Narrative:

I was on my way back from palm springs to long beach for a cross country instruction with my student. We decided to choose 6500 ft to come back but the density altitude was very high and the small aircraft with 2 persons wouldn't climb more than approximately 5000 ft. I decided to go back to 4500 ft otherwise it would have taken all day. Approximately 5 mi east of riverside airport a huge wall of clouds and fog was standing in front of me. I was, at this time, east of this cloud wall. I decided to keep going as long as the conditions will allow me. But coming at the limit of the wall I realized that I will not be able to get through. I therefore made a 180 degree turn, heading back toward palm springs. I was VFR at the time, then I decided to go to 2500 ft following a road in order to reach riverside approach. During all this time I was in communication with ontario approach telling them what I was doing. I wasn't able to do even a 2500 ft altitude to go to riverside. I therefore made another 180 degree turn back to palm springs. I was circling between march air force base and norton air force base asking for IFR clearance back to lgb. When I got the clearance it said, 'climb and maintain 6000 ft'. I wasn't able to do it coming back from palm springs therefore I told them I will not be able to climb to 6000 ft. They replied that they couldn't give me an IFR clearance below the MEA of 6000 ft and they will not be able to come back IFR to lgb if I couldn't climb to 6000 ft. At this time I already made 2 or 3 360 degree turns keeping in sight march air force base. Suddenly the conditions got worse and the fog was climbing and coming this time from the east. I was losing VFR conditions and I said to myself that if I didn't take a quick decision I will be in the clouds. I immediately contacted ontario approach and told them that I was losing VFR conditions and I wanted to land at march air force base. They gave me the tower frequency. I contacted march air force base. They cleared me to land. I landed. About 5 mins later they gave me an IFR clearance at 4000 ft. I did it and came back to lgb IFR with no other problems. On the ground I contacted the telephone number of march and ontario approach that they gave me in flight and explained to them the problem. They understood and told me that everything is ok. They at first didn't understand why I couldn't get back IFR. The other options I could have asked were min radar vector to riverside but as ont approach told me I couldn't get back IFR to lgb if I wasn't at 6000 ft I didn't think about it. My concern was to land safety and immediately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROBABLE UNCOORD UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE WHEN SMA CFI GETS INVOLVED WITH AN INFLT ENCOUNTER WITH WX.

Narrative: I WAS ON MY WAY BACK FROM PALM SPRINGS TO LONG BEACH FOR A XCOUNTRY INSTRUCTION WITH MY STUDENT. WE DECIDED TO CHOOSE 6500 FT TO COME BACK BUT THE DENSITY ALT WAS VERY HIGH AND THE SMA WITH 2 PERSONS WOULDN'T CLB MORE THAN APPROX 5000 FT. I DECIDED TO GO BACK TO 4500 FT OTHERWISE IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ALL DAY. APPROX 5 MI E OF RIVERSIDE ARPT A HUGE WALL OF CLOUDS AND FOG WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS, AT THIS TIME, E OF THIS CLOUD WALL. I DECIDED TO KEEP GOING AS LONG AS THE CONDITIONS WILL ALLOW ME. BUT COMING AT THE LIMIT OF THE WALL I REALIZED THAT I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH. I THEREFORE MADE A 180 DEG TURN, HDG BACK TOWARD PALM SPRINGS. I WAS VFR AT THE TIME, THEN I DECIDED TO GO TO 2500 FT FOLLOWING A ROAD IN ORDER TO REACH RIVERSIDE APCH. DURING ALL THIS TIME I WAS IN COM WITH ONTARIO APCH TELLING THEM WHAT I WAS DOING. I WASN'T ABLE TO DO EVEN A 2500 FT ALT TO GO TO RIVERSIDE. I THEREFORE MADE ANOTHER 180 DEG TURN BACK TO PALM SPRINGS. I WAS CIRCLING BTWN MARCH AIR FORCE BASE AND NORTON AIR FORCE BASE ASKING FOR IFR CLRNC BACK TO LGB. WHEN I GOT THE CLRNC IT SAID, 'CLB AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT'. I WASN'T ABLE TO DO IT COMING BACK FROM PALM SPRINGS THEREFORE I TOLD THEM I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CLB TO 6000 FT. THEY REPLIED THAT THEY COULDN'T GIVE ME AN IFR CLRNC BELOW THE MEA OF 6000 FT AND THEY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO COME BACK IFR TO LGB IF I COULDN'T CLB TO 6000 FT. AT THIS TIME I ALREADY MADE 2 OR 3 360 DEG TURNS KEEPING IN SIGHT MARCH AIR FORCE BASE. SUDDENLY THE CONDITIONS GOT WORSE AND THE FOG WAS CLBING AND COMING THIS TIME FROM THE E. I WAS LOSING VFR CONDITIONS AND I SAID TO MYSELF THAT IF I DIDN'T TAKE A QUICK DECISION I WILL BE IN THE CLOUDS. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ONTARIO APCH AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS LOSING VFR CONDITIONS AND I WANTED TO LAND AT MARCH AIR FORCE BASE. THEY GAVE ME THE TWR FREQ. I CONTACTED MARCH AIR FORCE BASE. THEY CLRED ME TO LAND. I LANDED. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER THEY GAVE ME AN IFR CLRNC AT 4000 FT. I DID IT AND CAME BACK TO LGB IFR WITH NO OTHER PROBLEMS. ON THE GND I CONTACTED THE TELEPHONE NUMBER OF MARCH AND ONTARIO APCH THAT THEY GAVE ME IN FLT AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THE PROBLEM. THEY UNDERSTOOD AND TOLD ME THAT EVERYTHING IS OK. THEY AT FIRST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY I COULDN'T GET BACK IFR. THE OTHER OPTIONS I COULD HAVE ASKED WERE MIN RADAR VECTOR TO RIVERSIDE BUT AS ONT APCH TOLD ME I COULDN'T GET BACK IFR TO LGB IF I WASN'T AT 6000 FT I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT. MY CONCERN WAS TO LAND SAFETY AND IMMEDIATELY.

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.