Narrative:

Requested VFR flight to nearby (15 NM) airport with practice VOR-a approach into airport. Took off VFR and was told to expect vectors and maintain VFR at 2500 ft. Informed departure I was unable to remain VFR at 2500 ft due to low clouds in direction of flight. They asked my intentions and I requested IFR clearance into destination. They then gave a new vector and instruction to climb to 4000 ft. During climb, I was initially ok, but started losing ability to maintain controled flight. I noted an inability to maintain assigned heading and level attitude. I turned back to assigned heading and continued climb then noted same problem. As I leveled off at 4000 ft I started to break out on top but then re-entered clouds. I was still having problems controling aircraft and called departure to declare an emergency. They asked my intentions and I said I was going to descend back to VMC which I was able to do with no further problems. I then continued VFR to my destination. I called the tower as requested and discussed the situation with the radar supervisor. I had not flown in 3 weeks and was looking forward to a local flight. I was really expecting a VFR flight with a solo practice approach into destination (tew). I have done this before for practice and am familiar with the approach. I am instrument rated and current but have very little time in actual IMC. When I requested IFR clearance I expected that I would remain at 2500 ft and would be in and out of IMC for a minimal challenge. I was surprised at the direction to climb to 4000 ft but felt that I could handle flying IMC. Once in IMC, I was distraction by the varying sensations and by a problem with a yoke board. I never really got a good instrument scan going and was unable to stay ahead of aircraft. When I realized I had a problem and was unable to correct it the third time, I declared an emergency so I could get out of IMC. I now see several things that I could have done differently to avoid or resolve the problem. I should not have planned a VFR flight with an approach that would put me that close to IMC. I should not have requested an IFR clearance in IMC without more time in actual conditions. I should not have allowed myself to be distraction by a minor equipment problem in IMC. I should have continued climbing into VMC when I broke out on top, rather than descend. This would have allowed me time to get ahead of the aircraft and get my scan started. I should have turned on the autoplt to maintain directional control and reduce workload. I had actually been working a lot with the autoplt in the past few flts, but I never even thought about using the autoplt when I discovered I had a problem. Conditions reported at the time were 270/10 overcast 2300 ft, visibility 10 mi, forecast including possible 'clg 1300.' actual conditions were 240/8 and overcast varied from 1700-2000 ft with visibility about 10 mi. I saw tops were about 4000 ft with higher winds and turbulence in clouds and light rime ice. The flight was near the end of the day with diminished light, I landed right at sunset. I hesitated before declaring an emergency because I was concerned about how it would look and I thought I would be able to retain control of the aircraft. I had decided yrs ago that when the time came, I would not try to avoid the 'east' word, but that when I had any real concern about the outcome of the flight, I would tell the world. I now plan to call my instructor and get more instrument training including dealing with distrs, proper instrument scan, and flight time in actual instrument conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INST RATED SINGLE PLT OF C182 WITH LIMITED ACTUAL IMC TIME GETS DISORIENTED DURING TRANSITION FROM VFR CONDITIONS TO IMC AFTER FILING IFR FLT PLAN. DECLARES EMER AND GETS ASSIST FROM DEP CTLR.

