PVT PLT; FLYING RENTED C152; FLYING UNDER VFR; INADVERTENTLY ENTERED IMC.

Narrative

ON THE EVENING OF MAY/XA/99; I (WITH 1 NON PLT PAX) FLEW FROM CAE TO 8S5 IN A RENTED C152. ANDERSON FSS RPTED VFR FOR THE RTE OF FLT ALL EVENING AND ONLY SCATTERED CLOUDS. BEFORE DEPARTING 8S5 FOR THE RETURN TO CAE; I OBTAINED A SECOND STANDARD WX BRIEFING FROM ANDERSON FSS; WHO RPTED VFR CONDITIONS AND NO CLOUDS BELOW 8000 FT MSL OVER CHARLESTON; SC OR COLUMBIA; SC. FSS ALSO RPTED SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 6000 FT MSL BTWN OGB AND MMT. AT APPROX XA25 I DEPARTED 8S5 AND CONTACTED CHS DEP FOR RADAR SVCS. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS; CHS TERMINATED RADAR SVCS AND I PROCEEDED ON COURSE VFR VIA V53 AT 4500 FT MSL. APPROX 28 MINS INTO THE FLT AND STILL AT 4500 FT MSL; I WAS ENGAGED IN FLT MGMNT DUTIES INSIDE THE COCKPIT WHEN I OBSERVED LOW FORWARD VISIBILITY. I TURNED ON THE LNDG LIGHT AND OBSERVED LIGHT WISPY CLOUDS BELOW AND A SIZABLE CLOUD DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE ACFT. I ENTERED THE CLOUD AND FLEW WITHOUT VISUAL REF TO THE GND FOR APPROX 45 SECONDS. WHEN I WAS STILL NOT CLR OF THE CLOUD; I BEGAN A 500 FPM DSCNT FOR ABOUT 1 MIN WHEREUPON I CLRED THE CLOUD. I THEN MADE NECESSARY NAVIGATIONAL CORRECTIONS TO AVOID ENTERING OTHER NEARBY CLOUDS. AFTER A FEW MORE MINS; I CLBED BACK TO 4500 FT AND CONTINUED TO CAE WITHOUT OTHER INCIDENT.