A C182 COMMERCIAL PLT ENTERS A CTL ZONE WHILE IMC IN VFR FLT WITHOUT CLRNC E OF LWB; WV.

Narrative

WHEN I ARRIVED AT ROA FOR THE 40 NM FLT TO BASE AT LWB; OVER MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN; I WAS TIRED AND LOOKING FORWARD TO A QUICK VFR FLT HOME. I WANTED TO AVOID ENTERING CLOUDS BECAUSE OF THE LOW TEMPS AND FEAR OF ICE. THE WX AT ROA WAS GOOD -- ATIS RPTED FEW CLOUDS AT 6000 FT; 12000 FT OVCST VISIBILITY. THE WX TERMINATION TERMINAL WAS DOWN; AND I DID NOT CHK DEST WX. ENRTE; THE CEILING WAS INDISTINCT; AND I STOPPED MY CLB AT 5500 FT MSL (ROA IS ABOUT 12000 FT MSL) TO MAINTAIN VMC. THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD BUT DECREASED AS I PROCEEDED. I CALLED LWB TWR 15 MI OUT AND INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WOULD BE DELAYED BECAUSE THE VISIBILITY SEEMED LOWER TOWARD THE ARPT; AND I PLANNED TO DIVERT TO THE W TO GO AROUND IT. HE SAID; FROM HIS VANTAGE POINT; IT WAS WORSE THAT WAY; SO I ELECTED TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE ARPT. I ASKED FOR LWB SKY CONDITIONS; AND HE RPTED 9000 FT OVCST AND 6 MI VISIBILITY. I NEVER SAW A DISTINCT CLOUD -- RATHER; THE SKY MORE RESEMBLED A HAZY SUMMER DAY IN THAT VISIBILITY TO THE SIDES WAS 6 T0 8 MI; BUT FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS POOR. I MAINTAINED GOOD GND CONTACT AT ALL TIMES. I RECOGNIZED LANDMARKS AS I APCHED THE ARPT; BUT WHEN I WAS 2 MI OUT (GPS); I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I OVERFLEW AT 6000 FT; AND TURNED TOWARD BUSHY LOM; DECIDING TO DSND TO 5000 FT BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WOULD ASSURE TERRAIN CLRNC IN THAT AREA. AT 5500 FT; I RECOGNIZED THE CITY OF LEWISBURG; AND TURNED BACK TO THE FIELD; WHICH I IMMEDIATELY SPOTTED. I RPTED MY POS TO TWR; WAS CLRED TO LAND; AND FLEW THROUGH LIGHT SNOW; LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DID BLUNDER INTO IMC; OR AT LEAST LOW MVFR; FOR A SHORT TIME; WITHOUT A CLRNC. HUMAN FACTORS: 1) TIRED; 2) GET HOMEITIS; 3) BELIEVED RPTED WX INSTEAD OF WHAT I SAW OUT THE WINDSCREEN. ALSO; I DELAYED TURNING BACK BECAUSE THE WX SHIFT WAS SO GRADUAL. I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO GOOD VMC AND FILED IFR; OR JUST RETURNED TO ROA; BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD STAY VMC; AND I PLANNED ON GETTING A SVFR CLRNC IF NEEDED.