PRIVATE PLT FLIES BTWN CLOUD LAYERS AT NIGHT. NEEDS ATC ASSIST TO DSND.

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PREPARING TO RETURN TO GEU; I CALLED FSS (1-800-WX- BRIEF). RECEIVED AN ABBREVIATED BRIEFING -- NO FLT PRECAUTIONS; RTE CLR; FT WAS 8000 BROKEN; 12000 BROKEN. FILED VFR FLT PLAN WITH DEP TIME OF XX30 UTC. UPON ARRIVING AT P06 FOUND THAT A STUDENT PLT AND INSTRUCTOR HAD CRASHED ON A TAXIWAY; DELAYING DEP 2 HRS. CALLED FSS AND AMENDED VFR FLT PLAN. DID NOT RECEIVE; AND DID NOT ASK FOR; UPDATED WX. LEFT P06 DIRECT EED VOR AND THEN 120 RADIAL OUTBOUND AT 9500 FT. WAS 'VERY' DARK BUT SAW LIGHTS OF HIGHWAY 93 AS GOOD GND REF. NOTICED A STRONG TAILWIND. AIRSPD SHOWED 120 KTS; DME SAID 146 KTS. ABOUT 2/3 OF DISTANCE OF GEU; DIALED UP PHX VOR ON 115.6 AND RECEIVED DME OF 43 MI TO PHX. THIS SHOULD HAVE PUT ME INTO GREATER PHX AREA. BECAME CONCERNED BECAUSE I SAW 'NO' CITY LIGHTS; ALTHOUGH BOTH VOR; DME AND ADF (WHICH I SET TO AM 620 KTAR) SHOWED PHOENIX AREA DEAD AHEAD. (NOTE: 20 MINS OUT OF P06; ON EED 120 DEG AT 30 MI; GAVE PIREP TO 122.0. THEY GAVE ME FT OF 8000 BROKEN AT GTR.) CALLED 122.0 AND ASKED FOR GEU WX. WAS AGAIN GIVEN 8000 BROKEN BUT IT WAS CLR TO ME THAT I WAS OVER A SOLID CLOUD LAYER. CALLED FSS ON 122.6 AND TOLD THEM I WAS CONCERNED AT NOT SEEING CITY LIGHTS. ASKED FOR FLT FOLLOWING TO OBTAIN VERIFICATION OF POS. FSS SENT ME OVER TO ABQ CENTER. ABQ CENTER HAD ME SQUAWK AND VERIFIED MY POS AS 10 MI N OF GEU; R ON COURSE; HOWEVER; I SHOULD BE SEEING THE CITY. ABQ THEN HANDED ME OVER TO PHX APCH. SPOKE TO PHX APCH. THEY TOO VERIFIED MY POS AND GAVE ME UPDATED WX OF 6500 OVCST. SUGGESTED I FLY S TO STANFIELD AND TRY TO GET UNDER CLOUD DECK. I WAS AFRAID TO GO 50 MI S OF PHX AS I WOULD BE OUT OF RADAR COVERAGE. I DECIDED A RETURN TO P06 OUT OF QUESTION DUE TO FIERCE WINDS (20+ KTS) AND 2 HRS 10 MINS OF FUEL LEFT. DECIDED THAT DECLARING AN EMER WAS ONLY WAY OUT AND REQUESTED IFR ASSISTANCE. CTLR HAD ME TURN FROM 120 DEGS TO 260 DEGS; SET THE AUTOPLT FOR WINGS LEVEL AND 500 FPM DSCNT. I TURNED OFF THE STROBES AND LNDG LIGHT; ENTERING CLOUDS AT APPROX 7500 FT. BROKE INTO CLR APPROX 6500 FT 'INDIRECTLY' OVER GEU. CANCELLED ASSISTANCE AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. PHX APCH ASKED ME TO CALL VIA TELEPHONE. CALLED AND TALKED WITH XXXX. SAID HE WAS GLAD I WAS OKAY. I PROFUSELY THANKED HIM. SAID HE HAD TO FILE RPT WITH FSDO. SUGGESTED I GET CURRENT WX FOR MY RECORDS. AT XB00 (LCL) I CALLED DUAT AND DOWNLOADED CURRENT WX. NOTICED FLT PRECAUTIONS ISSUED AT XC00 LCL FOR MT OBSCURATION AND IFR CONDITIONS. I NEVER RECEIVED THIS INFO FROM FSS. 2 ACTIONS TOOK PLACE HERE: 1) MY 2 HR DELAY AT P06 PUT ME 2 HRS CLOSER TO A FAST MOVING FRONT; WHICH WAS FASTER THAN FORECAST. EVEN A TELEVISION COMMENTATOR THAT NIGHT MENTIONED THE FAILURE TO ACCURATELY FORECAST THE FRONT. 2) WHEN I REALIZED I WAS OVER A SOLID OVCST; I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN GREATER CONSIDERATION TO TURNING BACK. I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF I WAS AFRAID TO TURN BACK DUE TO WINDS AND FUEL; OR; THE BUILDING STRESS TO GET ON THE GND. EVEN THOUGH I WAS IN POSSESSION OF 'REAMS' OF WX INFO; THE COMBINATION OF DARKNESS; STRESS; DEGRADING WX CONDITIONS AND A DESIRE TO GET HOME CAUSED ME TO DO SOMETHING STUPID. FOR WHATEVER IT WAS WORTH; I HAVE READ A LOT ABOUT HOW OTHER PLTS GOT INTO SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES; OFTEN WITH FATAL RESULTS. I KNEW I MIGHT HAVE TO FACE THE FAA BUT I DECIDED THAT A SAFE ARR WAS MORE IMPORTANT SO I DECLARED AN EMER. I HAD AMPLE TIME TO PREPARE TO GO IFR. THE AUTOPLT; COUPLED WITH TURNING OFF THE STROBES; AND A CTLR WITH A COOL; CALM VOICE; MADE THE DIFFERENCE.