IMC IN VFR FLT BY PVT PLT.

Narrative

I DEPARTED L02 AT PM00; DEST 81J; WITH 1600 FT CEILING AND 7 MI VISIBILITY.; 1 HR LATER THE VISIBILITY DETERIORATED TO 4 MI; AND I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROX OF 2 1800 FT TWRS IN MY VICINITY. I CIRCLED FOR A FEW MINS TRYING TO SEE THE TWRS. I COULD NOT DETERMINE MY POS IN RELATION TO THE TWRS; AND COULD NOT CONVINCE MYSELF TO FLY ANY DIRECTION FOR FEAR OF NOT BEING ABLE TO AVOID THESE OBSTACLES. EVEN A 180 DEG TURN FROM MY RTE OF FLT MAY HAVE PUT ME ON COURSE TOWARDS THE TWRS IF I HAD PREVIOUSLY PASSED BY THEM WITHOUT SEEING THEM. I HAD RECEIVED A PIREP THAT THE CLOUD TOPS WERE 3000 FT MSL; AND AN FSS BRIEFING THAT 81J WAS CLR AND SUNNY. WITH NO ADEQUATE LNDG SITE WITHIN THE CIRCLE THAT I WAS FLYING; I MADE THE DECISION TO FLY THE SAME CIRCLE UPWARDS UNTIL I REACHED THE TOP OF THE CLOUDS. AT 2900 FT MSL; I WAS IN PERFECTLY CLR SUNSHINE. BY ESTABLISHING A CIRCLE OF FLT WITH 4 MI VISIBILITY; I DETERMINED THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO FLY THE SAME CIRCLE IN AN UPWARD SPIRAL AND NOT ENCOUNTER EITHER THE TWRS NOR ANOTHER AIRPLANE. EXECUTING ANY OTHER MANEUVER OR FLYING ANY OTHER DIRECTION SEEMED TO ME TO HOLD MORE DANGER THAN THE ONE THAT I CHOSE TO PURSUE.