GA SMA ENCOUNTERED LOWERING CEILING BECAME VFR IN IMC THEN BECAME DISORIENTATED AND REQUIRED FLT ASSISTANCE TO ARPT.

Narrative

THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS ALONG MY ROUTE UNTIL I WAS APPROXIMATELY 40 NM NE OF THE EUFAULA; VOR (109.2) AT WHICH TIME THE CLOUD COVER BEGAN TO WORSEN. I LOWERED MY ELEVATION TO 1;600' ABOVE SEA LEVEL AND STARTED LOOKING FOR THE TUSKEGEE AIRPORT. AFTER CIRCLING FOR SEVERAL MINUTES AND NOT BEING ABLE TO LOCATE THAT AIRPORT; I CALLED MONTGOMERY DONNELLY APPROACH CENTRAL AND REQUESTED A VECTOR TO THAT AIRPORT FOR LANDING. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK WHICH I PUT IN MY TRANSPONDER. HOWEVER; I NEVER RECEIVED A VECTOR TO THE AIRPORT. AFTER SOME DELAY; THE XMISSION BETWEEN US BECAME GARBLED AND NOT AUDIBLE. BY THIS TIME; THE WEATHER SEEMED TO BE WORSENING WITH THE CEILING LOWERING AND VISIBILITY DROPPING TO APPROXIMATELY 3 TO 5 NM; SO WITH SOME OBSTACLES AS HIGH AS 1400' TO 1600' ABOVE SEA LEVEL IN THIS GENERAL AREA AND WITH GARBLED AND FINALLY NO XMISSION WITH MONTGOMERY; I BECAME SOMEWHAT CONFUSED AS TO MY EXACT LOCATION AND DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE FOUR C'S; WHICH MEANS CLIMB; COMMUNICATE; CONFESS AND COMPLY; WHICH I DID. IT TOOK ME APPROX 3+ MINUTES TO GET ABOVE THE CLOUD COVER AT APPROX 6000' TO 6500'. THE WEATHER SYSTEM WAS BUILDING WITH SOME OF THE TOPS HIGHER; SO I CONTINUED CLIMBING TO GET ABOVE EVERYTHING TO AN ELEVATION OF 10500' ABOVE SEA LEVEL. DURING THIS CLIMB; I REGAINED CONTACT WITH MONTGOMERY AND WAS ASKED WHICH VOR I WAS USING AND WHAT HEADING I WAS ON. I REPLIED (111.0) AND ALSO TOLD THEM MY NEEDLE WAS FULLY DEFLECTED (AS I RECALL) TO THE LEFT. AFTER SOME DELAY; I WAS TOLD THAT VOR WAS OUT AND GIVEN 114.4 (VULCAN) VOR TO USE. I WAS ALSO GIVEN A HEADING TO FLY; ASKED HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE PLANE; MY NAME AND ADDRESS AND WAS HEADED OFF TO BIRMINGHAM. THE WEATHER AT BIRMINGHAM WAS MUCH IMPROVED (VFR IN FACT); SO I DECIDED TO LAND THERE. I CONTACTED BIRMINGHAM APPROACH CONTROL AND WAS VECTORED IN WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM WHATSOEVER. I GASSED UP MY PLANE; WENT TO THE RESTROOM; RESTED A FEW MINUTES; TUNED IN THE ATIS; CHECKED THE WEATHER VISIBILITY AND DEPARTED IN VFR CONDITIONS FOR MEMPHIS. I ARRIVED AND LANDED IN MEMPHIS WITH CLEAR SKIES. I FEEL THAT IF I COULD HAVE GOTTEN AN IMMEDIATE VECTOR TO MONTGOMERY UPON MY INITIAL CONTACT; THERE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM.