Aircraft on VFR flight plan encountered marginal conditions with traffic conflict.

Attributes
ACN	304288
Time
Date	199505
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla tracon : vny
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 96 flight time total : 9780 flight time type : 48
ASRS Report	304288
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1000 vertical : 800
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Most of the flight was flown at VFR altitudes between 10000 ft MSL to FL175 with the later and last portion of the flight flown descending or climbing between 7500 ft and 12500 ft MSL. These dscnts and climbs were flown to get fuel flows and handling qualities at instrument holding speeds and also to find adequate VFR WX to descend into van nuys. During a turn back in the palmdale lake hughes area and subsequent to contacting van nuys 22 mi out for clearance, another aircraft was seen that was probably an IFR aircraft coming out of clouds. Contributing factor was the broken cloud layer throughout the area with small thunderstorms to overcast areas west of the palmdale area. Corrective action is to contact approach for separation during WX that is marginal VFR. The corrective action was entirely up to us as the other aircraft was probably already flying IFR. Human performance considerations probably were pilot apprehension with getting into the van nuys area VFR. This was the first flight in this aircraft for the pilot into an area outside of the california city low density area. Inactions or judgement decisions were: not contacting approach control soon enough to supply traffic while VFR in a broken cloud area, and factors affecting performance were: probably being instrument rated and approach control request knowledgeable but being in an aircraft that was unfamiliar, so this WX environment became unfamiliar.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ON VFR FLT PLAN ENCOUNTERED MARGINAL CONDITIONS WITH TFC CONFLICT.

Narrative: MOST OF THE FLT WAS FLOWN AT VFR ALTS BTWN 10000 FT MSL TO FL175 WITH THE LATER AND LAST PORTION OF THE FLT FLOWN DSNDING OR CLBING BTWN 7500 FT AND 12500 FT MSL. THESE DSCNTS AND CLBS WERE FLOWN TO GET FUEL FLOWS AND HANDLING QUALITIES AT INST HOLDING SPDS AND ALSO TO FIND ADEQUATE VFR WX TO DSND INTO VAN NUYS. DURING A TURN BACK IN THE PALMDALE LAKE HUGHES AREA AND SUBSEQUENT TO CONTACTING VAN NUYS 22 MI OUT FOR CLRNC, ANOTHER ACFT WAS SEEN THAT WAS PROBABLY AN IFR ACFT COMING OUT OF CLOUDS. CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE BROKEN CLOUD LAYER THROUGHOUT THE AREA WITH SMALL TSTMS TO OVCST AREAS W OF THE PALMDALE AREA. CORRECTIVE ACTION IS TO CONTACT APCH FOR SEPARATION DURING WX THAT IS MARGINAL VFR. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS ENTIRELY UP TO US AS THE OTHER ACFT WAS PROBABLY ALREADY FLYING IFR. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS PROBABLY WERE PLT APPREHENSION WITH GETTING INTO THE VAN NUYS AREA VFR. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT IN THIS ACFT FOR THE PLT INTO AN AREA OUTSIDE OF THE CALIFORNIA CITY LOW DENSITY AREA. INACTIONS OR JUDGEMENT DECISIONS WERE: NOT CONTACTING APCH CTL SOON ENOUGH TO SUPPLY TFC WHILE VFR IN A BROKEN CLOUD AREA, AND FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE WERE: PROBABLY BEING INST RATED AND APCH CTL REQUEST KNOWLEDGEABLE BUT BEING IN AN ACFT THAT WAS UNFAMILIAR, SO THIS WX ENVIRONMENT BECAME UNFAMILIAR.

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.