Narrative:

I departed maf airport about XB10 en route to gtu airport in my piper arrow (PA28/a) with an estimated time en route of 2 hours 30 mins. I had filed and activated a flight plan and had obtained VFR flight following. At some time after passing the llano VOR (about 50 mi from my destination) I contacted san angelo radio and received a report that there was an alert out that the area was predicted to go IFR at or before XA00. Austin bergstrom was 2000 ft overcast, georgetown was 1700 ft, and the dewpoint/temperature spread was 3 degrees C. San angelo radio reported an overcast in the area. I descended to be sure I would be under the reported cloud deck. As I passed llano, I could see it clearly, and I judged the visual range to be at least 10 mi. My sectional shows that llano has a 4200 ft lighted runway. A few mins after I passed llano, ZHU reported loss of radar contact as I descended below 3500 ft and advised me to squawk VFR. I responded appropriately to ZHU and changed my squawk to 1200. At that time I could clearly see burnet, which my sectional noted has an airport with a 5000 ft lighted runway. Thinking that VFR conditions could be deteriorating to IFR before I reached my planned destination or austin, where I could land at austin bergstrom, I kept checking my position on my sectional, with the llano VOR, and with my LORAN, with which I had been xchking my position with respect to airports and MOA's since I departed albuquerque earlier in the day. The LORAN had been agreeing with my sectional and VOR navigation within no disagreement of as much as 1 mi. Between 5-10 mi past burnet, I inadvertently flew into a cloud at approximately 2400 ft MSL. I executed a 180 degree turn and descended a couple of hundred ft and began attempting to navigation to lago vista/rusty allen airport to land. I believed that I was within 5 mi of the airport and headed for it. I had my passenger confirm that the airport was supposed to be open with a beacon operating until XA00. My sectional navigation, my navigation by the llano VOR/DME, and my LORAN all led me to believe that I was passing within 1 mi of lago vista/rusty allen airport. I could not see any sign of the beacon or the runway. After multiple passes over the area, I determined that flight conditions to the northwest for return to burnet under VFR conditions were no longer safe. While flying over the area, I tried to contact austin approach on 119.0, but austin approach was unable to hear me most of the time. An air carrier flight was able to relay a couple of messages, but austin approach was unable to see me on radar or hear me most of the time. After approximately 10 mins of attempting to contact austin approach while maintaining VFR conditions and attempting to locate rusty allen airport, I decided that, although I had approximately 2 hours of fuel, the conditions where I was over lake travis were deteriorating to the point that attempting to maintain VFR flight was more dangerous than climbing to make radio contact with austin approach and to get high enough for austin approach to make radar contact with me. As I departed the area over lake travis, I think it is likely that I flew through IFR conditions. Within approximately 1-2 mins, I was able to talk to austin approach, and austin approach had radar contact with me. Within another min or so, I could see the moon and stars above me. Austin approach initiated a pilot assist, but was unable to find any airport within my 2 hour range where I could descend and land VFR. After determining that I had about 260 hours total time and more than a few hours under the hood and some actual student time in IFR conditions, austin approach offered me the option of descending through the overcast with radar vectors to land at austin bergstrom airport. I accepted the option as the least hazardous way out of the situation. Although I broke out of the overcast at 2000 ft AGL too close to the runway to do a straight-in landing, I made a left 360 degree descending turn and landed safely. What factors contributed to my getting into an unsafe condition? 1) not immediately choosing a field at which to land when I reached burnet and I had over 10 mi visibility and 1500 ft below the ceiling in which to maneuver before descending to traffic pattern altitude. 2)not reversing course immediately when I lost VFR flight following service because of having to descend below 3500 ft. To the west of that point there had been no ceiling, and skies were clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INST RATED PVT PLT BECAME DISORIENTED BELOW THE OVCST AT NIGHT CAUSING HIM TO CLB UP THROUGH THE OVCST TO AN ALT SUFFICIENT FOR ATC CONTACT FOR A FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I DEPARTED MAF ARPT ABOUT XB10 ENRTE TO GTU ARPT IN MY PIPER ARROW (PA28/A) WITH AN ESTIMATED TIME ENRTE OF 2 HRS 30 MINS. I HAD FILED AND ACTIVATED A FLT PLAN AND HAD OBTAINED VFR FLT FOLLOWING. AT SOME TIME AFTER PASSING THE LLANO VOR (ABOUT 50 MI FROM MY DEST) I CONTACTED SAN ANGELO RADIO AND RECEIVED A RPT THAT THERE WAS AN ALERT OUT THAT THE AREA WAS PREDICTED TO GO IFR AT OR BEFORE XA00. AUSTIN BERGSTROM WAS 2000 FT OVCST, GEORGETOWN WAS 1700 FT, AND THE DEWPOINT/TEMP SPREAD WAS 3 DEGS C. SAN ANGELO RADIO RPTED AN OVCST IN THE AREA. I DSNDED TO BE SURE I WOULD BE UNDER THE RPTED CLOUD DECK. AS I PASSED LLANO, I COULD SEE IT CLRLY, AND I JUDGED THE VISUAL RANGE TO BE AT LEAST 10 MI. MY SECTIONAL SHOWS THAT LLANO HAS A 4200 FT LIGHTED RWY. A FEW MINS AFTER I PASSED LLANO, ZHU RPTED LOSS OF RADAR CONTACT AS I DSNDED BELOW 3500 FT AND ADVISED ME TO SQUAWK VFR. I RESPONDED APPROPRIATELY TO ZHU AND CHANGED MY SQUAWK TO 1200. AT THAT TIME I COULD CLRLY SEE BURNET, WHICH MY SECTIONAL NOTED HAS AN ARPT WITH A 5000 FT LIGHTED RWY. THINKING THAT VFR CONDITIONS COULD BE DETERIORATING TO IFR BEFORE I REACHED MY PLANNED DEST OR AUSTIN, WHERE I COULD LAND AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM, I KEPT CHKING MY POS ON MY SECTIONAL, WITH THE LLANO VOR, AND WITH MY LORAN, WITH WHICH I HAD BEEN XCHKING MY POS WITH RESPECT TO ARPTS AND MOA'S SINCE I DEPARTED ALBUQUERQUE EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE LORAN HAD BEEN AGREEING WITH MY SECTIONAL AND VOR NAV WITHIN NO DISAGREEMENT OF AS MUCH AS 1 MI. BTWN 5-10 MI PAST BURNET, I INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO A CLOUD AT APPROX 2400 FT MSL. I EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN AND DSNDED A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT AND BEGAN ATTEMPTING TO NAV TO LAGO VISTA/RUSTY ALLEN ARPT TO LAND. I BELIEVED THAT I WAS WITHIN 5 MI OF THE ARPT AND HEADED FOR IT. I HAD MY PAX CONFIRM THAT THE ARPT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE OPEN WITH A BEACON OPERATING UNTIL XA00. MY SECTIONAL NAV, MY NAV BY THE LLANO VOR/DME, AND MY LORAN ALL LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT I WAS PASSING WITHIN 1 MI OF LAGO VISTA/RUSTY ALLEN ARPT. I COULD NOT SEE ANY SIGN OF THE BEACON OR THE RWY. AFTER MULTIPLE PASSES OVER THE AREA, I DETERMINED THAT FLT CONDITIONS TO THE NW FOR RETURN TO BURNET UNDER VFR CONDITIONS WERE NO LONGER SAFE. WHILE FLYING OVER THE AREA, I TRIED TO CONTACT AUSTIN APCH ON 119.0, BUT AUSTIN APCH WAS UNABLE TO HEAR ME MOST OF THE TIME. AN ACR FLT WAS ABLE TO RELAY A COUPLE OF MESSAGES, BUT AUSTIN APCH WAS UNABLE TO SEE ME ON RADAR OR HEAR ME MOST OF THE TIME. AFTER APPROX 10 MINS OF ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT AUSTIN APCH WHILE MAINTAINING VFR CONDITIONS AND ATTEMPTING TO LOCATE RUSTY ALLEN ARPT, I DECIDED THAT, ALTHOUGH I HAD APPROX 2 HRS OF FUEL, THE CONDITIONS WHERE I WAS OVER LAKE TRAVIS WERE DETERIORATING TO THE POINT THAT ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN VFR FLT WAS MORE DANGEROUS THAN CLBING TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH AUSTIN APCH AND TO GET HIGH ENOUGH FOR AUSTIN APCH TO MAKE RADAR CONTACT WITH ME. AS I DEPARTED THE AREA OVER LAKE TRAVIS, I THINK IT IS LIKELY THAT I FLEW THROUGH IFR CONDITIONS. WITHIN APPROX 1-2 MINS, I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO AUSTIN APCH, AND AUSTIN APCH HAD RADAR CONTACT WITH ME. WITHIN ANOTHER MIN OR SO, I COULD SEE THE MOON AND STARS ABOVE ME. AUSTIN APCH INITIATED A PLT ASSIST, BUT WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY ARPT WITHIN MY 2 HR RANGE WHERE I COULD DSND AND LAND VFR. AFTER DETERMINING THAT I HAD ABOUT 260 HRS TOTAL TIME AND MORE THAN A FEW HRS UNDER THE HOOD AND SOME ACTUAL STUDENT TIME IN IFR CONDITIONS, AUSTIN APCH OFFERED ME THE OPTION OF DSNDING THROUGH THE OVCST WITH RADAR VECTORS TO LAND AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM ARPT. I ACCEPTED THE OPTION AS THE LEAST HAZARDOUS WAY OUT OF THE SIT. ALTHOUGH I BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST AT 2000 FT AGL TOO CLOSE TO THE RWY TO DO A STRAIGHT-IN LNDG, I MADE A L 360 DEG DSNDING TURN AND LANDED SAFELY. WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO MY GETTING INTO AN UNSAFE CONDITION? 1) NOT IMMEDIATELY CHOOSING A FIELD AT WHICH TO LAND WHEN I REACHED BURNET AND I HAD OVER 10 MI VISIBILITY AND 1500 FT BELOW THE CEILING IN WHICH TO MANEUVER BEFORE DSNDING TO TFC PATTERN ALT. 2)NOT REVERSING COURSE IMMEDIATELY WHEN I LOST VFR FLT FOLLOWING SVC BECAUSE OF HAVING TO DSND BELOW 3500 FT. TO THE W OF THAT POINT THERE HAD BEEN NO CEILING, AND SKIES WERE CLR.

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.