Narrative:

This is a report of an inadvertent far violation that I committed. I took off from eri airport under VFR conditions and I had checked the WX at my destination, tzr, and found it to be MVFR and clearing up. However, I did not pay attention to the WX in cleveland as I was in a hurry to leave before the FBO closes. When I got to cleveland, it was still in IMC and I flew in the clouds while I was talking to cleveland approach. I made the controller know that I got caught in the clouds and that I was headed to columbus. Unfortunately, cleveland approach could not see my plane on the radar. So I kept an altitude of 3000 ft and a constant heading of 250 degrees as they told me and I kept giving the DME's to nearby VOR's in order not to jeopardize the safety of any traffic in the area. By the time I got close to cmh airport, the guys in columbus were able to see me on their radar and they asked me to squawk emergency. Then they asked me to remain below the clouds and land in cmh because the conditions in bolton field were not yet favorable. So I landed in cmh and waited there for a couple of hours, then I took off again and landed in bolton field airport. I understand that by flying in the clouds I violated the far because I am not instrument rated. But I kept constant contact with the controllers in the area between cleveland and columbus and I did my best to avoid any hazard to other eventual IFR traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 NON INST RATED PVT PLT FLEW INTO CLOUDS AND WAS ASSISTED BY APCH CTLR TO VFR CONDITIONS/

Narrative: THIS IS A RPT OF AN INADVERTENT FAR VIOLATION THAT I COMMITTED. I TOOK OFF FROM ERI ARPT UNDER VFR CONDITIONS AND I HAD CHKED THE WX AT MY DEST, TZR, AND FOUND IT TO BE MVFR AND CLRING UP. HOWEVER, I DID NOT PAY ATTN TO THE WX IN CLEVELAND AS I WAS IN A HURRY TO LEAVE BEFORE THE FBO CLOSES. WHEN I GOT TO CLEVELAND, IT WAS STILL IN IMC AND I FLEW IN THE CLOUDS WHILE I WAS TALKING TO CLEVELAND APCH. I MADE THE CTLR KNOW THAT I GOT CAUGHT IN THE CLOUDS AND THAT I WAS HEADED TO COLUMBUS. UNFORTUNATELY, CLEVELAND APCH COULD NOT SEE MY PLANE ON THE RADAR. SO I KEPT AN ALT OF 3000 FT AND A CONSTANT HDG OF 250 DEGS AS THEY TOLD ME AND I KEPT GIVING THE DME'S TO NEARBY VOR'S IN ORDER NOT TO JEOPARDIZE THE SAFETY OF ANY TFC IN THE AREA. BY THE TIME I GOT CLOSE TO CMH ARPT, THE GUYS IN COLUMBUS WERE ABLE TO SEE ME ON THEIR RADAR AND THEY ASKED ME TO SQUAWK EMER. THEN THEY ASKED ME TO REMAIN BELOW THE CLOUDS AND LAND IN CMH BECAUSE THE CONDITIONS IN BOLTON FIELD WERE NOT YET FAVORABLE. SO I LANDED IN CMH AND WAITED THERE FOR A COUPLE OF HRS, THEN I TOOK OFF AGAIN AND LANDED IN BOLTON FIELD ARPT. I UNDERSTAND THAT BY FLYING IN THE CLOUDS I VIOLATED THE FAR BECAUSE I AM NOT INST RATED. BUT I KEPT CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE CTLRS IN THE AREA BTWN CLEVELAND AND COLUMBUS AND I DID MY BEST TO AVOID ANY HAZARD TO OTHER EVENTUAL IFR TFC.

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.