Narrative:

Before the flight, things were looking marginal, so before I left I got the forecast which said the WX would get better as the evening wore on. I flew to attend a meeting. The WX was worse than predicted at the destination, but I still had the forecast that the WX was gonna get better. I decided it was ok to land and go to the meeting. About the time I landed, the rain started. Another pilot flew in from the east, and he and I watched the WX, and the meeting. He finally decided to leave, while the AWOS was reporting 2 1/2 mi visibility, 2500 ft ceiling. I thought I should wait, it was getting better, the rain had stopped. As he left, I watched him, and it seemed there was plenty of visibility. The AWOS finally was reporting 3 mi of visibility, and a 2500 ft ceiling. I decided to leave. While climbing out, things seemed ok, the WX was poorer than predicted, but the ATIS for my destination was reporting 4000 ft ceiling, and 8 mi visibility, it was only 12 mi to the west. As the city lights were disappearing, I wasn't sure if the visibility was deteriorating, or if I was going from city to country, and the lights could be that far apart. Suddenly there were no ground references, the strobes were irritating, and the landing light that I left on was very obvious. I was in a cloud. There was lots of adrenaline, lots! I had an instrument rating, but hadn't been actual for probably 4 yrs, and wasn't current. My focus shifted to the attitude indicator, not any scanning, just the attitude indicator. I had already tuned the destination airport VOR, knowing even 8 mi at night wasn't gonna make this a drive to the airport straight VFR. I had a reference for where I was going. A moment of vertigo, and I was back on the attitude indicator, I was maybe in a 5 degree bank, so I know to calmly correct that, and then focus. I thought about tuning in the local approach frequency, I knew 125.00, since all my instrument training involved these 2 airports. I had been told of stories where pilots get help by admitting their mistakes, and thought I'd rather fill out forms, than have someone do it for me. I had my heading from the VOR, I had my altitude, and I just wanted to keep my wings level hoping it was a small cloud. I was afraid to take my eyes off the instruments. I figured I could drop down 300-400 ft and still have plenty of obstacle clearance, so I tried it. About 300 ft, suddenly there were farm lights obvious, I was shaking, but I could see ahead, -- probably 3 mi. I decided I was at the right altitude, and suddenly I saw the rotating beacon for my destination. I was about 200 ft above pattern altitude when I called the tower. I really had no idea how far away I was, or where I really was. I calmly, as I could, called the tower and told 'em I was 8 mi out, with ATIS information, landing. I figured if I could see the airport, I must be at least that close. The landing was quite uneventful, but the controllers were laughing about something -- hopefully not at me. Tomorrow I will make an appointment, get my instrument rating current. I really want to get some actual time again. It is much different knowing that there is no peeking when you are really in a cloud.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR IN IMC. PLT OF A C172 FLEW INTO AN OVCST DURING SHORT XCOUNTRY FLT ACROSS TOWN AT NIGHT.

