BE200 ACFT. FLC ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS WHILE ON VFR FLT PLAN AND CLBED IMC. WHEN CONTACTING ATC THEY WERE ADVISED OF TFC AT THEIR ALT. CFTT AND AIRSPACE PENETRATION.

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X WAS THE PIC AS WELL AS THE PF. WE DEPARTED BNA FOR 6A4. VFR CONDITIONS WERE REACHED AT TRI AND WE PROCEEDED VFR (IFR WAS CANCELED) TO 6A4. THE PLAN WAS TO OVERFLY 0A9 AND PROCEED TO 6A4. WE WERE AT 3000 FT WHEN WE COULD SEE AROUND HOLSTON MOUNTAIN. I COULD TELL THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROCEED VFR AND TOLD X THAT I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE SIT AND RECOMMENDED THAT WE NOT PROCEED. HE CONTINUED. HE DSNDED TO 2400 FT AND CONTINUED UP THE VALLEY TOWARD 6A4. X WAS NOT 500 FT BELOW THE BASES OF THE CLOUDS. HE WAS IN AND OUT OF THE BASES; AND THE PEAKS OF THE MOUNTAINS WERE OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. AT 4.3 MI FROM 0A9 (GPS MILAGE) HE CLBED UP INTO THE CLOUDS AND ENTERED A TURN TOWARD AN OBSCURED PEAK. HE CONTINUED HIS CLB IMC TO 6000 FT AND LEVELED OFF IMC WHILE VFR. WHEN TRI CITIES APCH WAS REACHED WE WERE AT THE SAME ALT AS A C172 AND 3 MI DISTANCE WITH THE SAME DIRECTION OF FLT. INSTEAD OF CLBING HE DSNDED TO 5000 FT. STILL AT AN IFR ALT; IMC WITHOUT IFR CLRNC; AND HE DOES NOT KNOW THE MEA IN THAT AREA. WHEN CLR OF THE TFC CONFLICT HE GOT AN IFR CLRNC AND WAS VECTORED BACK TO VFR CONDITIONS; AND HE PROCEEDED VFR AND LANDED AT 0A9.