A NON IFR RATED PVT PLT GETS INVOLVED WITH IMC IN VFR FLT DURING A SHORT XCOUNTRY BACK HOME TO I19; IN.

Narrative

I LEFT BMG FOR A VFR TRIP BACK TO DELPHI (1I9). THE CEILING WAS AT 3000-4000 FT MSL; TOPS TO 8000 FT MSL BUT IT WAS BROKEN NEAR BMG. AS I STARTED OUT; THERE WAS TURB SO I CONTACTED INDY APCH AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING AND CLRNC TO CLB TO THE TOP OF THE CLOUDS. IT WAS GIVEN SO I PROCEEDED TO DO SO WHILE MAINTAINING CLR OF CLOUDS. AT 9000 FT MSL; I WAS VFR AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE (I WAS CLRED TO 9000 FT SO THAT IS WHY I WAS THERE ON A VFR FLT). I WAS EVENTUALLY SWITCHED TO ZAU AND ABOUT 10 NM S OF DELPHI REQUESTED CLRNC TO DSND THROUGH THE CLOUDS; WHICH WERE NOW OVCST. THE CTLR SAID NO BECAUSE I WAS NOT INST RATED. OTHER PLTS ON THE FREQ TOLD THE CTLR THAT THERE WERE HOLES IN THE CLOUDS TO THE E SO I PROCEEDED THERE. I WAS THEN SWITCHED TO GRISSOM APCH. WHILE STILL GETTING THE LOCATION OF THE HOLES IN THE CLOUDS SO AS TO ALLOW A VFR DSCNT; I EVENTUALLY FOUND ONE. HOWEVER; IT WOULD NOT ALLOW FOR A LEGAL VFR DSCNT. I INFORMED THE CTLR OF THIS BUT NOTED THAT I WAS CONFIDENT IN MY SKILLS TO MAKE A SPIRAL DSCNT THROUGH THE CLOUD DECK. I WAS THEN GIVEN CLRNC TO DO SO. AS I STARTED TO DSND; THE HOLE CLOSED AND I BECAME TOTAL IMC. USING THE SKILLS I HAD LEARNED UP TO THIS POINT; I NAVED DOWN WITHOUT ANY MAJOR COMPLICATIONS. I DID INFORM THE CTLR THAT I HAD LOST THE HOLE AND WAS IN A CLOUD. HE CONTINUED TO ASK ON MY CONDITION THROUGHOUT THE DSCNT. ONCE I WAS AT ABOUT 4500 FT MSL I SAW THE GND AGAIN BUT WAS STILL NOT LEGAL VFR DUE TO MANY PUFFY CLOUDS AROUND ME. AT ABOUT 3000 FT MSL I WAS TOTAL VFR AGAIN AND THEN PROCEEDED ON COURSE TO DELPHI AND LANDED SAFELY. HUMAN FACTORS: I MISJUDGED THE WX THINKING IT WOULD BE WISE TO CLB ABOVE THE DECK FOR A SMOOTHER RIDE AND BETTER VISIBILITY NOT THINKING THAT IT MAY HAVE BECOME OVCST AT MY DEST. I COULD HAVE HEADED FARTHER E TO A BETTER DSCNT LOCATION BUT DID NOT WANT TO HAVE A POSSIBLE FUEL CONFLICT. I TOOK CORRECTIVE ACTION WHILE IN IMC TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE CTL OF THE ACFT AND TO NOT OVER EXCEED LIMITATIONS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY OUTSIDE FACTORS AFFECTED THE QUALITY OF MY PERFORMANCE.