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Small transport pilot flying VFR enters clouds at low altitude. Contacts approach, offered vectors to ILS. Spots VFR area and cancels IFR, then penetrates TCA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 133567 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199001 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : bur |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : lax tower : dec |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 800 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 133567 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Returning from palm springs to vny VFR. Van nuys began to cloud up and I decided to go VFR under the clouds based on the conversations of pilots in front of me. I chose 2500' based on listening to pilot's conversations with burbank at 2500'. I was VFR and navigating by flying over a freeway at about 2000' AGL. I did not see and entered a cloud, hesitated a moment too long to do a 180 degree turn, called burbank and got a transponder squawk and a turn to stay clear of the mountains. Once back on top they offered to give me the ILS at van nuys. I began by taking the vectors and then thought I saw van nuys VFR. I requested to cancel IFR and proceed VFR which was granted. I did not realize I was still disoriented from all the turns I had made -- both in the clouds and out and turned back into the TCA over griffith park observatory. Burbank contacted me and I took IFR vectors to the vny ILS. The problem arose because I was tired and tried to 'cheat' and fly under the clouds in an area where good judgement would dictate maintaining VFR on top or IFR. I based my beliefs that I could fly at 2500' on the fact other pilots were doing it in front of me. I gave no thought to the different types of planes we were flying (mine is an small transport). Once this problem was corrected and I was back on top, I failed to recognize the effect the incident had on me and how disoriented I was and should have remained IFR with burbank.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMT PLT FLYING VFR ENTERS CLOUDS AT LOW ALT. CONTACTS APCH, OFFERED VECTORS TO ILS. SPOTS VFR AREA AND CANCELS IFR, THEN PENETRATES TCA.
Narrative: RETURNING FROM PALM SPRINGS TO VNY VFR. VAN NUYS BEGAN TO CLOUD UP AND I DECIDED TO GO VFR UNDER THE CLOUDS BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS OF PLTS IN FRONT OF ME. I CHOSE 2500' BASED ON LISTENING TO PLT'S CONVERSATIONS WITH BURBANK AT 2500'. I WAS VFR AND NAVIGATING BY FLYING OVER A FREEWAY AT ABOUT 2000' AGL. I DID NOT SEE AND ENTERED A CLOUD, HESITATED A MOMENT TOO LONG TO DO A 180 DEG TURN, CALLED BURBANK AND GOT A TRANSPONDER SQUAWK AND A TURN TO STAY CLEAR OF THE MOUNTAINS. ONCE BACK ON TOP THEY OFFERED TO GIVE ME THE ILS AT VAN NUYS. I BEGAN BY TAKING THE VECTORS AND THEN THOUGHT I SAW VAN NUYS VFR. I REQUESTED TO CANCEL IFR AND PROCEED VFR WHICH WAS GRANTED. I DID NOT REALIZE I WAS STILL DISORIENTED FROM ALL THE TURNS I HAD MADE -- BOTH IN THE CLOUDS AND OUT AND TURNED BACK INTO THE TCA OVER GRIFFITH PARK OBSERVATORY. BURBANK CONTACTED ME AND I TOOK IFR VECTORS TO THE VNY ILS. THE PROBLEM AROSE BECAUSE I WAS TIRED AND TRIED TO 'CHEAT' AND FLY UNDER THE CLOUDS IN AN AREA WHERE GOOD JUDGEMENT WOULD DICTATE MAINTAINING VFR ON TOP OR IFR. I BASED MY BELIEFS THAT I COULD FLY AT 2500' ON THE FACT OTHER PLTS WERE DOING IT IN FRONT OF ME. I GAVE NO THOUGHT TO THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PLANES WE WERE FLYING (MINE IS AN SMT). ONCE THIS PROBLEM WAS CORRECTED AND I WAS BACK ON TOP, I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE EFFECT THE INCIDENT HAD ON ME AND HOW DISORIENTED I WAS AND SHOULD HAVE REMAINED IFR WITH BURBANK.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.