VFR IN IMC. PLT OF A C172 FLEW INTO AN OVCST DURING SHORT XCOUNTRY FLT ACROSS TOWN AT NIGHT.

Narrative

BEFORE THE FLT; THINGS WERE LOOKING MARGINAL; SO BEFORE I LEFT I GOT THE FORECAST WHICH SAID THE WX WOULD GET BETTER AS THE EVENING WORE ON. I FLEW TO ATTEND A MEETING. THE WX WAS WORSE THAN PREDICTED AT THE DEST; BUT I STILL HAD THE FORECAST THAT THE WX WAS GONNA GET BETTER. I DECIDED IT WAS OK TO LAND AND GO TO THE MEETING. ABOUT THE TIME I LANDED; THE RAIN STARTED. ANOTHER PLT FLEW IN FROM THE E; AND HE AND I WATCHED THE WX; AND THE MEETING. HE FINALLY DECIDED TO LEAVE; WHILE THE AWOS WAS RPTING 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY; 2500 FT CEILING. I THOUGHT I SHOULD WAIT; IT WAS GETTING BETTER; THE RAIN HAD STOPPED. AS HE LEFT; I WATCHED HIM; AND IT SEEMED THERE WAS PLENTY OF VISIBILITY. THE AWOS FINALLY WAS RPTING 3 MI OF VISIBILITY; AND A 2500 FT CEILING. I DECIDED TO LEAVE. WHILE CLBING OUT; THINGS SEEMED OK; THE WX WAS POORER THAN PREDICTED; BUT THE ATIS FOR MY DEST WAS RPTING 4000 FT CEILING; AND 8 MI VISIBILITY; IT WAS ONLY 12 MI TO THE W. AS THE CITY LIGHTS WERE DISAPPEARING; I WASN'T SURE IF THE VISIBILITY WAS DETERIORATING; OR IF I WAS GOING FROM CITY TO COUNTRY; AND THE LIGHTS COULD BE THAT FAR APART. SUDDENLY THERE WERE NO GND REFS; THE STROBES WERE IRRITATING; AND THE LNDG LIGHT THAT I LEFT ON WAS VERY OBVIOUS. I WAS IN A CLOUD. THERE WAS LOTS OF ADRENALINE; LOTS! I HAD AN INST RATING; BUT HADN'T BEEN ACTUAL FOR PROBABLY 4 YRS; AND WASN'T CURRENT. MY FOCUS SHIFTED TO THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR; NOT ANY SCANNING; JUST THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR. I HAD ALREADY TUNED THE DEST ARPT VOR; KNOWING EVEN 8 MI AT NIGHT WASN'T GONNA MAKE THIS A DRIVE TO THE ARPT STRAIGHT VFR. I HAD A REF FOR WHERE I WAS GOING. A MOMENT OF VERTIGO; AND I WAS BACK ON THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR; I WAS MAYBE IN A 5 DEG BANK; SO I KNOW TO CALMLY CORRECT THAT; AND THEN FOCUS. I THOUGHT ABOUT TUNING IN THE LCL APCH FREQ; I KNEW 125.00; SINCE ALL MY INST TRAINING INVOLVED THESE 2 ARPTS. I HAD BEEN TOLD OF STORIES WHERE PLTS GET HELP BY ADMITTING THEIR MISTAKES; AND THOUGHT I'D RATHER FILL OUT FORMS; THAN HAVE SOMEONE DO IT FOR ME. I HAD MY HDG FROM THE VOR; I HAD MY ALT; AND I JUST WANTED TO KEEP MY WINGS LEVEL HOPING IT WAS A SMALL CLOUD. I WAS AFRAID TO TAKE MY EYES OFF THE INSTS. I FIGURED I COULD DROP DOWN 300-400 FT AND STILL HAVE PLENTY OF OBSTACLE CLRNC; SO I TRIED IT. ABOUT 300 FT; SUDDENLY THERE WERE FARM LIGHTS OBVIOUS; I WAS SHAKING; BUT I COULD SEE AHEAD; -- PROBABLY 3 MI. I DECIDED I WAS AT THE RIGHT ALT; AND SUDDENLY I SAW THE ROTATING BEACON FOR MY DEST. I WAS ABOUT 200 FT ABOVE PATTERN ALT WHEN I CALLED THE TWR. I REALLY HAD NO IDEA HOW FAR AWAY I WAS; OR WHERE I REALLY WAS. I CALMLY; AS I COULD; CALLED THE TWR AND TOLD 'EM I WAS 8 MI OUT; WITH ATIS INFO; LNDG. I FIGURED IF I COULD SEE THE ARPT; I MUST BE AT LEAST THAT CLOSE. THE LNDG WAS QUITE UNEVENTFUL; BUT THE CTLRS WERE LAUGHING ABOUT SOMETHING -- HOPEFULLY NOT AT ME. TOMORROW I WILL MAKE AN APPOINTMENT; GET MY INST RATING CURRENT. I REALLY WANT TO GET SOME ACTUAL TIME AGAIN. IT IS MUCH DIFFERENT KNOWING THAT THERE IS NO PEEKING WHEN YOU ARE REALLY IN A CLOUD.