Narrative:

Received WX briefing for flight to vny via gorman and filed VFR anticipating 7500' in san joaquin valley, climbing to 9500' over the pass. After departure contacted fat for flight following and received squawk. Attempts to lean mixture showed unusual roughness at high fuel flow (13.5 gph) at 7500'. In view of injector contamination problems on this trip and history of just having completed the rebuild of engine and annual, I made multiple attempts so could completely inform mechanic. Reestablished flight following with bakersfield approach and received discrete code. Approaching gorman, told approach climbing to 9500' to stay above cloud tops. ATC at this time indicated another aircraft at 12 O'clock and 9000'. Near 9500' control asked me if I was VFR twice and each time I replied affirmatively. Engine leaning again became a problem and required my attention to ensure best setting for power and temperature remembering this is break in of nearly a 0 time engine (15 hours). I could see that I would have to climb much higher to avoid IMC so started to prepare aircraft for request for IFR. At this time I was less than 2000' latitude from clouds and less than 1000' above the tops, but because I was climbing and focusing inside of the cockpit, I do not have a more accurate estimate of these separates. I requested and immediately received an IFR clearance to 9000' and was told to intercept lake hughes 170 degree right (?) and proceed with the lynxx 5 arrival to vny. Almost immediately I was IMC with some light ice. The engine started to run rough again shortly afterward, which was reported to approach. Within mins (3-5) I was out of IMC, could see magic mountain and the vny area free of clouds, so I cancelled my IFR and commenced a descent to newhall pass. I was given a 1200 squawk, handed over to vny tower and landed west/O any further engine difficulties. When I pulled off the vny 34L, the ground asked me to write down the phone # for the FSDO and I proceeded to the mechanics hangar and shut down. I called the FSDO and was informed that another aircraft had to deviate from its path to avoid me while I was VFR in flight following. This other pilot is reported to have been 1 mi away and 'saw' me in the clouds. At no time was I in the clouds prior ot IFR clearance, and although I was told of an approaching aircraft, I do not recall any indication of a request to alter course for either of us.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORT FROM SECOND ACFT THAT REPORTER ENTERED CLOUDS WITHOUT CLRNC. REPORTER HAD FILED IFR.

Narrative: RECEIVED WX BRIEFING FOR FLT TO VNY VIA GORMAN AND FILED VFR ANTICIPATING 7500' IN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY, CLBING TO 9500' OVER THE PASS. AFTER DEP CONTACTED FAT FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND RECEIVED SQUAWK. ATTEMPTS TO LEAN MIXTURE SHOWED UNUSUAL ROUGHNESS AT HIGH FUEL FLOW (13.5 GPH) AT 7500'. IN VIEW OF INJECTOR CONTAMINATION PROBS ON THIS TRIP AND HISTORY OF JUST HAVING COMPLETED THE REBUILD OF ENG AND ANNUAL, I MADE MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS SO COULD COMPLETELY INFORM MECH. REESTABLISHED FLT FOLLOWING WITH BAKERSFIELD APCH AND RECEIVED DISCRETE CODE. APCHING GORMAN, TOLD APCH CLBING TO 9500' TO STAY ABOVE CLOUD TOPS. ATC AT THIS TIME INDICATED ANOTHER ACFT AT 12 O'CLOCK AND 9000'. NEAR 9500' CTL ASKED ME IF I WAS VFR TWICE AND EACH TIME I REPLIED AFFIRMATIVELY. ENG LEANING AGAIN BECAME A PROB AND REQUIRED MY ATTN TO ENSURE BEST SETTING FOR PWR AND TEMP REMEMBERING THIS IS BREAK IN OF NEARLY A 0 TIME ENG (15 HRS). I COULD SEE THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CLB MUCH HIGHER TO AVOID IMC SO STARTED TO PREPARE ACFT FOR REQUEST FOR IFR. AT THIS TIME I WAS LESS THAN 2000' LAT FROM CLOUDS AND LESS THAN 1000' ABOVE THE TOPS, BUT BECAUSE I WAS CLBING AND FOCUSING INSIDE OF THE COCKPIT, I DO NOT HAVE A MORE ACCURATE ESTIMATE OF THESE SEPARATES. I REQUESTED AND IMMEDIATELY RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC TO 9000' AND WAS TOLD TO INTERCEPT LAKE HUGHES 170 DEG R (?) AND PROCEED WITH THE LYNXX 5 ARR TO VNY. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY I WAS IMC WITH SOME LIGHT ICE. THE ENG STARTED TO RUN ROUGH AGAIN SHORTLY AFTERWARD, WHICH WAS RPTED TO APCH. WITHIN MINS (3-5) I WAS OUT OF IMC, COULD SEE MAGIC MOUNTAIN AND THE VNY AREA FREE OF CLOUDS, SO I CANCELLED MY IFR AND COMMENCED A DSCNT TO NEWHALL PASS. I WAS GIVEN A 1200 SQUAWK, HANDED OVER TO VNY TWR AND LANDED W/O ANY FURTHER ENG DIFFICULTIES. WHEN I PULLED OFF THE VNY 34L, THE GND ASKED ME TO WRITE DOWN THE PHONE # FOR THE FSDO AND I PROCEEDED TO THE MECHS HANGAR AND SHUT DOWN. I CALLED THE FSDO AND WAS INFORMED THAT ANOTHER ACFT HAD TO DEVIATE FROM ITS PATH TO AVOID ME WHILE I WAS VFR IN FLT FOLLOWING. THIS OTHER PLT IS RPTED TO HAVE BEEN 1 MI AWAY AND 'SAW' ME IN THE CLOUDS. AT NO TIME WAS I IN THE CLOUDS PRIOR OT IFR CLRNC, AND ALTHOUGH I WAS TOLD OF AN APCHING ACFT, I DO NOT RECALL ANY INDICATION OF A REQUEST TO ALTER COURSE FOR EITHER OF US.

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.