Narrative:

There were 2 pilots in the aircraft at the time; myself and another pilot although I was PIC; sole manipulator of the controls; and the senior pilot as well. We were flying on a cross country from ZZZ1 to ZZZ2 VFR. We had a preflight briefing just before leaving calling for conditions in ZZZ2 to be 7 SM visibility and scattered clouds at 1300 ft. When we took off from ZZZ1 it was 7 SM and clear. En route we flew over ZZZ3; which was 7 SM and clear of clouds. When we got within 10 mi of ZZZ2 airport we checked the AWOS; which reported 7 SM and scattered at 1300 ft. After hearing this we reported our intentions to land over CTAF. Then we got within 5 mi north of the airport and repeated our intentions. I noticed some approaching clouds; so I decided to descend and I asked for obstacle clearance while I then looked outside to see our relation to the airport. I looked back up to see that we were in the clouds. I immediately looked down at the instruments; which for the first 10 seconds (I'm guessing as how long it was) I was disoriented because I couldn't make sense of them. I didn't dare move the controls as I knew we were straight and level when we entered. Soon the instruments started to tell me what was going on and I turned 180 degrees in the opposite direction to get us back out. That was not working and we now were south of the ZZZ2 airport. We tuned in the nearest airport into the GPS and tried to see if we could land there; so we dialed in ZZZ4; but realized that it was further south; where the conditions were coming from; and we decided that was a bad choice. We then decided to tune in the last airport we saw which was ZZZ3. We dialed it in to the GPS and turned towards it. After awhile we saw no improvements; so we decided to call an emergency. I dialed in 121.5 on the radio and stated 'emergency! Emergency! This is aircraft XXX we are in IMC conditions with VFR pilots!' I got no reply; so I repeated it. After the second time the national guard responded asking how they can be of assistance. I gave them my situation; I repeated what I said the last 2 times; and after that transmission several other entities started to contact us; but I couldn't make sense of what they were saying until my friend said to listen to an air carrier heavy calling us. Somehow I started to hear them over everyone else and they asked for our situation. I repeated what I said the other times; it was all I could think of; they responded by telling us to go to center. I repeated the instructions and switched over to center. I declared emergency again to center. They responded by asking us if we were IFR rated. I replied that we were not. They asked where we were. We replied over ZZZ2 and stated that the WX conditions were not as reported; it was a ceiling not a scattered layer. Center then stated that they had confirmed VFR in ZZZ1 and ZZZ5 and they asked us where we would like to be vectored. We replied that we would like to go to ZZZ5. They then gave us a squawk code and a heading of 360 degrees at an altitude of 3600 ft. I repeated the instructions and acted on them. We eventually popped out over ZZZ6 airport. I asked center if we could land there as I had it in sight. They said it was ok and to squawk VFR. I followed their instructions and thanked them for everything. I then proceeded to land at ZZZ6 and boy was that the most satisfying landing I ever made! The real factors that led up to this event I can't say what they were for certain. The WX report wasn't accurate plus we weren't looking ahead when we entered and we got disoriented. But considering our skill level I'd say we did the best we could.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 VFR PILOT INADVERTENTLY ENTERS IMC AND REQUIRES THE HELP OF ATC TO GET VECTORS CLEAR OF CLOUDS.

