Narrative:

I was en route to 1n7 on a VFR flight. On arrival to 1n7 I found there to be light to moderate snow. I flew over 1n7 at 2000 ft MSL. I could see the beacon of the airport but felt the runway lights were obscured and therefore felt a VFR approach to the airport would not be safe. I climbed to 2500 ft for terrain clearance and continued wbound. I encountered heavy snow and decided it would be best to return to mmu; land; and leave the aircraft there for the night. I turned eastbound direct for mmu. I began to have trouble maintaining flight under VFR conditions so I contacted ny approach and requested an IFR flight plan and approach to mmu. I was given a squawk code asked for type of aircraft and was told to climb 3500 ft in order to be seen by the approach control radar. I saw that I was quickly approaching the class B airspace (which is from 3000 ft to 7000 ft in that area) because of a 20-30 KT tailwind. I contacted ny again and inquired as to whether I was cleared into the class B. I was again given the same squawk code and asked to identify. I recycled the transponder with the same squawk code and pushed the identify button. The controller advised I was already in class B (he seem to have an irritated tone) and gave me a vector to the northeast and told me to descend to 2500 ft and asked if mmu was in sight at 3 O'clock position. I did not have mmu in sight and told the controller this. He then made the statement that 'I guess we will need to do this IFR.' I was then vectored for an ILS approach under still mostly VFR conditions; until on a 3 mi final when mmu reported that the conditions were 1 mi visibility in heavy blowing snow. At one point while in VFR conditions and being vectored; another aircraft complained that I was only 400 ft below him. He was told by the controller that I was VFR and the pilot of the other aircraft claimed he was in solid IFR conditions. I was; at that point asked; what my flight conditions were and I reported 3 mi visibility. I am unsure as to if I violated class B airspace. I encountered marginal VFR conditions on this trip and made an ILS approach to mmu ending with a landing in IFR conditions. I feel I should have checked WX and known about the snow prior to leaving mmu for 1n7. I also feel I should have circled outside the class B until I heard the words 'cleared into the class B.' I feel the controller at my inquiry as to whether I was cleared into the class B should have stated either no I was not cleared into the cass B or yes I was cleared into the class B. I was unsure if he had me on radar after climbing to an altitude that he recommended and was squawking the code he gave me. I also feel that once he had me in radar contact he may have not have had enough separation from other traffic and myself. I am also unsure when I was actually under an IFR flight clearance/plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PLT AT 3500 FT; EXPERIENCING MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS; SUSPECTS CLASS B ENTRY. EXPRESSING CONFUSION AS TO FLT STATUS VFR OR IFR.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE TO 1N7 ON A VFR FLT. ON ARR TO 1N7 I FOUND THERE TO BE LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW. I FLEW OVER 1N7 AT 2000 FT MSL. I COULD SEE THE BEACON OF THE ARPT BUT FELT THE RWY LIGHTS WERE OBSCURED AND THEREFORE FELT A VFR APCH TO THE ARPT WOULD NOT BE SAFE. I CLBED TO 2500 FT FOR TERRAIN CLRNC AND CONTINUED WBOUND. I ENCOUNTERED HVY SNOW AND DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO RETURN TO MMU; LAND; AND LEAVE THE ACFT THERE FOR THE NIGHT. I TURNED EBOUND DIRECT FOR MMU. I BEGAN TO HAVE TROUBLE MAINTAINING FLT UNDER VFR CONDITIONS SO I CONTACTED NY APCH AND REQUESTED AN IFR FLT PLAN AND APCH TO MMU. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE ASKED FOR TYPE OF ACFT AND WAS TOLD TO CLB 3500 FT IN ORDER TO BE SEEN BY THE APCH CTL RADAR. I SAW THAT I WAS QUICKLY APCHING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE (WHICH IS FROM 3000 FT TO 7000 FT IN THAT AREA) BECAUSE OF A 20-30 KT TAILWIND. I CONTACTED NY AGAIN AND INQUIRED AS TO WHETHER I WAS CLRED INTO THE CLASS B. I WAS AGAIN GIVEN THE SAME SQUAWK CODE AND ASKED TO IDENT. I RECYCLED THE XPONDER WITH THE SAME SQUAWK CODE AND PUSHED THE IDENT BUTTON. THE CTLR ADVISED I WAS ALREADY IN CLASS B (HE SEEM TO HAVE AN IRRITATED TONE) AND GAVE ME A VECTOR TO THE NE AND TOLD ME TO DSND TO 2500 FT AND ASKED IF MMU WAS IN SIGHT AT 3 O'CLOCK POS. I DID NOT HAVE MMU IN SIGHT AND TOLD THE CTLR THIS. HE THEN MADE THE STATEMENT THAT 'I GUESS WE WILL NEED TO DO THIS IFR.' I WAS THEN VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH UNDER STILL MOSTLY VFR CONDITIONS; UNTIL ON A 3 MI FINAL WHEN MMU RPTED THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE 1 MI VISIBILITY IN HVY BLOWING SNOW. AT ONE POINT WHILE IN VFR CONDITIONS AND BEING VECTORED; ANOTHER ACFT COMPLAINED THAT I WAS ONLY 400 FT BELOW HIM. HE WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR THAT I WAS VFR AND THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT CLAIMED HE WAS IN SOLID IFR CONDITIONS. I WAS; AT THAT POINT ASKED; WHAT MY FLT CONDITIONS WERE AND I RPTED 3 MI VISIBILITY. I AM UNSURE AS TO IF I VIOLATED CLASS B AIRSPACE. I ENCOUNTERED MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS ON THIS TRIP AND MADE AN ILS APCH TO MMU ENDING WITH A LNDG IN IFR CONDITIONS. I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE CHKED WX AND KNOWN ABOUT THE SNOW PRIOR TO LEAVING MMU FOR 1N7. I ALSO FEEL I SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED OUTSIDE THE CLASS B UNTIL I HEARD THE WORDS 'CLRED INTO THE CLASS B.' I FEEL THE CTLR AT MY INQUIRY AS TO WHETHER I WAS CLRED INTO THE CLASS B SHOULD HAVE STATED EITHER NO I WAS NOT CLRED INTO THE CASS B OR YES I WAS CLRED INTO THE CLASS B. I WAS UNSURE IF HE HAD ME ON RADAR AFTER CLBING TO AN ALT THAT HE RECOMMENDED AND WAS SQUAWKING THE CODE HE GAVE ME. I ALSO FEEL THAT ONCE HE HAD ME IN RADAR CONTACT HE MAY HAVE NOT HAVE HAD ENOUGH SEPARATION FROM OTHER TFC AND MYSELF. I AM ALSO UNSURE WHEN I WAS ACTUALLY UNDER AN IFR FLT CLRNC/PLAN.

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.