C172 PLT ENCOUNTERS DETERIORATING WX ENRTE AND AT DEST. COORDINATES WITH ATC; WHO DECLARES EMER; AND LANDS VFR AT CLASS C ARPT THAT HAS INST METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS.

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WX WAS CHKED AT AA00 AT STUART; FL (SUA); FOR VFR FLT TO TALLAHASSEE; FL (TLH). TKOF WAS BB10 WITH CAVU CONDITIONS. NW OF ORL; FLYING AT 3000 FT; AN UNDERCAST BEGAN DEVELOPING. I OBTAINED PERMISSION TO LEAVE FLT FOLLOWING FREQ TO CHK DEST WX WITH FLT WATCH. AFTER 122.0 TRYING FOR 10 MINS; I REACHED A BRIEFER; LOUD AND CLR. HE TOOK MY REQUEST FOR CONDITIONS AT TLH; DONALDSONVILLE AND DOTHAN. AFTER A FEW MINS; I HEARD HIM TALKING TO ANOTHER PLANE; TRIED TO RAISE HIM AGAIN AND NEVER RECEIVED A REPLY. I WENT BACK TO ZJX FREQ AND ASKED IF THEY HAD WX. THEY SAID TLH IS 800 FT BROKEN. I WAS ABOUT 45-50 MINS AWAY WITH THE UNDERCAST THICKENING AND CONTINUED TO TLH. AT HDOF TO TLH APCH; I DISCOVERED CLOUDS WERE OVCST; NOT BROKEN; AND THE CTL ZONE WAS IFR. NOT KNOWING IF THE RENTED C172; I WAS FLYING; WAS CURRENT ON IFR CERTIFICATION; I ASKED IF TLH APCH COULD GIVE ME CONDITIONS AT DOTHAN AND DONALDSONVILLE. HE TRIED BY TELETYPE AND PHONE AND COULD NOT OBTAIN THE CONDITIONS. I TOLD HIM; NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS AHEAD; WHERE I WOULD BE DOWN TO 1/2 HR OF FUEL (AT DOTHAN); I WOULD HAVE TO LAND AT TLH. JUST OFFSHORE FL; IN THE GULF OF MEXICO; I FOUND A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS; AND KNOWING THERE WERE NO TWRS THERE; DSNDED INTO THE HOLE FROM 3000-500 FT; AND WAS IN THE CLR WITH GOOD VISIBILITY. THE CTLR DECLARED AN EMER; I SPOTTED THE FIELD AT ABOUT 9 MI AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I FELT LNDG AT TLH WAS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION; CONSIDERING ALL OPTIONS.