Narrative: THERE WERE 2 PLTS IN THE ACFT AT THE TIME; MYSELF AND ANOTHER PLT ALTHOUGH I WAS PIC; SOLE MANIPULATOR OF THE CTLS; AND THE SENIOR PLT AS WELL. WE WERE FLYING ON A XCOUNTRY FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2 VFR. WE HAD A PREFLT BRIEFING JUST BEFORE LEAVING CALLING FOR CONDITIONS IN ZZZ2 TO BE 7 SM VISIBILITY AND SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 1300 FT. WHEN WE TOOK OFF FROM ZZZ1 IT WAS 7 SM AND CLR. ENRTE WE FLEW OVER ZZZ3; WHICH WAS 7 SM AND CLR OF CLOUDS. WHEN WE GOT WITHIN 10 MI OF ZZZ2 ARPT WE CHKED THE AWOS; WHICH RPTED 7 SM AND SCATTERED AT 1300 FT. AFTER HEARING THIS WE RPTED OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND OVER CTAF. THEN WE GOT WITHIN 5 MI N OF THE ARPT AND REPEATED OUR INTENTIONS. I NOTICED SOME APCHING CLOUDS; SO I DECIDED TO DSND AND I ASKED FOR OBSTACLE CLRNC WHILE I THEN LOOKED OUTSIDE TO SEE OUR RELATION TO THE ARPT. I LOOKED BACK UP TO SEE THAT WE WERE IN THE CLOUDS. I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED DOWN AT THE INSTS; WHICH FOR THE FIRST 10 SECONDS (I'M GUESSING AS HOW LONG IT WAS) I WAS DISORIENTED BECAUSE I COULDN'T MAKE SENSE OF THEM. I DIDN'T DARE MOVE THE CTLS AS I KNEW WE WERE STRAIGHT AND LEVEL WHEN WE ENTERED. SOON THE INSTS STARTED TO TELL ME WHAT WAS GOING ON AND I TURNED 180 DEGS IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO GET US BACK OUT. THAT WAS NOT WORKING AND WE NOW WERE S OF THE ZZZ2 ARPT. WE TUNED IN THE NEAREST ARPT INTO THE GPS AND TRIED TO SEE IF WE COULD LAND THERE; SO WE DIALED IN ZZZ4; BUT REALIZED THAT IT WAS FURTHER S; WHERE THE CONDITIONS WERE COMING FROM; AND WE DECIDED THAT WAS A BAD CHOICE. WE THEN DECIDED TO TUNE IN THE LAST ARPT WE SAW WHICH WAS ZZZ3. WE DIALED IT IN TO THE GPS AND TURNED TOWARDS IT. AFTER AWHILE WE SAW NO IMPROVEMENTS; SO WE DECIDED TO CALL AN EMER. I DIALED IN 121.5 ON THE RADIO AND STATED 'EMER! EMER! THIS IS ACFT XXX WE ARE IN IMC CONDITIONS WITH VFR PLTS!' I GOT NO REPLY; SO I REPEATED IT. AFTER THE SECOND TIME THE NATL GUARD RESPONDED ASKING HOW THEY CAN BE OF ASSISTANCE. I GAVE THEM MY SITUATION; I REPEATED WHAT I SAID THE LAST 2 TIMES; AND AFTER THAT XMISSION SEVERAL OTHER ENTITIES STARTED TO CONTACT US; BUT I COULDN'T MAKE SENSE OF WHAT THEY WERE SAYING UNTIL MY FRIEND SAID TO LISTEN TO AN ACR HVY CALLING US. SOMEHOW I STARTED TO HEAR THEM OVER EVERYONE ELSE AND THEY ASKED FOR OUR SITUATION. I REPEATED WHAT I SAID THE OTHER TIMES; IT WAS ALL I COULD THINK OF; THEY RESPONDED BY TELLING US TO GO TO CTR. I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND SWITCHED OVER TO CTR. I DECLARED EMER AGAIN TO CTR. THEY RESPONDED BY ASKING US IF WE WERE IFR RATED. I REPLIED THAT WE WERE NOT. THEY ASKED WHERE WE WERE. WE REPLIED OVER ZZZ2 AND STATED THAT THE WX CONDITIONS WERE NOT AS RPTED; IT WAS A CEILING NOT A SCATTERED LAYER. CTR THEN STATED THAT THEY HAD CONFIRMED VFR IN ZZZ1 AND ZZZ5 AND THEY ASKED US WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE VECTORED. WE REPLIED THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO GO TO ZZZ5. THEY THEN GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE AND A HDG OF 360 DEGS AT AN ALT OF 3600 FT. I REPEATED THE INSTRUCTIONS AND ACTED ON THEM. WE EVENTUALLY POPPED OUT OVER ZZZ6 ARPT. I ASKED CTR IF WE COULD LAND THERE AS I HAD IT IN SIGHT. THEY SAID IT WAS OK AND TO SQUAWK VFR. I FOLLOWED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS AND THANKED THEM FOR EVERYTHING. I THEN PROCEEDED TO LAND AT ZZZ6 AND BOY WAS THAT THE MOST SATISFYING LNDG I EVER MADE! THE REAL FACTORS THAT LED UP TO THIS EVENT I CAN'T SAY WHAT THEY WERE FOR CERTAIN. THE WX RPT WASN'T ACCURATE PLUS WE WEREN'T LOOKING AHEAD WHEN WE ENTERED AND WE GOT DISORIENTED. BUT CONSIDERING OUR SKILL LEVEL I'D SAY WE DID THE BEST WE COULD.

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.