Cessna 120
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30; Flight Crew Total 900; Flight Crew Type 85
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Landing Without Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter VFR In IMC; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution
Aircraft; Human Factors; Weather
I departed as pilot in command of a Cessna 120 intending to land at airport ZZZ. During the brief flight; I encountered Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) [9 miles east of departure.] The aircraft was not equipped to enter IMC; and I turned to an area of clear air to the south; the clouds continued to be lower and lower. For several minutes; I circled to see if I could turn back to [the departure airport] and end the flight; however; all I could see was haze and the water. It was also very difficult to get a good read on my compass. After almost 45 minutes of trying to get to ZZZ; I became concerned about the fuel status of my aircraft. This is when I elected to land at [a nearby military airport] on a taxiway. I did not have any functional radios in the airplane at the time; after I landed; I was apprehended by security. I explained that this was an emergency landing and that I had no communications equipment on the plane. As the pilot in command I had no choice but to land and believed that I was in serious risk of crashing unless I landed there. There was no way to safely get into ZZZ; and I could not safely return to [departure airport.] [The military airfield] was the only airport available to me.
CE120 pilot attempts a VFR flight across 6 NM of water to a nearby airport without a radio or a functioning compass and enters IMC. After becoming lost he chooses to land on a taxiway at a military field.