PLT OF AN SMA FLYING WESTWARD VFR ENCOUNTERS DETERIORATING WX BUT CONTINUES FLT WHILE THINKING HE SHOULD FILE IFR. ON CONTACTING UNICOM HE LEARNS OF A CONVAIR ON IFR APCH WHO JUST WENT MISSED. SIGHTING THE ACFT HE MAKES A DOWNWIND FOR OPPOSITE DIRECTION LNDG.

Narrative

TOOK OFF FROM EVB WITH SOME MORE WX MOVING IN FROM THE E. WX WAS ABOUT 1500 FT BROKEN WITH VISIBILITY OF 5-6 MI. FROM TFC PATTERN ALT (800 FT MSL) FLEW VFR TOWARD HOME ARPT OF DED; JUST 18 MI TO THE W. FOLLOWED HWY 44 TO THE W OF EVB STAYING BELOW THE CLOUDS; WHICH WERE LOWERING THE FURTHER W I FLEW. ENRTE; I HAD THOUGHTS OF RETURNING TO EVB AND GETTING AN IFR CLRNC TO DED OR AT LEAST PICKING UP ONE ENRTE. BUT; WITH REASONABLE VISIBILITY AND NEARNESS TO MY HOME ARPT; I PRESSED ON. AS I REACHED A RACETRACK AT THE INTXN OF HWYS 44 AND 451; I COULD SEE THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT; A LIGHTER AREA AMONG THE VAST LANDSCAPE OF TREES ABOUT 7 MI AWAY; SO I SET COURSE DIRECT FOR THE ARPT; WHICH WOULD PUT ME ALIGNED WITH THE INBOUND FOR RWY 30. AS I APCHED THE INTERSTATE 4; ABOUT 4 MI OUT; MY ALT HAD DECREASED TO 650 FT MSL AND I ANNOUNCED ON THE UNICOM FREQ THAT I WAS INBOUND AND ALIGNED WITH THE NDB FOR RWY 30. A RESPONSE ON THE UNICOM FREQ SAID THAT A CONVAIR HAD JUST MADE A MISSED APCH TO RWY 30 AT DED. WITH MY LOWER ALT AND ALIGNMENT WITH RWY 30; I FLEW TO THE N TOWARD AN AREA OF HIGHER CEILING AND SOME SUNLIGHT BREAKING THROUGH. THIS WOULD MANEUVER ME FOR A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12; MORE ALIGNED WITH THE PREVAILING WIND. ON THIS HDG I SAW THE CONVAIR BREAK OUT INBOUND TO DED AND DECLARING A FINAL APCH FOR RWY 30. AT THIS POINT I BECAME UPSET WITH MYSELF FOR BEING AIRBORNE IN THIS SIT WITHOUT AN IFR CLRNC WHILE AN IFR ACFT WAS SHOOTING AN APCH TO THE SAME ARPT. AS THE CONVAIR WAS ON ITS LNDG ROLLOUT; I WAS ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 12. AS IT DEPARTED THE END OF RWY 30; I MADE MY BASE LEG AT 650 FT MSL AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED ON RWY 12. PROB: FLYING INTO MARGINAL CONDITIONS WAS A DUMB THING TO DO -- ESPECIALLY SINCE OTHER IFR AIRPLANES MIGHT BE DSNDING OUT OF THE OVCST RIGHT ONTO ME; NOT AWARE THAT I AM DOWN THERE SCUD RUNNING. I COULD HAVE CAUSED A MIDAIR; AND IT REALLY RATTLED ME. I WAS A NEAR BASKET CASE OF CONCERN AND SELF- DAMNATION ON THE WAY HOME AND STILL FEEL TERRIBLE ABOUT IT. MAKING IT WORSE; ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS LATER THE SKY CONDITIONS WERE VFR; THE STARS WERE CLRLY VISIBLE! I HAD LOST ALL CLR THINKING AND PATIENCE -- I JUST COULDN'T WAIT! WHY DID IT HAPPEN: I AM NOT A SCUD RUNNER TYPE OF PLT. IN FACT; I HAVE FELT SCORN FOR SUCH AVIATION BEHAVIORS IN THE PAST. ALL OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SIT WERE STRICTLY HUMAN FACTORS -- TIRED AFTER A LONG DAY; GET HOMEITIS; WANTED TO GET IT OVER WITH; AND AN EMOTIONALLY STRESSFUL SIT OCCURRING IN MY PERSONAL LIFE AT THAT TIME; WHICH GAVE ME A PRESSURED FEELING TO PRESS ON AND GET HOME. I SHOULD HAVE SIMPLY CALLED DAB APCH (THE CTLING AGENCY FOR DED) AND ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO DED. THE NEARNESS TO THE HOME FIELD AND NOT TOO BAD VISIBILITY SUCKERED ME TO PRESS ON AND NOT USE ANY GOOD JUDGEMENT. I'LL NOT BE DOING THIS SORT OF THING AGAIN!