Narrative:

I was flying a cessna 172R with my instrument instructor. We were working on approachs at dtn and shv and night lndgs. We departed dtn with 10 SM visibility and ceilings reported above 5000 ft with an airmet for occasional ceilings 1500 ft. We departed dtn approximately XA30 CST on a VFR flight plan and executed approachs localizer 14 dtn and ILS runway 32 shv in good WX (well above VFR minimums). After our missed approach on the ILS runway 32 at shv, we intended to practice the VOR 14 dtn and stay with dtn tower for touch-and-go lndgs. As we were vectored for the VOR 14 dtn approach, we noticed low-level clouds that appeared broken or overcast. Our current heading then was north, the airport (dtn) was approximately east of us, and the clouds were north of us. I asked my instructor if he thought we would enter the clouds, if the clouds were along our approach path. He told me he didn't think so. I was not using a hood (we had forgotten it), but was still using only reference to the instruments to fly and did not look outside to confirm his conclusion. As we intercepted the approach course, it became more obvious that the clouds would likely be in our path. The city (south and west of dtn) was still brightly visible, but I could not easily make out dtn when I looked up. I was hesitant to fly into the clouds and was preoccupied with the situation, and was losing focus on the approach course. I asked my instructor if we should 'call up' ATC, but he did not respond. I imagine he was deciding what we should do at that point. We were asked to report our FAF (wafer) and were late on that call while at the same time losing our approach course (wind pushed us southwest off the course) and not descending at a quick enough rate (we were near 1700 ft MSL). We descended into the clouds for about 1-2 seconds before coming out of the base. We reported passing our FAF (late) and realizing we were off course, began looking for the airport. Realizing we were above the airport, we executed a descending left turn 360 degrees. During that turn, dtn tower informed us that there appeared to be traffic above the airport, circling, to which we replied 'I think that is us.' we finished our descending turn by entering a left downwind for runway 32 and were cleared for landing 32 dtn. We landed with no further events and ended our flight. I assume that overconfidence or complacency may have caused my instructor to hesitate filing an IFR plan on the approach. For myself, loss of situational awareness due to distraction, confusion, dependent upon my experience (lack of) in IMC, and what I assumed my instructor would do, lack of communication and overconfidence/complacency in the role of my instructor all likely contributed to the result.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172R TRAINING FLT GOES IMC IN VFR FLT DURING A VFR PRACTICE APCH TO RWY 14 AT DTN, LA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A CESSNA 172R WITH MY INST INSTRUCTOR. WE WERE WORKING ON APCHS AT DTN AND SHV AND NIGHT LNDGS. WE DEPARTED DTN WITH 10 SM VISIBILITY AND CEILINGS RPTED ABOVE 5000 FT WITH AN AIRMET FOR OCCASIONAL CEILINGS 1500 FT. WE DEPARTED DTN APPROX XA30 CST ON A VFR FLT PLAN AND EXECUTED APCHS LOC 14 DTN AND ILS RWY 32 SHV IN GOOD WX (WELL ABOVE VFR MINIMUMS). AFTER OUR MISSED APCH ON THE ILS RWY 32 AT SHV, WE INTENDED TO PRACTICE THE VOR 14 DTN AND STAY WITH DTN TWR FOR TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS. AS WE WERE VECTORED FOR THE VOR 14 DTN APCH, WE NOTICED LOW-LEVEL CLOUDS THAT APPEARED BROKEN OR OVCST. OUR CURRENT HDG THEN WAS N, THE ARPT (DTN) WAS APPROX E OF US, AND THE CLOUDS WERE N OF US. I ASKED MY INSTRUCTOR IF HE THOUGHT WE WOULD ENTER THE CLOUDS, IF THE CLOUDS WERE ALONG OUR APCH PATH. HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T THINK SO. I WAS NOT USING A HOOD (WE HAD FORGOTTEN IT), BUT WAS STILL USING ONLY REF TO THE INSTS TO FLY AND DID NOT LOOK OUTSIDE TO CONFIRM HIS CONCLUSION. AS WE INTERCEPTED THE APCH COURSE, IT BECAME MORE OBVIOUS THAT THE CLOUDS WOULD LIKELY BE IN OUR PATH. THE CITY (S AND W OF DTN) WAS STILL BRIGHTLY VISIBLE, BUT I COULD NOT EASILY MAKE OUT DTN WHEN I LOOKED UP. I WAS HESITANT TO FLY INTO THE CLOUDS AND WAS PREOCCUPIED WITH THE SIT, AND WAS LOSING FOCUS ON THE APCH COURSE. I ASKED MY INSTRUCTOR IF WE SHOULD 'CALL UP' ATC, BUT HE DID NOT RESPOND. I IMAGINE HE WAS DECIDING WHAT WE SHOULD DO AT THAT POINT. WE WERE ASKED TO RPT OUR FAF (WAFER) AND WERE LATE ON THAT CALL WHILE AT THE SAME TIME LOSING OUR APCH COURSE (WIND PUSHED US SW OFF THE COURSE) AND NOT DSNDING AT A QUICK ENOUGH RATE (WE WERE NEAR 1700 FT MSL). WE DSNDED INTO THE CLOUDS FOR ABOUT 1-2 SECONDS BEFORE COMING OUT OF THE BASE. WE RPTED PASSING OUR FAF (LATE) AND REALIZING WE WERE OFF COURSE, BEGAN LOOKING FOR THE ARPT. REALIZING WE WERE ABOVE THE ARPT, WE EXECUTED A DSNDING L TURN 360 DEGS. DURING THAT TURN, DTN TWR INFORMED US THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE TFC ABOVE THE ARPT, CIRCLING, TO WHICH WE REPLIED 'I THINK THAT IS US.' WE FINISHED OUR DSNDING TURN BY ENTERING A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32 AND WERE CLRED FOR LNDG 32 DTN. WE LANDED WITH NO FURTHER EVENTS AND ENDED OUR FLT. I ASSUME THAT OVERCONFIDENCE OR COMPLACENCY MAY HAVE CAUSED MY INSTRUCTOR TO HESITATE FILING AN IFR PLAN ON THE APCH. FOR MYSELF, LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DUE TO DISTR, CONFUSION, DEPENDENT UPON MY EXPERIENCE (LACK OF) IN IMC, AND WHAT I ASSUMED MY INSTRUCTOR WOULD DO, LACK OF COM AND OVERCONFIDENCE/COMPLACENCY IN THE ROLE OF MY INSTRUCTOR ALL LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE RESULT.

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.