Narrative:

I left teb at XA00 after I got my WX briefing for the day. The forecast was VFR. I flew to mtp where I left at XB00. En route the WX turned bad and I decided to turn around and stop in gon. Here I waited with 6 other pilots for 45 mins until the sky cleared. I called WX service and confirmed that the route was VFR. I flew 50 mi when the WX turned bad again. Bid reported 1500 ft broken but I had problems with my visibility at 800 ft. So I decided to make another stop. I landed in bid, waited 20 mins and called the WX services. They told me that teb was VFR with 1500 ft broken. Lga was VFR too. I decided to continue my flight and to turn around if the WX got bad. 10 mi east from teb my visibility changed in-flight in 10 seconds from 5-10 mi to 0. I tried to go from 1000 ft to 600 ft but I could not see anything. I was right outside from lga class B airspace. The visibility was 0 and I am not IFR trained. So I called ZNY 120.80 and declared an emergency. The controller gave me a vector to lga and I landed there safe on runway 22. Lga reported at this time VFR but when I came in the ceiling was only 500 ft. After my landing I called flight service to give them a PIREP. They told me that there were more emergencys reported at this time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he has been contacted by the FAA and after reviewing the incident they said he did the right thing to declare an emergency and the file is closed. His main concern was that he would hit somebody if he was flying around not knowing where he was in the busy airspace. Reporter's other concern was that he was still being given information that lga was VFR when he was on approach and could not see anything. His contact with FSS indicated others were experiencing similar problems. He was too shaken to check on WX reports after the experience. His aircraft is not IFR equipped but he is planning to change that early next yr and then get his IFR rating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C172B IS GIVEN VFR WX BUT ENCOUNTERS IMC. PRIOR TO ENTERING CLASS B AIRSPACE HE DECLARES AN EMER AND IS VECTORED TO LNDG.

Narrative: I LEFT TEB AT XA00 AFTER I GOT MY WX BRIEFING FOR THE DAY. THE FORECAST WAS VFR. I FLEW TO MTP WHERE I LEFT AT XB00. ENRTE THE WX TURNED BAD AND I DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND STOP IN GON. HERE I WAITED WITH 6 OTHER PLTS FOR 45 MINS UNTIL THE SKY CLRED. I CALLED WX SVC AND CONFIRMED THAT THE RTE WAS VFR. I FLEW 50 MI WHEN THE WX TURNED BAD AGAIN. BID RPTED 1500 FT BROKEN BUT I HAD PROBS WITH MY VISIBILITY AT 800 FT. SO I DECIDED TO MAKE ANOTHER STOP. I LANDED IN BID, WAITED 20 MINS AND CALLED THE WX SVCS. THEY TOLD ME THAT TEB WAS VFR WITH 1500 FT BROKEN. LGA WAS VFR TOO. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE MY FLT AND TO TURN AROUND IF THE WX GOT BAD. 10 MI E FROM TEB MY VISIBILITY CHANGED INFLT IN 10 SECONDS FROM 5-10 MI TO 0. I TRIED TO GO FROM 1000 FT TO 600 FT BUT I COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. I WAS RIGHT OUTSIDE FROM LGA CLASS B AIRSPACE. THE VISIBILITY WAS 0 AND I AM NOT IFR TRAINED. SO I CALLED ZNY 120.80 AND DECLARED AN EMER. THE CTLR GAVE ME A VECTOR TO LGA AND I LANDED THERE SAFE ON RWY 22. LGA RPTED AT THIS TIME VFR BUT WHEN I CAME IN THE CEILING WAS ONLY 500 FT. AFTER MY LNDG I CALLED FLT SVC TO GIVE THEM A PIREP. THEY TOLD ME THAT THERE WERE MORE EMERS RPTED AT THIS TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE HAS BEEN CONTACTED BY THE FAA AND AFTER REVIEWING THE INCIDENT THEY SAID HE DID THE RIGHT THING TO DECLARE AN EMER AND THE FILE IS CLOSED. HIS MAIN CONCERN WAS THAT HE WOULD HIT SOMEBODY IF HE WAS FLYING AROUND NOT KNOWING WHERE HE WAS IN THE BUSY AIRSPACE. RPTR'S OTHER CONCERN WAS THAT HE WAS STILL BEING GIVEN INFO THAT LGA WAS VFR WHEN HE WAS ON APCH AND COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING. HIS CONTACT WITH FSS INDICATED OTHERS WERE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. HE WAS TOO SHAKEN TO CHK ON WX RPTS AFTER THE EXPERIENCE. HIS ACFT IS NOT IFR EQUIPPED BUT HE IS PLANNING TO CHANGE THAT EARLY NEXT YR AND THEN GET HIS IFR RATING.

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.