Narrative: BEFORE THE FLT, THINGS WERE LOOKING MARGINAL, SO BEFORE I LEFT I GOT THE FORECAST WHICH SAID THE WX WOULD GET BETTER AS THE EVENING WORE ON. I FLEW TO ATTEND A MEETING. THE WX WAS WORSE THAN PREDICTED AT THE DEST, BUT I STILL HAD THE FORECAST THAT THE WX WAS GONNA GET BETTER. I DECIDED IT WAS OK TO LAND AND GO TO THE MEETING. ABOUT THE TIME I LANDED, THE RAIN STARTED. ANOTHER PLT FLEW IN FROM THE E, AND HE AND I WATCHED THE WX, AND THE MEETING. HE FINALLY DECIDED TO LEAVE, WHILE THE AWOS WAS RPTING 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, 2500 FT CEILING. I THOUGHT I SHOULD WAIT, IT WAS GETTING BETTER, THE RAIN HAD STOPPED. AS HE LEFT, I WATCHED HIM, AND IT SEEMED THERE WAS PLENTY OF VISIBILITY. THE AWOS FINALLY WAS RPTING 3 MI OF VISIBILITY, AND A 2500 FT CEILING. I DECIDED TO LEAVE. WHILE CLBING OUT, THINGS SEEMED OK, THE WX WAS POORER THAN PREDICTED, BUT THE ATIS FOR MY DEST WAS RPTING 4000 FT CEILING, AND 8 MI VISIBILITY, IT WAS ONLY 12 MI TO THE W. AS THE CITY LIGHTS WERE DISAPPEARING, I WASN'T SURE IF THE VISIBILITY WAS DETERIORATING, OR IF I WAS GOING FROM CITY TO COUNTRY, AND THE LIGHTS COULD BE THAT FAR APART. SUDDENLY THERE WERE NO GND REFS, THE STROBES WERE IRRITATING, AND THE LNDG LIGHT THAT I LEFT ON WAS VERY OBVIOUS. I WAS IN A CLOUD. THERE WAS LOTS OF ADRENALINE, LOTS! I HAD AN INST RATING, BUT HADN'T BEEN ACTUAL FOR PROBABLY 4 YRS, AND WASN'T CURRENT. MY FOCUS SHIFTED TO THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, NOT ANY SCANNING, JUST THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR. I HAD ALREADY TUNED THE DEST ARPT VOR, KNOWING EVEN 8 MI AT NIGHT WASN'T GONNA MAKE THIS A DRIVE TO THE ARPT STRAIGHT VFR. I HAD A REF FOR WHERE I WAS GOING. A MOMENT OF VERTIGO, AND I WAS BACK ON THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR, I WAS MAYBE IN A 5 DEG BANK, SO I KNOW TO CALMLY CORRECT THAT, AND THEN FOCUS. I THOUGHT ABOUT TUNING IN THE LCL APCH FREQ, I KNEW 125.00, SINCE ALL MY INST TRAINING INVOLVED THESE 2 ARPTS. I HAD BEEN TOLD OF STORIES WHERE PLTS GET HELP BY ADMITTING THEIR MISTAKES, AND THOUGHT I'D RATHER FILL OUT FORMS, THAN HAVE SOMEONE DO IT FOR ME. I HAD MY HDG FROM THE VOR, I HAD MY ALT, AND I JUST WANTED TO KEEP MY WINGS LEVEL HOPING IT WAS A SMALL CLOUD. I WAS AFRAID TO TAKE MY EYES OFF THE INSTS. I FIGURED I COULD DROP DOWN 300-400 FT AND STILL HAVE PLENTY OF OBSTACLE CLRNC, SO I TRIED IT. ABOUT 300 FT, SUDDENLY THERE WERE FARM LIGHTS OBVIOUS, I WAS SHAKING, BUT I COULD SEE AHEAD, -- PROBABLY 3 MI. I DECIDED I WAS AT THE RIGHT ALT, AND SUDDENLY I SAW THE ROTATING BEACON FOR MY DEST. I WAS ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE PATTERN ALT WHEN I CALLED THE TWR. I REALLY HAD NO IDEA HOW FAR AWAY I WAS, OR WHERE I REALLY WAS. I CALMLY, AS I COULD, CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD 'EM I WAS 8 MI OUT, WITH ATIS INFO, LNDG. I FIGURED IF I COULD SEE THE ARPT, I MUST BE AT LEAST THAT CLOSE. THE LNDG WAS QUITE UNEVENTFUL, BUT THE CTLRS WERE LAUGHING ABOUT SOMETHING -- HOPEFULLY NOT AT ME. TOMORROW I WILL MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, GET MY INST RATING CURRENT. I REALLY WANT TO GET SOME ACTUAL TIME AGAIN. IT IS MUCH DIFFERENT KNOWING THAT THERE IS NO PEEKING WHEN YOU ARE REALLY IN A CLOUD.

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.