NON INST RATED PVT PLT FLEW INTO IMC CONDITIONS; CONTACTED APCH CTL FOR HELP AND DECLARED AN EMER. CTLR PROVIDED HDGS FOR RPTR TO DEPART IMC AND WHEN RPTR AGAIN WAS VMC; HE ENDED THE EMER AND LANDED AT DSM. (NOT THE ORIGINAL DEST).

Narrative

AT XX00 LCL TIME I CALLED FSS AND RECEIVED A COMPLETE BRIEFING. MSP RPTING 9500 FT SCATTERED; WITH CONDITIONS DETERIORATING IN RTE TOWARDS I75. I75 NOT RPTING WX; CLOSEST RPTING STATION BEING DSM. DSM RPTING 5000-6000 FT BROKEN; .3 LIGHT RAIN. TERMINAL FORECAST FOR DSM WAS 4000 FT OVCST. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN D97 DIRECT TO I75. WE DEPARTED AT XX01 LCL AND CLBED TO 4500 FT AFTER CLRING CLASS B AIRSPACE. WX CONDITIONS ENRTE AGREED WITH THE WX BRIEFING. AT APPROX AMW I DSNDED TO 3000 FT TO REMAIN VFR. I RECEIVED THE CURRENT ATIS FROM DSM; 4700 FT OVCST. I CONTACTED DSM APCH CTL APPROX 30 MI N OF DSM. I DSNDED TO 2700 FT AND RECEIVED RADAR CONTACT. AS I APCHED DSM; I INFORMED THEM THAT MY FINAL DEST WAS I75. APPROX 6 MI FROM I75 I CONTACTED DSM AND ASKED THEM HOW LOW I COULD GO; AS CEILINGS WERE DECREASING. I WAS TOLD EMER ALT FOR THAT AREA WAS 1500 FT. I DSNDED DOWN TO 1650 FT APPROX 3 MI FROM I75; WITHIN A SHORT TIME CONDITIONS WENT IMC. EVALUATING THE SIT I DECIDED TO DO A CLBING 180 DEG TURN BACK TO DSM; LEVELING OFF AT 2500 FT. I CONTACTED DSM APCH AND TOLD THEM THAT I ENTERED IMC. THE CTLR AT DSM ASKED WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE; AND BEING IN IMC ON A VFR FLT PLAN I TOLD HIM I WAS DECLARING AN EMER. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WAS INST RATED; I REPLIED NO. HE THEN ASKED IF I WAS COMPETENT IN IMC; I TOLD HIM YES; AND HE ASKED MY EXPERIENCE; WHICH I TOLD HIM 30 HRS OF INST TIME. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO DO A 180 DEG TURN; WHICH I HAD ALREADY DONE. HE ASKED ME TO TURN TO A HDG OF 340 DEGS; WHICH I HAD ALREADY TURNED. THE CTLR ASKED IF I WOULD DSND BACK DOWN AND I ELECTED TO STAY AT ALT. WHILE ENRTE BACK TO DSM ANOTHER PLT LISTENING TOLD THE CTLR OF VFR CONDITIONS 7 MI S OF DSM. AS I APCHED THAT AREA; CONDITIONS IMPROVED AS INDICATED AND WHEN IN 100 PERCENT GND CONTACT THE CTLR ASKED IF I WANTED TO END MY EMER. I REPLIED YES; AND LANDED AT DSM WITHOUT INCIDENT.