BE23 pilot inadvertently flies into IMC while operating VFR in 42I airspace.

Narrative:

Inadvertent VFR flight into IMC (low clouds/fog) occurred 5- 10 mi west of zainesville, oh. Cause of the incident was poor judgement on my part, in trying to push on into deteriorating conditions before landing to improve the likelihood that the front would be past us by morning. I was flying at 600-800 ft AGL beneath ceilings of 1000- 1500 ft AGL when entering the cloud. I suppressed a nearly irresistible desire to fly lower and get underneath (clearly wrong -- for all I knew this wasn't a cloud, but fog extending to the ground), executed a standard rate turn for 1 min, noted that my heading was 180 degrees opposite the previous heading, and exercised patience while 2 or 3 unending mins went by before returning to marginal VMC conditions. Landed at 42I safely, concluding the flight. Contributing factors include: 1) a desire to get home the following day (get thereitis). 2) darkening sky, making overall visibility worse, 3) fatigue, from having flown all day. 4) previous experience flying in marginal conditions with no trouble resulting in an inappropriate level of optimism given the situation. Training on how to handle flying into clouds should emphasize that this will likely happen near the ground -- a scenario I had never considered. The desire to descend below the cloud was almost overwhelming. Without the hood training it would likely have been irresistible.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE23 PLT INADVERTENTLY FLIES INTO IMC WHILE OPERATING VFR IN 42I AIRSPACE.

Narrative: INADVERTENT VFR FLT INTO IMC (LOW CLOUDS/FOG) OCCURRED 5- 10 MI W OF ZAINESVILLE, OH. CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS POOR JUDGEMENT ON MY PART, IN TRYING TO PUSH ON INTO DETERIORATING CONDITIONS BEFORE LNDG TO IMPROVE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT THE FRONT WOULD BE PAST US BY MORNING. I WAS FLYING AT 600-800 FT AGL BENEATH CEILINGS OF 1000- 1500 FT AGL WHEN ENTERING THE CLOUD. I SUPPRESSED A NEARLY IRRESISTIBLE DESIRE TO FLY LOWER AND GET UNDERNEATH (CLRLY WRONG -- FOR ALL I KNEW THIS WASN'T A CLOUD, BUT FOG EXTENDING TO THE GND), EXECUTED A STANDARD RATE TURN FOR 1 MIN, NOTED THAT MY HDG WAS 180 DEGS OPPOSITE THE PREVIOUS HDG, AND EXERCISED PATIENCE WHILE 2 OR 3 UNENDING MINS WENT BY BEFORE RETURNING TO MARGINAL VMC CONDITIONS. LANDED AT 42I SAFELY, CONCLUDING THE FLT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE: 1) A DESIRE TO GET HOME THE FOLLOWING DAY (GET THEREITIS). 2) DARKENING SKY, MAKING OVERALL VISIBILITY WORSE, 3) FATIGUE, FROM HAVING FLOWN ALL DAY. 4) PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE FLYING IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS WITH NO TROUBLE RESULTING IN AN INAPPROPRIATE LEVEL OF OPTIMISM GIVEN THE SIT. TRAINING ON HOW TO HANDLE FLYING INTO CLOUDS SHOULD EMPHASIZE THAT THIS WILL LIKELY HAPPEN NEAR THE GND -- A SCENARIO I HAD NEVER CONSIDERED. THE DESIRE TO DSND BELOW THE CLOUD WAS ALMOST OVERWHELMING. WITHOUT THE HOOD TRAINING IT WOULD LIKELY HAVE BEEN IRRESISTIBLE.

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.

Attributes
ACN	423309
Time
Date	199812
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 42i
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1600 msl bound upper : 1600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 102 flight time total : 185 flight time type : 102
ASRS Report	423309
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation