Narrative:

While flying from fmy to 24J; I encountered a situation that found me under the clouds at 500 ft MSL under a solid overcast with few options. I departed fmy VFR with a WX report that indicated rising ceilings all of the way to my destination. I contacted mia departure approximately 25 mi south of the lal VOR and requested flight following. It was granted. Through normal handoffs; I was cleared into tpa class B airspace and granted altdevs in order to avoid clouds. Over zephyrhills airport; the sky cleared and I requested an increase in altitude in order to get on top of the clouds that were located to my north. It was granted. I canceled flight following at that time. I continued on for a short period of time and determined that I would be unable to stay clear of clouds due to altitude and reversed course. I located clear skies and began a descent in order to get under the cloud cover. I resumed course for a short period of time. I found that the clouds were forcing me lower than I was comfortable with (approximately 1500 ft MSL) and reversed course once again only to find WX to my south (rain). I attempted numerous times to contact tpa approach with no success. I did finally raise jax approach; but was too low for them to locate my transponder. The situation was extremely tense and I was requesting an increase in altitude into IMC. Jax was unable to grant my request due to the inability of locating my transponder. I began flying north towards ocala (I was aware of the approachs there) and my transponder was located by jax. I was instructed to climb to 4000 ft and receive vectors for the GPS 36 into ocala. I requested direct to lcq at that time. After not receiving a response (he was busy with other aircraft); I changed my request back to ocala. By that point; I had missed my approach to GPS 36 in ocala and was redirected back to the approach. I broke out of the clouds at 1500 ft MSL and canceled my IFR clearance. I landed uneventfully. I have replayed the scenario numerous times and have come to the following conclusions: 1) I should have filed IFR while in ft myers regardless of the report of rising ceilings. This would have assured an uneventful flight and adequate preparation (approach review; etc) in the event of an actual approach. 2) I became rattled at the most inopportune moment. This is indicative of a need for more training. The training is something I will pursue at the earliest opportunity. 3) I should have filed while airborne and north of tpa as opposed to attempting to get under the overcast. While not as advantageous as filing in ft myers it would have allowed more preparation time than I received. 4) more decisiveness was necessary. I found that I was more concerned with the problem than the resolution. I should have attempted to contact ATC more quickly. I think; in this instance; it would have made no difference due to their inability to locate my transponder. However; other situations would benefit from their assistance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INST RATED PVT PLT IN A C177 DEPARTED IN VFR CONDITIONS AND ENCOUNTERED IMC ENRTE. HE HAD TROUBLE RAISING JAX APCH DUE TO LOW ALT BUT FINALLY LANDED; IFR; AT OCF.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING FROM FMY TO 24J; I ENCOUNTERED A SITUATION THAT FOUND ME UNDER THE CLOUDS AT 500 FT MSL UNDER A SOLID OVCST WITH FEW OPTIONS. I DEPARTED FMY VFR WITH A WX RPT THAT INDICATED RISING CEILINGS ALL OF THE WAY TO MY DEST. I CONTACTED MIA DEP APPROX 25 MI S OF THE LAL VOR AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING. IT WAS GRANTED. THROUGH NORMAL HDOFS; I WAS CLRED INTO TPA CLASS B AIRSPACE AND GRANTED ALTDEVS IN ORDER TO AVOID CLOUDS. OVER ZEPHYRHILLS ARPT; THE SKY CLRED AND I REQUESTED AN INCREASE IN ALT IN ORDER TO GET ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS THAT WERE LOCATED TO MY N. IT WAS GRANTED. I CANCELED FLT FOLLOWING AT THAT TIME. I CONTINUED ON FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND DETERMINED THAT I WOULD BE UNABLE TO STAY CLR OF CLOUDS DUE TO ALT AND REVERSED COURSE. I LOCATED CLR SKIES AND BEGAN A DSCNT IN ORDER TO GET UNDER THE CLOUD COVER. I RESUMED COURSE FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I FOUND THAT THE CLOUDS WERE FORCING ME LOWER THAN I WAS COMFORTABLE WITH (APPROX 1500 FT MSL) AND REVERSED COURSE ONCE AGAIN ONLY TO FIND WX TO MY S (RAIN). I ATTEMPTED NUMEROUS TIMES TO CONTACT TPA APCH WITH NO SUCCESS. I DID FINALLY RAISE JAX APCH; BUT WAS TOO LOW FOR THEM TO LOCATE MY XPONDER. THE SITUATION WAS EXTREMELY TENSE AND I WAS REQUESTING AN INCREASE IN ALT INTO IMC. JAX WAS UNABLE TO GRANT MY REQUEST DUE TO THE INABILITY OF LOCATING MY XPONDER. I BEGAN FLYING N TOWARDS OCALA (I WAS AWARE OF THE APCHS THERE) AND MY XPONDER WAS LOCATED BY JAX. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CLB TO 4000 FT AND RECEIVE VECTORS FOR THE GPS 36 INTO OCALA. I REQUESTED DIRECT TO LCQ AT THAT TIME. AFTER NOT RECEIVING A RESPONSE (HE WAS BUSY WITH OTHER ACFT); I CHANGED MY REQUEST BACK TO OCALA. BY THAT POINT; I HAD MISSED MY APCH TO GPS 36 IN OCALA AND WAS REDIRECTED BACK TO THE APCH. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 1500 FT MSL AND CANCELED MY IFR CLRNC. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I HAVE REPLAYED THE SCENARIO NUMEROUS TIMES AND HAVE COME TO THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: 1) I SHOULD HAVE FILED IFR WHILE IN FT MYERS REGARDLESS OF THE RPT OF RISING CEILINGS. THIS WOULD HAVE ASSURED AN UNEVENTFUL FLT AND ADEQUATE PREPARATION (APCH REVIEW; ETC) IN THE EVENT OF AN ACTUAL APCH. 2) I BECAME RATTLED AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE MOMENT. THIS IS INDICATIVE OF A NEED FOR MORE TRAINING. THE TRAINING IS SOMETHING I WILL PURSUE AT THE EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY. 3) I SHOULD HAVE FILED WHILE AIRBORNE AND N OF TPA AS OPPOSED TO ATTEMPTING TO GET UNDER THE OVCST. WHILE NOT AS ADVANTAGEOUS AS FILING IN FT MYERS IT WOULD HAVE ALLOWED MORE PREPARATION TIME THAN I RECEIVED. 4) MORE DECISIVENESS WAS NECESSARY. I FOUND THAT I WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE PROB THAN THE RESOLUTION. I SHOULD HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ATC MORE QUICKLY. I THINK; IN THIS INSTANCE; IT WOULD HAVE MADE NO DIFFERENCE DUE TO THEIR INABILITY TO LOCATE MY XPONDER. HOWEVER; OTHER SITUATIONS WOULD BENEFIT FROM THEIR ASSISTANCE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.