Narrative:

At approximately xx:15 local. ZOA, sector 44, got a call from sacramento approach, west sector. They were calling about an aircraft that was trapped on top of the overcast in an small aircraft with only about 45 mins of fuel remaining. The pilot thinks he is about 30-40 mi northeast of the sac VOR and they can't seem to find him on their radar. At sacramento approach's request, sector 44 attempts to get the aircraft radar identify. The sector 44 controller gets the aircraft on frequency small aircraft and gives him a squawk/identify. After looking for the squawk/identify several times, the sector 44 controller finally expands the range all the way out. This is when it is discovered that the aircraft is about 40 mi west of monterey. The pilot of the aircraft advises us that he is at 9500', on top of a solid overcast, is not IFR qualified and only has a 'quarter tank' of fuel remaining. Being intimately familiar with the small aircraft, seeing were the aircraft is currently located and the fact that the pilot lacks IFR qualifications, I realize that this pilot is in danger of losing his life. The sector 44 controller calls sector 12 with a handoff and coordinates to the receiving controller as to what's going on. Meanwhile, I inform the asic on duty as to what is going on and that in my opinion as a professional pilot, I feel that this guy is in serious trouble and is in need of assistance now! I volunteer my services as a pilot. He informs me that he feels that my services are not warranted. I continue to perform the air traffic assistant duties. About 8-10 mins later, the asic from area 'D' approachs the area 'east' asic and asks if we have any 'small aircraft drivers'. The asic 'east' replys with 'I don't know'. Overhearing this, I intervene and inform the area 'D' asic of my flight experience. On arriving in area 'a', I plug into the t-arm on sector 12. I inform the area 'a' asic on duty of my qualifications. At this time, the asic informs me that the pilot has informed them that he does not have enough fuel to go to an airport with good WX, committing him to land at monterey. At about this time, the r-side controller switches the aircraft to monterey approach. Seconds later, he realizes that I'm there and realizes his mistake. I ask him about relaying to the pilot through monterey approach. He gives me the indirect access code and I call them. On the first call, I ask if they have any aviator types among them. 'No'. Then I tell them to ask the pilot if he has a working autoplt on board. If so, turn it on so he can reduce his workload in keeping the aircraft right side up while in the clouds. On the second call, I ask monterey approach how he is doing. They inform me that he has the autoplt on and is on his way down. About 10 mins later, we find out from monterey approach, that he has broken out of the overcast and is proceeding safely to monterey. I feel the situation could have been much better handled had the area 'east' supervisor not let his personal feelings cloud his professional judgement. In the past several months, we have had a falling out in matters not related to this incident. As a result of these feelings on his part, I was not able to lend assistance to the pilot of the aircraft in a timely matter. When finally able to do so, I had to relay through monterey approach which was not desirable, to say the least.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT NOT IFR RATED TRAPPED ON TOP OF OVERCAST AND LOST, CONTACTS SAC TRACON FOR ASSISTANCE. THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE ACFT AND ASKED FOR HELP FORM ARTCC. ACFT LOCATED OVER OCEAN FORTY MILES WEST OF MRY AND WAS VECTORED TO MRY.

