Narrative:

At XA00 am local time I checked duats WX briefing and saw no adverse conditions along our intended route. I did not file a flight plan because I was going to use flight following. I then preflted the plane contact departure to request flight following and ask if there were any adverse conditions that had popped up since I had looked. They advised that some thunderstorms were present about 50 mi north of my intended route and advised I may have to divert south to miss the turbulence from the storms. The first 45 mins of the flight was as planned and then we began to see clouds off to the left of us; we talked to center back and forth many times getting updates on the conditions. Their radar showed no precipitation on our route. About 10 mi west of ZZZ we flew into a cloud that we did not see and descended to maintain VFR; we descended a few more times to maintain VFR until I did not feel safe descending any lower. I advised center of the situation and began a 180 degree turn to head back in the direction that I had came to get out of the clouds. Unfortunately the cloud cover had extended to within about 10 mi of ZZZ1 at that time. I did not feel that descending further would be safe and knew I was at an altitude that was free of any obstructions on my path back to ZZZ1. Center helped me with vectors as did the ZZZ1 tower. At about 10 mi from ZZZ1 I was able to once again establish VFR. I am not IFR rated and know that it is a violation for me to be in the clouds. The clouds formed so quickly I found myself in the middle of them with no other safe alternative than to return to ZZZ1 which I knew was VFR at the time and land. I did land safely and waited there about 8 hours and completed the original intended journey. I do want to thank the controllers at both center and ZZZ1 tower for all of their help. I did not realize that clouds formed that quickly off of the mountains there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PILOT IS UNABLE TO REMAIN IN VMC DURING NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY AND ELECTS TO RETURN WITH CENTER'S HELP.

Narrative: AT XA00 AM LCL TIME I CHKED DUATS WX BRIEFING AND SAW NO ADVERSE CONDITIONS ALONG OUR INTENDED RTE. I DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO USE FLT FOLLOWING. I THEN PREFLTED THE PLANE CONTACT DEP TO REQUEST FLT FOLLOWING AND ASK IF THERE WERE ANY ADVERSE CONDITIONS THAT HAD POPPED UP SINCE I HAD LOOKED. THEY ADVISED THAT SOME TSTMS WERE PRESENT ABOUT 50 MI N OF MY INTENDED RTE AND ADVISED I MAY HAVE TO DIVERT S TO MISS THE TURB FROM THE STORMS. THE FIRST 45 MINS OF THE FLT WAS AS PLANNED AND THEN WE BEGAN TO SEE CLOUDS OFF TO THE L OF US; WE TALKED TO CTR BACK AND FORTH MANY TIMES GETTING UPDATES ON THE CONDITIONS. THEIR RADAR SHOWED NO PRECIP ON OUR RTE. ABOUT 10 MI W OF ZZZ WE FLEW INTO A CLOUD THAT WE DID NOT SEE AND DSNDED TO MAINTAIN VFR; WE DSNDED A FEW MORE TIMES TO MAINTAIN VFR UNTIL I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DSNDING ANY LOWER. I ADVISED CTR OF THE SITUATION AND BEGAN A 180 DEG TURN TO HEAD BACK IN THE DIRECTION THAT I HAD CAME TO GET OUT OF THE CLOUDS. UNFORTUNATELY THE CLOUD COVER HAD EXTENDED TO WITHIN ABOUT 10 MI OF ZZZ1 AT THAT TIME. I DID NOT FEEL THAT DSNDING FURTHER WOULD BE SAFE AND KNEW I WAS AT AN ALT THAT WAS FREE OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS ON MY PATH BACK TO ZZZ1. CTR HELPED ME WITH VECTORS AS DID THE ZZZ1 TWR. AT ABOUT 10 MI FROM ZZZ1 I WAS ABLE TO ONCE AGAIN ESTABLISH VFR. I AM NOT IFR RATED AND KNOW THAT IT IS A VIOLATION FOR ME TO BE IN THE CLOUDS. THE CLOUDS FORMED SO QUICKLY I FOUND MYSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF THEM WITH NO OTHER SAFE ALTERNATIVE THAN TO RETURN TO ZZZ1 WHICH I KNEW WAS VFR AT THE TIME AND LAND. I DID LAND SAFELY AND WAITED THERE ABOUT 8 HRS AND COMPLETED THE ORIGINAL INTENDED JOURNEY. I DO WANT TO THANK THE CTLRS AT BOTH CTR AND ZZZ1 TWR FOR ALL OF THEIR HELP. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT CLOUDS FORMED THAT QUICKLY OFF OF THE MOUNTAINS THERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.