SMA PLT FLIES INTO DETERIORATING WX; ENTERS CTL ZONE; REQUESTS SPECIAL VFR.

Narrative

I HAD BEEN CHKING WX RPTS EVERY HR FOR CLRER CONDITIONS FOR A SUCCESSFUL VFR FLT FROM LEWISTON TO SPOKANE INTL ARPT. I DECIDED TO LEAVE LEWISTON AND TRY TO GET TO SPOKANE THINKING THERE WOULD BE AN OPENING -- AT ANY RATE; I ALWAYS KEPT LEWISTON IN SIGHT JUST IN CASE I NEEDED TO TURN AROUND. WHILE EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITIES OF LNDG IN SPOKANE; LEWISTON AND THE CLOUD OPENING (A SEPARATION OF ABOUT 5000 FT) CLOSED NEAR WHAT I FOUND TO BE PULLMAN ARPT. I TURNED TO COME BACK TO LEWISTON AFTER ABOUT 1 HR OF FLT TIME. USING MY VOR AND LORAN TO HELP PINPOINT MY NOW CONFUSED LOCATION; I FOUND MYSELF 15 NM E OF PULLMAN AND UP ABOUT THE CLOUDS APPROX 2500 FT. THERE WAS A WALL OF CLOUDS TO THE S; N; AND W. I KNEW THERE WAS NO PLACE TO LAND TO THE E. MY ONLY SAFE BET WAS TO GET BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER JUST IN CASE I HAD TO LAND (EVEN THOUGH I HAD FULL TANKS. UNFORTUNATELY; WHILE TRYING TO AVOID CLOUDS AND LAND; I CROSSED INTO THE 5 MI CTL ZONE AT PULLMAN-MOSCOW ARPT. FRANTICALLY; I TRIED TO UNDERSTAND MY SIT -- I RADIOED ON PULLMAN UNICOM ASKING IF VFR TFC WAS ALLOWED TO USE THE ARPT. A COMMUTER PLT RADIOED BACK THAT I NEEDED TO CONTACT THE FSS (127.6). SO I CALLED THE FSS AND REQUESTED A 'SPECIAL VFR CLRNC.' AFTER A FEW MOMENTS HE TOLD ME TO CALL ZSE AND ASK THEM; WHICH I DID. SEATTLE GAVE ME THE SPECIAL CLRNC TO LAND IN IFR WX CONDITIONS. I HAD; HOWEVER; ALREADY ENTERED THE CTL ZONE. AFTER A FEW MORE NERVOUS MOMENTS; I CHANGED STATIONS AND SQUAWKED VFR AS INSTRUCTED; AND RADIOED UNICOM THAT I WOULD BE LNDG. I PROCEEDED TO MAKE THE BEST AND SAFEST LNDG POSSIBLE; WATCHING THE AREA FOR TFC AND STAYING 'CLR OF CLOUDS.' MY LNDG WAS SUCCESSFUL AND I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE STRIP AND CALLED ZSE TO CANCEL MY SVFR CLRNC. OBVIOUSLY WX WAS THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO THE SIT. THE TERRAIN AROUND THE ARPT MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND WHEN FLYING AT SUCH LOW ALTS. THINGS WERE SO FRANTIC IN THE COCKPIT THAT I DIDN'T SEE THE CTL ZONE AROUND THE ARPT ON THE MAP. I WAS MORE CONCERNED ABOUT LNDG THE PLANE SAFELY. PROBABLY THE SMARTEST THING TO DO WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE HAD COM WITH ZSE WAY BEFORE I WAS CAUGHT UNDER THE CLOUDS AND NEAR PULLMAN ARPT. IN THIS SIT; I REALLY HAD TO LAND. THERE WAS NO WAY OUT. I COULD SEE ABOUT 3-5 MI ACROSS THE HILL TOPS; BUT I WAS AFRAID TO START GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR FEAR PULLMAN WOULD GET TOTALLY FOGGED IN.