Narrative: AT APPROX XX:15 LCL. ZOA, SECTOR 44, GOT A CALL FROM SACRAMENTO APCH, W SECTOR. THEY WERE CALLING ABOUT AN ACFT THAT WAS TRAPPED ON TOP OF THE OVCST IN AN SMA WITH ONLY ABOUT 45 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING. THE PLT THINKS HE IS ABOUT 30-40 MI NE OF THE SAC VOR AND THEY CAN'T SEEM TO FIND HIM ON THEIR RADAR. AT SACRAMENTO APCH'S REQUEST, SECTOR 44 ATTEMPTS TO GET THE ACFT RADAR IDENT. THE SECTOR 44 CTLR GETS THE ACFT ON FREQ SMA AND GIVES HIM A SQUAWK/IDENT. AFTER LOOKING FOR THE SQUAWK/IDENT SEVERAL TIMES, THE SECTOR 44 CTLR FINALLY EXPANDS THE RANGE ALL THE WAY OUT. THIS IS WHEN IT IS DISCOVERED THAT THE ACFT IS ABOUT 40 MI W OF MONTEREY. THE PLT OF THE ACFT ADVISES US THAT HE IS AT 9500', ON TOP OF A SOLID OVCST, IS NOT IFR QUALIFIED AND ONLY HAS A 'QUARTER TANK' OF FUEL REMAINING. BEING INTIMATELY FAMILIAR WITH THE SMA, SEEING WERE THE ACFT IS CURRENTLY LOCATED AND THE FACT THAT THE PLT LACKS IFR QUALIFICATIONS, I REALIZE THAT THIS PLT IS IN DANGER OF LOSING HIS LIFE. THE SECTOR 44 CTLR CALLS SECTOR 12 WITH A HDOF AND COORDINATES TO THE RECEIVING CTLR AS TO WHAT'S GOING ON. MEANWHILE, I INFORM THE ASIC ON DUTY AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON AND THAT IN MY OPINION AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT, I FEEL THAT THIS GUY IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE AND IS IN NEED OF ASSISTANCE NOW! I VOLUNTEER MY SVCS AS A PLT. HE INFORMS ME THAT HE FEELS THAT MY SVCS ARE NOT WARRANTED. I CONTINUE TO PERFORM THE AIR TFC ASSISTANT DUTIES. ABOUT 8-10 MINS LATER, THE ASIC FROM AREA 'D' APCHS THE AREA 'E' ASIC AND ASKS IF WE HAVE ANY 'SMA DRIVERS'. THE ASIC 'E' REPLYS WITH 'I DON'T KNOW'. OVERHEARING THIS, I INTERVENE AND INFORM THE AREA 'D' ASIC OF MY FLT EXPERIENCE. ON ARRIVING IN AREA 'A', I PLUG INTO THE T-ARM ON SECTOR 12. I INFORM THE AREA 'A' ASIC ON DUTY OF MY QUALIFICATIONS. AT THIS TIME, THE ASIC INFORMS ME THAT THE PLT HAS INFORMED THEM THAT HE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GO TO AN ARPT WITH GOOD WX, COMMITTING HIM TO LAND AT MONTEREY. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, THE R-SIDE CTLR SWITCHES THE ACFT TO MONTEREY APCH. SECS LATER, HE REALIZES THAT I'M THERE AND REALIZES HIS MISTAKE. I ASK HIM ABOUT RELAYING TO THE PLT THROUGH MONTEREY APCH. HE GIVES ME THE INDIRECT ACCESS CODE AND I CALL THEM. ON THE FIRST CALL, I ASK IF THEY HAVE ANY AVIATOR TYPES AMONG THEM. 'NO'. THEN I TELL THEM TO ASK THE PLT IF HE HAS A WORKING AUTOPLT ON BOARD. IF SO, TURN IT ON SO HE CAN REDUCE HIS WORKLOAD IN KEEPING THE ACFT RIGHT SIDE UP WHILE IN THE CLOUDS. ON THE SECOND CALL, I ASK MONTEREY APCH HOW HE IS DOING. THEY INFORM ME THAT HE HAS THE AUTOPLT ON AND IS ON HIS WAY DOWN. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, WE FIND OUT FROM MONTEREY APCH, THAT HE HAS BROKEN OUT OF THE OVCST AND IS PROCEEDING SAFELY TO MONTEREY. I FEEL THE SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER HANDLED HAD THE AREA 'E' SUPVR NOT LET HIS PERSONAL FEELINGS CLOUD HIS PROFESSIONAL JUDGEMENT. IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, WE HAVE HAD A FALLING OUT IN MATTERS NOT RELATED TO THIS INCIDENT. AS A RESULT OF THESE FEELINGS ON HIS PART, I WAS NOT ABLE TO LEND ASSISTANCE TO THE PLT OF THE ACFT IN A TIMELY MATTER. WHEN FINALLY ABLE TO DO SO, I HAD TO RELAY THROUGH MONTEREY APCH WHICH WAS NOT DESIRABLE, TO SAY THE LEAST.

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.