PLT OF AN SMA SEL WAS FORCED TO LAND OFF ARPT ON A ROAD DUE TO DETERIORATING WX CAUSED BY LOWERING CEILING DURING A VFR FLT. VFR IN IMC.

Narrative

ON APR/XX/96; MY A&P MECH LICENSE WAS REVOKED. THE FAA CLAIMED THAT I SOLD A PART WITH A BAD YELLOW TAG. ALSO MY PLT LICENSE WAS TAKEN TOO. WHEN I TRIED TO APPEAL TO THE FAA; THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS LATE AND THEY WILL NOT ALLOW MORE TIME. THEY TOLD ME THAT I ONLY HAD 10 DAYS TO APPEAL. SINCE THEN; I LOST MY JOB. I DEPENDED ON MY A&P FOR WORK. THIS IS THE ONLY WORK I KNOW. HOWEVER; ON OCT/THU/96; I WAS NEEDING TO PICK UP MY AIRPLANE AT BIG SPRING ARPT; TX. THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN IN THE PAINT SHOP FOR APPROX 3 MONTHS AND WAS NEEDING TO BE PICKED UP AT THIS TIME. I WAS HOPING TO SELL THIS AIRPLANE AND PROVIDE A LITTLE INCOME FOR MY FAMILY. I LOOKED FOR A PLT TO TRANSPORT THE AIRPLANE BUT THE MONEY WAS A BIG FACTOR. I LEFT KILLEEN ARPT AT ABOUT XA00 AM OCT/THU/96; TO BIG SPRING WITH A FRIEND IN HIS AIRPLANE. AT BIG SPRING THE WX WAS CLR. MY FRIEND AND I PLANNED TO TKOF AT XE30 PM. WE OBTAINED WX AND IT WAS FORECASTED TO BE ABILENE 3500 OVCST; SAN ANGELO 2500 OVCST; AND KILLEEN (MY FINAL DEST) 1500 OVCST. I DEPARTED VFR BUT ABOUT 8 MI FROM LAMPASAS VOR THE WX STARTED TO DETERIORATE. I STARTED TO FOLLOW THE ROADS BUT THE CEILING STARTED TO DROP BELOW 200 FT AGL. AT ABOUT 6 MI FROM LAMPASAS ARPT; I WAS FLYING OVER A LONG ROAD AND NOTICE THE ROAD ASCENDED UP A HILL AND THE ROAD DISAPPEARED IN THE FOG. AT THIS TIME MY FAMILY CAME TO MIND; I HAVE CHILDREN. THEY WERE AT SCHOOL AT THIS TIME. THE ACFT HAD JUST 1 RADIO AND A VOR (NOT IFR CAPABLE) SO I TOLD THE FRIEND OF MINE THAT WAS WITH ME AT THE TIME THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO CONTINUE ON IN THIS WX AND KILL MYSELF AND POSSIBLY OTHERS; SO I LANDED ON THIS ROAD SAFELY AND WITH NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. BUT THE BAD THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT I WAS FLYING ILLEGALLY AND I KNEW IT. THIS HAS BEEN A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND I KNOW THAT I WILL NEVER ATTEMPT TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN.