GA C172 PLT ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS ON VFR FLT PLAN NEAR ATL; GA. PLT LANDED SAFETY AFTER DECLARING AN EMER.

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THE WX BRIEFER TOLD ME THAT THE WX WAS IMC AT MY HOME ARPT; BUT THAT ANOTHER ARPT APPROX 80 MI S WAS STILL VFR. I DECIDED TO SEE HOW CLOSE I COULD GET TO HOME WHILE STAYING IN VFR CONDITIONS. A FLT THAT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE TAKEN 2 HRS TOOK 2 1/2 HRS DUE TO HEADWINDS. ENRTE; I NOTICED THE CLOUDS GETTING THICKER BELOW ME (I WAS FLYING AT 6500 FT MSL). AT THAT TIME; I ASKED FLT FOLLOWING IF I COULD DSND BELOW THE CLOUDS AND WAS GRANTED PERMISSION. THE CLOUDS WERE APPROX 4000 FT MSL; SO I DSNDED TO 3500 FT AND CONTINUED; STILL IN VFR CONDITIONS. AT THIS POINT; IT WAS GETTING VERY DARK; HOWEVER; I COULD STILL SEE LIGHTS ON THE GND SEVERAL MI AHEAD OF ME. I WAS OVER 1/2 WAY HOME AND STILL HAD VFR CONDITIONS; WHICH SURPRISED ME. I REALLY HAD NOT EXPECTED TO GET THAT FAR WITHOUT HAVING TO DEVIATE. SURPRISINGLY; I MADE IT ALMOST HOME; WITHIN ABOUT 13 MI; WHEN I WAS HANDED OFF TO THE CTL TWR. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD CEILINGS RPTED AT 400 FT AND CONDITIONS WERE IMC. I WAS SURPRISED BECAUSE I WAS ONLY ABOUT 8 MI AWAY NOW AND STILL IN VFR CONDITIONS. I THOUGHT THAT MAYBE I HAD BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO ARRIVE JUST WHEN THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE CLOUD COVER. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS ONLY 8 MI AWAY AND WAS STILL VFR; THEN I CHKED MY GPS MOVING MAP DISPLAY TO MAKE SURE OF MY EXACT DISTANCE AND LOCATION FROM THE ARPT. WHEN I LOOKED UP; VISIBILITY WAS ZERO. I CONTACTED THE TWR AND TOLD HIM I HAD LOST VISIBILITY. HE TOLD ME TO FLY S AND ASCEND TO 3000 FT. AT THE TIME; I COULD HEAR HIM BRINGING AN IFR FLT IN ON FINAL APCH ON THE ILS. AS I WAS TURNING S AND ASCENDING; I MOMENTARILY GOT VERTIGO. I STRUGGLED TO STAY ON THE INSTS. ALTHOUGH I FELT LIKE I WAS IN A STEEP R TURN; I KNEW THAT I WAS FLYING LEVEL. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING; I GOT A LITTLE DISORIENTED AND ENDED UP SE OF THE ARPT INSTEAD OF DUE S. AT THIS TIME; THE CTLR ASKED ME WHERE I WAS LOCATED; AND I MISTAKENLY TOLD HIM NE ABOUT 2 MI FROM THE ARPT. I WAS ACTUALLY SE; BUT DID NOT REALIZE UNTIL LATER THAT I HAD TOLD HIM WRONG. AT THIS POINT; I DECLARED AN EMER TO GET HELP GETTING TO A VFR ARPT. I WAS GIVEN BACK TO APCH AND VECTORED TO A VFR ARPT ABOUT 35 MI E. I FEEL THAT I MADE SOME BAD MISTAKES IN JUDGEMENT; PROBABLY DUE TO LACK OF SLEEP THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND FATIGUE. FIRST; I SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND IMMEDIATELY WHEN THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT THE ARPT WAS IFR. IN THE PAST I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A WX COWARD. SECONDLY; I SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN FLYING TOWARD IFR CONDITIONS AT NIGHT IN THE FIRST PLACE. I WANT TO SAY THAT I RECEIVED A WAKE-UP CALL. HAD I CAUSED SOMEONE TO GET HURT OR KILLED I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LIVE WITH MYSELF. IN THE FUTURE I WILL STAY FAR; FAR AWAY FROM IFR CONDITIONS UNTIL I GET AN INST RATING.