GA PLT WITH LITTLE FLT TIME ENCOUNTERS MULTIPLE LAYERS OF IMC DURING CTLR ASSISTED DSCNT TO CYNTHIANA; KY; AFTER LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

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PROBS ENCOUNTERED INCLUDE THICKENING CLOUD LAYERS BELOW ALT FLOWN; UNFAMILIARITY WITH PHRASE 'WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS;' AND THE OPTION (SVFR) IMPLICIT; MISSED ATC COM (DUE TO CABIN STATIC FROM ADF); AND CONTINUING VFR IN LIEU OF ATC VECTORED ARPT (CYNTHIANA; 0I8) FOR MARSHALL FIELD (27K). PREFLT SHOWED NO ADVERSE WX EXCEPT FOR BROKEN CLOUD COVER AT SOUTHERN KENTUCKY BORDER FOR TIME OF ARR. FEW CLOUDS WERE OBSERVED 20 NM NW OF FRANKFORT; KY; BUT BELIEVED THEM TO BE INCOMPLETE AND WOULD DISSIPATE SOON. INITIAL CALL-UP TO LEX APCH DISCLOSED IFR AND MIST; PLAN B WAS MARSHALL FIELD. I WAS GIVEN A XPONDER IDENT AND A HDG TO DSND ON. I EXPECTED TO FIND MARSHALL WITHOUT DELAY. HOWEVER; THE CLOUDS WERE MUCH THICKER. I REMEMBER 3 DISTINCT LAYERS ON MY DSCNT TO 1800 FT AND THINKING THAT MY NORMAL DSCNT RATE WOULD ONLY PROLONG MY TIME INSIDE THE CLOUDS. I USED CARB HEAT; REDUCED PWR TO KEEP RPM BELOW RED LINE AND INCREASED WINGS LEVEL DSCNT AT 1800 FPM. I KEPT REPEATING TO MYSELF THAT 'INSTS DON'T LIE' AND REMEMBERED THE HOOD DRILLS AND TECHNIQUES I HAD WORKED ON WITH MY INSTRUCTOR. THE AWARENESS AND SEVERITY OF MY SIT BUILT SLOWLY FROM THAT DSCNT THROUGH SUNDAY AND HAS MADE A PERMANENT IMPRESSION ABOUT SAFETY ISSUES IN MY MIND. DURING THIS TIME INCREASING ADF STATIC WAS SOUNDING IN THE CABIN; MAKING IT HARD TO HEAR RADIO CALLS. THOSE I HEARD I RESPONDED TO. I LEFT THE CHANNEL ONLY TO CALL THE FBO TO ALERT THE PARTY AWAITING US OF OUR NEW DEST; THEN SWITCHED BACK. I OVERSHOT THE MARSHALL FIELD AND HAD TO BE VECTORED TO CYNTHIANA. UPON VISUAL CONFIRMATION OF CYNTHIANA; I SIGNED OFF AND THANKED ATC FOR THEIR HELP. BUT; INSTEAD OF LNDG AT CYNTHIANA; I SWITCHED MY MIND AND OPTED TO TRAVEL TO MARSHALL FIELD BY SETTING COURSE W OF THE LEX VORTAC. I FOUND PARIS (VIA WATERTOWER IDENT) AND FOLLOWED WHAT I INCORRECTLY IDENTED AS THE ROAD W TO MARSHALL. REALIZING THE WRONG COURSE; I RADIOED LEX CTL; REQUESTED DIRECTIONS TO GEORGETOWN AFTER HDG BACK TO PARIS. I MORE THAN EVER REALIZE THE HAZARDS CLOUDS PRESENT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. I NEVER WANT TO GO THROUGH CLOUDS AGAIN WITH SO LITTLE EXPERIENCE. I ALSO PLAN TO TAKE EVERY EFFORT TO UPDATE MY WX INFO FROM INFLT ADVISORIES AND METARS; AND AM CURRENTLY TAKING ADDITIONAL SAFETY TRAINING AT OUR FBO. I AM ALSO MORE DETERMINED THAN EVER TO START IFR TRAINING; HOPEFULLY NEXT SUMMER; SO THAT I WILL BE MORE EDUCATED AND FAMILIAR WITH ADVERSE WX; RADIO OPS; AND COCKPIT STRESS MGMNT.