Originally Posted by
Whopity
Once upon a time Flying Clubs were full of Safety Sense Leaflets, today you don't see them, but tey are still available on the CAA website.
This one is relevant to MSA
That's a most useful and relevant link, Whopity.
I've said it before; attempting to fly visually in IMC has killed a lot of pilots, and history shows experience is no protection; the statistics show that it makes little difference whether you've 30hrs or 30,000hrs.
My own well-rehearsed plan is to climb to MSA if I'm in any doubt whatsoever about my ability to remain VMC, and I've always maintained the basic skills to do this. If you have sufficient instrumentation left to maintain control, and a working engine and radio, then in the UK, a call on 121.5 will likely get you back on the ground with a reusable aircraft. Personally, my biggest worry was losing the radio and I'd sometimes carry a handheld transceiver as a backup when flying simply-equipped aircraft in dubious weather.
That said, lives have also been lost when pilots have attempted to fly in IMC without the requisite skill set; IIRC there was an accident somewhere in the SW after a novice pilot lost control in cloud after being instructed to climb to MSA by the controller handling the emergency.
Being below MSA in deteriorating weather with no exit plan or capability is, basically, suicidal. Being unable to maintain MSA due to icing is also something I take very seriously in planning.
From my own experience, I'd say my biggest likely mistake in such a scenario would be not to declare an emergency soon enough; waiting until you're in deep do-do and thoroughly frightened before calling for help is not likely to end well. I've found, in the UK at least, that the authorities are generally sympathetic to pilots in such situations and will generally seek to educate and inform, rather than prosecute.