LOW TIME NON INST RATED CESSNA PLT ENCOUNTERS WX ON NIGHT FLT REQUIRING ASSISTANCE FROM ARTCC AND ANOTHER ACFT.

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THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ON OCT/XA/99 CLOSE TO XG00. MY CESSNA TOOK OFF FROM DLL AT ABOUT XF30 ENRTE TO RYV. THE PRESENT WX CONDITION THEN WAS CLR SKIES AND 8-10 SM. PASSING MADISON; I BEGAN TO TRACK RYV USING THE ADF. I WAS STILL MAINTAINING ALT (2200 FT MSL) AND HDG. NOT LONG AFTER; WE PASSED OVER A LITTLE TOWN WHICH I COULD NOT IDENT ON THE MAP. I ALSO REALIZED THAT VISIBILITY WAS DIMINISHING BEFORE US. I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE JUST CLOUDS; SO I DECIDED TO DSND TO 2000 FT MSL STILL TRACKING RYV ON THE ASDF. WE FLEW ABOUT 3 MINS PAST THE TOWN WE JUST SAW AND ALMOST SUDDENLY WE LOST ALL VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. I SAID TO MY BROTHER THAT WE NEEDED TO GET OUT OF THIS SIT IMMEDIATELY; ASSURED HIM THAT EVERYTHING WAS FINE AND A 180 DEG TURN WOULD TAKE US BACK TO THE DIRECTION WE CAME FROM. AT THAT TIME IT SEEMED TO TAKE A WHILE BEFORE WE HAD SOME VISIBILITY BEFORE US; BUT WE COULD NOT FIND THE TOWN THAT WE HAD PAST OVER A FEW MINS AGO. I LOOKED OVER TO THE W HOPING TO SEE PERHAPS MADISON OR SOME OTHER TOWN BUT VISIBILITY WAS POOR. AT THIS POINT IN TIME; I DID NOT KNOW HOW FAR WE WERE AWAY FROM DLL OR RYV. I DECIDED TO CONTACT MADISON APCH FOR RADAR ASSISTANCE. SINCE RADAR SVCS WERE CLOSED IN MADISON; WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT ZAU WHICH RESPONDED TO OUR CALL IMMEDIATELY. I EXPLAINED TO ZAU THAT WE RAN INTO IFR CONDITIONS WHILE ENRTE VFR TO RYV. ZAU ASKED ME TO STATE MY INTENTION TO GO TO RYV. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE HEADED TOWARDS RYV FOR LNDG; AND WOULD APPRECIATE RADAR VECTORS TO THAT LOCATION. ZAU THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO SQUAWK IDENT. I WAS TOLD TO CLB TO 3000 FT MSL; AND GIVEN A HDG THAT WOULD TAKE ME TO RYV. SHORTLY AFTER; ZAU ADVISED ME TO ABANDON THE APCH TO RYV; STATING THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE IFR; AND THAT HE WOULD GIVE ME A NEW VECTOR TO DLL. ALL THIS TIME I WAS NOT ABLE TO SEE ANYTHING ON THE GND. AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MINS ON THE NEW COURSE AND ALT (4000 FT MSL); MY BODY BEGAN TO FEEL THAT THE PLANE WAS BANKED TO THE L AND ASCENDING. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE; I ASKED MY BROTHER IF HE TOO FELT THAT WE WERE TURNING; AND HE CONCURRED. I LOOKED OVER THE INSTS AND THE ALT INDICATOR WAS LEVEL; NOT CLBING NOR DSNDING; THE VSI WAS AT ZERO AND THE ALT INDICATOR WAS SHOWING 4000 FT MSL. EVERYTHING THE INSTS SHOWED ME WENT AGAINST WHAT OUR BODIES TOLD US. TO ASSURE MYSELF THAT I WAS TRACKING A STRAIGHT COURSE AND MAINTAINING ALT; I DECIDED TO CALL ZAU WHO SAID THAT I WAS DOING FINE AND FOR THE REST OF THE FLT I HAD TO JUST RELY ON THE INSTS. ABOUT 5 MINS PASSED. ZAU WAS ABLE TO CONTACT XYZ FLT WHICH WAS ENRTE TO DLL. A LITTLE LATER; ZAU COORDINATED WITH XYZ FLT WHO OFFERED TO ASSIST ME OUT OF THE IFR AREAS; TAKING ME TOWARDS DLL WHERE CONDITIONS WERE VFR. ZAU GAVE MED-FLT PERMISSION TO COMMUNICATE DIRECT WITH ME. ENRTE TO DLL; I REQUESTED XYZ FLT TO DIRECT ME TO PORTAGE INSTEAD; AS I WAS ALREADY LOW ON FUEL. XYZ FLT DSNDED ABOVE THE RWY AND WE DID A SAFE LNDG IN C47. UPON TOUCHDOWN; XYZ FLT RELAYED A MESSAGE FOR ZAU THAT WE WERE TO CALL HIM ASAP. AT THE FBO; I CALLED UP CTR WHO WANTED TO KNOW IF WE HAD A SAFE TOUCHDOWN. I APOLOGIZED TO HIM REGARDING THE INCIDENT AND ALSO THANKED HIM AND HIS STAFF FOR ALL THE WORK PUT INTO GETTING US OUT OF THE FOG AND DOWN SAFELY. I HAVE ASKED FOR THE NAMES OF THE INDIVIDUALS WHO TALKED TO ME ON THE RADIO AND THE PLT OF XYZ FLT (UNKNOWN); THAT I MAY WRITE A PERSONAL NOTE OF 'THANKS' TO BOTH OF THEM FOR WHAT THEY HAD DONE FOR ME THAT NIGHT. IN RETROSPECT; I REALIZED THAT THE WX CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY OVER A FEW HRS. THE INCIDENT COULD BE AVOIDED IF I HAD GOTTEN A CURRENT WX RPT RATHER THAN RELY ON THE ONE THAT WAS TAKEN WHEN WE DEPARTED FROM C47 AT ABOUT XA00 HRS EVEN THOUGH THE WX THEN WAS EXCELLENT. ANOTHER THING THAT COULD BE DONE WAS TO BE MORE ALERT OF THE FIRST SIGN OF POOR VISIBILITY; AND TO ABANDON THE FLT IMMEDIATELY.