Things have obviously started to go wrong if you have to make an unplanned trip in IMC
Nah, someone with an IMC rating should be able to handle a few coulds...at least I hope so, or else the training DOES need some modification. True you should know the weather before you go, but in the UK there is no real problem bumbling into IMC, I've done it a few times, and the saftest thing to do is climb to a safe height and either continue or turn back [in the IMC]. The most important thing to remember is don't let emotion take control and stay calm, and remember that aeroplanes don't just fall out of the sky in cloud unless you let them. Nail the AI, and make small gentle control inputs while keeping the scan going. I would think that a panicy cautionary landing would be far more dangerous, in fact I remember reading on the AAIB website a case where a bloke stuffed his plane trying to make the landing....
Cheers
EA
