AN EXPERIENCED SMA PLT GETS CAUGHT VFR IN IMC. CTLR AT CRW; WV; HELPS HIM FIND HIS WAY BACK TO VFR AND A SAFE LNDG. CIVIL AIR PATROL WAS CONCERNED FOR RPTR'S ACFT BECAUSE AN ACFT HAD BEEN RPTED DOWN IN THE AREA.

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THE ESSENCE OF THIS STORY IS THAT I ENTERED IFR CONDITIONS FROM VFR CONDITIONS; AND HAD TO CONTACT AN ATC FACILITY TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA. IT IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO BELIEVE THAT I ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN. IN OVER 850 HRS OF FLYING I HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING THIS STUPID; AND I HOPE IT HAS TAUGHT ME A PERMANENT LESSON. PERHAPS THE FULL STORY (SEE ATTACHED SHEETS) CAN PROVIDE USEFUL; INFO FOR TRAINING OTHERS. IS IT POSSIBLE THAT MOUNTAIN RIDGE OBSCURATIONS OFTEN OCCUR ON ONE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS AND NOT THE OTHER? I HAD PASSED OVER THE HIGHEST OF THE MOUNTAIN RIDGES BEFORE I NOTICED A 'WALL OF CLOUDS' AHEAD. I DSNDED TO STAY CLR OF THEM AND WHEN THEY BEGAN TO TOUCH SOME OF THE HILLTOPS I DEBATED DOING A 180 DEG TURN BACK TO ROANOKE; WV. INSTEAD I CONVINCED MYSELF THAT THIS SUDDEN CLOUD BANK WOULD ONLY LAST A FEW MI. I REASONED THAT ALL I HAD TO DO WAS FOLLOW THE TWISTING PATH OF THE 'NEW RIVER' VALLEY THAT I COULD STAY CLR OF THE CLOUDS AND BREAK OUT IN THE CLR IN A FEW MI. I WAS FORCED DOWN TO 2600-2700 FT MSL WHICH PUT ME JUST 600 FT OVER THE RIVER. WHEN I REACHED A POINT WHERE THE RIVER CROSSED UNDER A 4-LANE HWY (I-64) I DECIDED THE TIME HAD COME TO TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK E TO CLR SKIES. I INITIATED A TURN TO THE L OVER THE HWY; BUT AFTER ABOUT 90 DEGS; A VALLEY RIDGE AND RISING TERRAIN APPEARED TO THREATEN TURN COMPLETION. I STOPPED THE TURN AND ADDED PWR TO CLB INTO THE OVCST CLOUD LAYER; I HAD SUDDEN MEMORY FLASH THAT IN THIS KIND OF SIT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO CLB; COMMUNICATE; CONFESS; AND CONSERVE FUEL. I HAD AT LEAST 2 1/2 HRS OF FUEL AND COULD HAVE POINTED EASTWARD TO VFR WX. SINCE I WAS NOW IN SOLID IFR I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OTHER IFR ACFT POSSIBLY IN THE AREA. AFTER ESTABLISHING A CLB I CONTACTED CHARLESTON APCH CTL AT 4000 FT MSL. THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO KEEP CLBING AND SQUAWK AN ASSIGNED FREQ. AFTER BREAKING OUT ON TOP AT 8000 FT MSL CHARLESTON TOLD ME THAT BREAKS IN THE OVCST HAD BEEN RPTED AT GALLIA-MEIGS ARPT (GAS). THEY ALSO RPTED THAT SCATTERED CLOUD CONDITIONS STILL EXISTED AT ROANOKE; WV. WITH AMPLE FUEL I DECIDED TO PROCEED N TO GALLIA-MEIGS. THE BREAKS IN THE OVCST DID BEGIN TO APPEAR 10-12 MI S OF GAS AND I CIRCLED DOWN THROUGH A LARGE HOLE (5 MI WIDE) AND LANDED. I THANKED CHARLESTON APCH FOR THE HELP; BUT THEY STILL WANTED ME TO CALL THEM AFTER I LANDED SAFELY. THE NEXT MORNING THE CHARLESTON APCH CTL PHONED ME AT HOME TO REQUEST THAT I CALL THE CIVIL AIR PATROL. IT SEEMS THAT AN ACFT WAS RPTED DOWN IN THE BECKLEY AREA; AND BY CALLING PERHAPS THEY WOULD NOT WASTE A SEARCH FOR ME. I DID CALL THEM IMMEDIATELY AND AGREED THAT MY PLANE WAS PROBABLY THE ONE THAT HAD BEEN SEEN CLOSE TO I-64 IN THE BECKLEY AREA. THIS IS ABOUT ALL THERE IS TO TELL ABOUT THIS SAD STORY. IT MAY HAVE BEEN SADDER IF I HAD NOT HAD 3 HRS OF INST DUAL INSTRUCTION A YR EARLIER AS PART OF MY BI-ANNUAL FLT REVIEW.