Narrative: REQUESTED VFR FLT TO NEARBY (15 NM) ARPT WITH PRACTICE VOR-A APCH INTO ARPT. TOOK OFF VFR AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT VECTORS AND MAINTAIN VFR AT 2500 FT. INFORMED DEP I WAS UNABLE TO REMAIN VFR AT 2500 FT DUE TO LOW CLOUDS IN DIRECTION OF FLT. THEY ASKED MY INTENTIONS AND I REQUESTED IFR CLRNC INTO DEST. THEY THEN GAVE A NEW VECTOR AND INSTRUCTION TO CLB TO 4000 FT. DURING CLB, I WAS INITIALLY OK, BUT STARTED LOSING ABILITY TO MAINTAIN CTLED FLT. I NOTED AN INABILITY TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED HDG AND LEVEL ATTITUDE. I TURNED BACK TO ASSIGNED HDG AND CONTINUED CLB THEN NOTED SAME PROB. AS I LEVELED OFF AT 4000 FT I STARTED TO BREAK OUT ON TOP BUT THEN RE-ENTERED CLOUDS. I WAS STILL HAVING PROBS CTLING ACFT AND CALLED DEP TO DECLARE AN EMER. THEY ASKED MY INTENTIONS AND I SAID I WAS GOING TO DSND BACK TO VMC WHICH I WAS ABLE TO DO WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. I THEN CONTINUED VFR TO MY DEST. I CALLED THE TWR AS REQUESTED AND DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE RADAR SUPVR. I HAD NOT FLOWN IN 3 WKS AND WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO A LCL FLT. I WAS REALLY EXPECTING A VFR FLT WITH A SOLO PRACTICE APCH INTO DEST (TEW). I HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE FOR PRACTICE AND AM FAMILIAR WITH THE APCH. I AM INST RATED AND CURRENT BUT HAVE VERY LITTLE TIME IN ACTUAL IMC. WHEN I REQUESTED IFR CLRNC I EXPECTED THAT I WOULD REMAIN AT 2500 FT AND WOULD BE IN AND OUT OF IMC FOR A MINIMAL CHALLENGE. I WAS SURPRISED AT THE DIRECTION TO CLB TO 4000 FT BUT FELT THAT I COULD HANDLE FLYING IMC. ONCE IN IMC, I WAS DISTR BY THE VARYING SENSATIONS AND BY A PROB WITH A YOKE BOARD. I NEVER REALLY GOT A GOOD INST SCAN GOING AND WAS UNABLE TO STAY AHEAD OF ACFT. WHEN I REALIZED I HAD A PROB AND WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT IT THE THIRD TIME, I DECLARED AN EMER SO I COULD GET OUT OF IMC. I NOW SEE SEVERAL THINGS THAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO AVOID OR RESOLVE THE PROB. I SHOULD NOT HAVE PLANNED A VFR FLT WITH AN APCH THAT WOULD PUT ME THAT CLOSE TO IMC. I SHOULD NOT HAVE REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC IN IMC WITHOUT MORE TIME IN ACTUAL CONDITIONS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTR BY A MINOR EQUIP PROB IN IMC. I SHOULD HAVE CONTINUED CLBING INTO VMC WHEN I BROKE OUT ON TOP, RATHER THAN DSND. THIS WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ME TIME TO GET AHEAD OF THE ACFT AND GET MY SCAN STARTED. I SHOULD HAVE TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CTL AND REDUCE WORKLOAD. I HAD ACTUALLY BEEN WORKING A LOT WITH THE AUTOPLT IN THE PAST FEW FLTS, BUT I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT USING THE AUTOPLT WHEN I DISCOVERED I HAD A PROB. CONDITIONS RPTED AT THE TIME WERE 270/10 OVCST 2300 FT, VISIBILITY 10 MI, FORECAST INCLUDING POSSIBLE 'CLG 1300.' ACTUAL CONDITIONS WERE 240/8 AND OVCST VARIED FROM 1700-2000 FT WITH VISIBILITY ABOUT 10 MI. I SAW TOPS WERE ABOUT 4000 FT WITH HIGHER WINDS AND TURB IN CLOUDS AND LIGHT RIME ICE. THE FLT WAS NEAR THE END OF THE DAY WITH DIMINISHED LIGHT, I LANDED RIGHT AT SUNSET. I HESITATED BEFORE DECLARING AN EMER BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HOW IT WOULD LOOK AND I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO RETAIN CTL OF THE ACFT. I HAD DECIDED YRS AGO THAT WHEN THE TIME CAME, I WOULD NOT TRY TO AVOID THE 'E' WORD, BUT THAT WHEN I HAD ANY REAL CONCERN ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE FLT, I WOULD TELL THE WORLD. I NOW PLAN TO CALL MY INSTRUCTOR AND GET MORE INST TRAINING INCLUDING DEALING WITH DISTRS, PROPER INST SCAN, AND FLT TIME IN ACTUAL INST CONDITIONS.

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.