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS AS I CONTINUED W. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS PROBABLY THE NEW GPS WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH. IT PROVIDED WONDERFUL INFO, BUT ABOVE MY ABILITY TO USE EFFECTIVELY. THE SECOND FACTOR WAS THE REALIZATION THAT THE CEILING WAS LOWER THAN MOST OF THE TWRS ON THE MAP AND I WAS NOT POSITIVE OF MY EXACT LOCATION. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION FOR ME IS TO GET TO WORK AND OBTAIN AN INST RATING ALLOWING ME TO WORK WITHIN THE SYS INSTEAD OF HAVING TO TRY TO MOVE AROUND IT.

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.