ATTEMTING TO MAINTAIN VFR IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN GOES IMC.

Narrative

WHILE ENRTE FROM I34 GREENSBURG; IN; TO GSO; GREENSBORO; NC; AS THE SOLE OCCUPANT ABOARD AN SMA; THE CLASSIC VFR INTO IFR OCCURRED. THE TRIP BEGAN WITH CEILINGS ALLOWING A 7500 FT MSL VFR CRUISE ALT. AS THE MOUNTAINS APCHED THE CEILING BEGAN TO COME DOWN. I INITIATED A 180 DEG TURN AND DSNDED TO 5500 FT. HAVING MADE THIS FLT SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST I FELT CERTAIN THE CEILINGS WOULD BEGIN TO COME UP AGAIN AS THE TERRAIN BEGAN TO RISE. THEY DID NOT; AT LEAST IN THE AREA DIRECTLY AROUND ME. I WAS ON FLT FOLLOWING AND REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE TO CALL FLT WATCH. HAVING TRIED 4-5 TIMES TO GET A RESPONSE ON 122.00 I RETURNED TO FLT FOLLOWING WHICH I BELIEVE WAS ID. SHORTLY THEREAFTER I WAS SWITCHED TO ATLANTA CENTER AND THEN THE TROUBLE BEGAN. THE CEILING BEGAN LOWERING RAPIDLY; I WAS VAINLY TRYING TO AVOID CLOUDS AS PER VFR REQUIREMENTS. THIS TOOK MORE AND MORE DEXTEROUS ACTIONS UNTIL I REALIZED THAT I WAS DEFINITELY NOT GETTING THE CLOUD LIFTING I HAD ASSUMED WOULD COME ABOUT. AS I DSNDED BELOW 5000 FT; I INFORMED ZTL THAT I WAS IN DIFFICULTY DUE TO INCREASING CLOUD COVER AND REQUESTED ASSISTANCE TO THE NEAREST ARPT. THE CTLR DID A VERY PROFESSIONAL JOB OF VECTORING ME TO MJK. DURING THIS TIME HE ASKED ANOTHER PLANE IN THE AREA WHAT THEIR CEILINGS WERE AND I HEARD 5000 FT OR 5500 FT SCATTERED. AT THIS TIME I WAS AT OR JUST BELOW 4500 FT AND BTWN 2 MOUNTAIN RANGES WITH WAC SECTION ELEVATIONS OF 5100 FT AND 6300 FT. THE CTLR INFORMED ME 'IFR MIN ALT FOR THAT AREA WAS 6900 FT.' THIS GAVE ME CONSIDERABLE CONCERN AS I COULD SEE THE NEARING RIDGE INTERMITTENTLY BTWN CLOUDS AND IT LOOKED CLOSE AS I WANTED TO CLR IT BY AT LEAST 1000 FT TO MINIMIZE ANY POSSIBLE TURB. I MADE A CLBING TURN TO THE R IN ORDER TO DO A 360 DEG TURN TO GAIN ALT TO CROSS THE RIDGE AND TO REMAIN OVER THE LOWER VALLEY. AT THAT POINT; AT ABOUT 4800 FT I ENTERED A CLOUD. I INFORMED THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY THAT I WAS IMC. AS I FINISHED MY CONFESSION I CAME OUT OF THE CLOUD AND THE REMAINDER OF THE VECTORED FLT TO MJK I WAS ABLE TO REMAIN VFR WITH THE CLOUD BASES AT AN ESTIMATED 5500 FT. THE AREA OF CLOUDS I FOUND MYSELF IN WERE APPARENTLY AN ISOLATED AREA OF LOWER CEILINGS. I DID NOT LOSE CTL OF THE PLANE IN IMC BUT I HAVE HAD 60 PLUS HRS IFR TRAINING AND SWITCHED TO IFR MODE AS SOON AS I ENTERED THE CLOUD. THE CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL AND AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED HE REALLY PULLED MY BUTT OUT OF THE FLAMES. CONCLUSIONS: VFR INTO IFR ON A HAZY DAY HAPPENS QUICKLY! I SUGGEST THE MINIMAL IFR TRAINING FOR BASIC PLTS LICENSE BE INCREASED TO 5 HRS WITH INSTRUCTORS ENCOURAGE TO SHOW STUDENTS ACTUAL CONDITIONS. NOTHING; AND I MEAN NOTHING; CAN REPLACE THE REAL THING AS A DETERRENT TO FLYING INTO IMC AS WELL AN INCENTIVE TO GAIN IFR RATINGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR COUNSELED HE WAS NOT RESTR TO FILING ADDITIONAL RPTS FOR 4 YRS. THE IMMUNITY PORTION OF THE PROGRAM WAS EXPLAINED AND HE NOW UNDERSTANDS HE CAN SUBMIT AS MANY RPTS AS HE LIKES.