PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL OBTAINED A FLT ASSIST AFTER LOSING FLT VISIBILITY DUE TO DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS.

Narrative

I RECEIVED WX FROM BUF FLT SVC LESS THAN AN HR BEFORE TKOF FROM NIAGARA FALLS INTL. THE RPTED CEILING WAS 2000 FT SCATTERED; 4000 FT OVCST. AFTER DEP I CONTACTED BUF APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING. I WAS ADVISED TO FOLLOW THE LAKE ERIE COAST LINE S. AT THIS POINT THE WX WAS VFR; BUT HAZY. AS I PROCEEDED S THE HAZE BEGAN TO GET MORE DENSE AT MY 1500 FT MSL ALT. DURING THIS TIME I COULD NOT VISIBLY DETECT DISTINCT CLOUDS AHEAD DUE TO THE HAZE. I REALIZED AT THIS POINT THAT IF I CONTINUED ON MY PRESENT COURSE I WOULD BE IN INST CONDITIONS. I RADIOED APCH AND TOLD THEM I WANTED TO TURN AROUND AND GO BACK TO NIAGARA FALLS INTL. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO FLY 360 DEGS WHICH PUT ME INTO THE CLOUDS. UPON QUESTIONING OF MY FLT CONDITIONS I REPLIED I WAS IN IMC. HE THEN TOLD ME TO MAINTAIN 360 DEGS UNTIL I 'BROKE OUT' AND RPT AT THAT TIME. IMC LASTED APPROX 30 SECONDS. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WAS IFR QUALIFIED; WHICH I REPLIED NO. VFR WAS MAINTAINED ALL THE WAY BACK TO IAG. APPARENTLY THE SCATTERED LAYER HAD DROPPED TO 1200 FT IN BUFFALO; WHICH I HAD BELIEVED TO BE 2000 FT; FROM MY WX RPT. AT NO TIME DID I PERCEIVE MYSELF (OR OTHERS) TO BE IN ANY REAL JEOPARDY. IT WAS A MATTER OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SPECIFICALLY DIFFERENTIATE THE CLOUDS FROM THE STRONG HAZE.