Narrative:

Apr/xa/98 at XA45, I called reno FSS to get a WX briefing, VFR route of flight reno, nv, to angwin, ca. I was advised current WX for reno was 40 mi visibility with no ceiling reported. Santa rosa, at current WX, was 3500 ft broken, 6000 ft scattered 10 mi visibility. The forecast called for a cold front to be coming in quite fast from the west, and WX to get much worse by mid day, with a solid overcast to dominate the west coast with thunderstorms developing. I got to the airport and was airborne by around XC45. I climbed to 12500 ft and upon passing north of truckee airport by about 10 mi noted the solid overcast layer at 11000 ft MSL. I contacted ZOA and requested flight following, after establishing a radar contact, I checked oakland flight watch, and confirmed there were adequate broken and scattered holes to the north and south close to my destination to descend safely VFR. While proceeding wbound is where I began to make the poor decisions that was unsafe. The solid undercast layer I was flying over was flat across the horizon as far as the eye could see (60 mi visibility). The layer began rising and quickly turned into cumulo nimbus clouds forcing me to climb up to 14500 ft. After reaching 14500 ft the cumulo nimbus clouds were developing very fast and rising all around me as twring vertical shapes. I was climbing and turning to avoid the clouds in 90 degree turns. ZOA advised me that to the north appeared to be possibly a better course to fly to obtain scattered VFR WX to descend and get under the tops. My GPS read 60 mi from angwin airport, and I decided that at this point to continue away from the mountainous area in hopes to find the forecast scattered and broken layers to start my descent. In a very short time I was close to FL180 and ZOA asked if I was IFR capable, and I stated negative. ZOA stated, as I recall, that I could obtain an IFR clearance if needed. At this very point it appeared that I was getting close to what looked like the horizon ahead of me was opening around the twring cumulo nimbus clouds. This turned out to be false, and shortly after I was in class a airspace and ZOA then asked if I had supplemental oxygen, and I stated negative. In a short while I was at FL197 and ZOA contacted me with a different controller and he stated we have to get you back to 12500 ft. I was given a heading to fly and was told to chop my power and keep my wings level with a 500-600 FPM descent, down through the clouds, with reference to my artificial horizon. Upon my power reduction and descending into the clouds, I had moderate turbulence and climbed back up. ZOA stated 'you're climbing, we need to get you down to 12500 ft,' so I did as told and for the second time established a 500- 600 FPM descent, again with moderate turbulence. I estimate I broke out of the clouds at the northeast side of lake tahoe at 13000 ft. At around 12500 ft I felt a very bad headache, and disoriented. ZOA asked how I felt, and confirmed I felt up to landing at tahoe. I confirmed and was handed over to tower. My gratitude cannot be stated for ZOA! I have spent a lot of time sorting out my wrong decisions that caused me to be boxed into such dangerous flight! Now as a VFR pilot I now will never try to outclb rising clouds! I clearly realize I should have turned around, when I confirmed the undercast layer was ascending! There is no excuse for my climbing into an altitude that violated oxygen requirements, and furthermore class a airspace! I realize my distrs of trying to maintain VFR contributed to my mistake of continuing my flight, after it was too late to have a safe out. Now with 20/20 hindsight, the rising cloud tops were extremely strong, and clear stop signs, and turn around signs in the sky!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE35 CLBS TO AVOID SOME FAST BUILDING CLOUDS AND CLBS INTO CLASS A AIRSPACE. PLT HAS NO OXYGEN SOURCE. THIS HAPPENS IN ZOA AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APR/XA/98 AT XA45, I CALLED RENO FSS TO GET A WX BRIEFING, VFR RTE OF FLT RENO, NV, TO ANGWIN, CA. I WAS ADVISED CURRENT WX FOR RENO WAS 40 MI VISIBILITY WITH NO CEILING RPTED. SANTA ROSA, AT CURRENT WX, WAS 3500 FT BROKEN, 6000 FT SCATTERED 10 MI VISIBILITY. THE FORECAST CALLED FOR A COLD FRONT TO BE COMING IN QUITE FAST FROM THE W, AND WX TO GET MUCH WORSE BY MID DAY, WITH A SOLID OVCST TO DOMINATE THE WEST COAST WITH TSTMS DEVELOPING. I GOT TO THE ARPT AND WAS AIRBORNE BY AROUND XC45. I CLBED TO 12500 FT AND UPON PASSING N OF TRUCKEE ARPT BY ABOUT 10 MI NOTED THE SOLID OVCST LAYER AT 11000 FT MSL. I CONTACTED ZOA AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING, AFTER ESTABLISHING A RADAR CONTACT, I CHKED OAKLAND FLT WATCH, AND CONFIRMED THERE WERE ADEQUATE BROKEN AND SCATTERED HOLES TO THE N AND S CLOSE TO MY DEST TO DSND SAFELY VFR. WHILE PROCEEDING WBOUND IS WHERE I BEGAN TO MAKE THE POOR DECISIONS THAT WAS UNSAFE. THE SOLID UNDERCAST LAYER I WAS FLYING OVER WAS FLAT ACROSS THE HORIZON AS FAR AS THE EYE COULD SEE (60 MI VISIBILITY). THE LAYER BEGAN RISING AND QUICKLY TURNED INTO CUMULO NIMBUS CLOUDS FORCING ME TO CLB UP TO 14500 FT. AFTER REACHING 14500 FT THE CUMULO NIMBUS CLOUDS WERE DEVELOPING VERY FAST AND RISING ALL AROUND ME AS TWRING VERT SHAPES. I WAS CLBING AND TURNING TO AVOID THE CLOUDS IN 90 DEG TURNS. ZOA ADVISED ME THAT TO THE N APPEARED TO BE POSSIBLY A BETTER COURSE TO FLY TO OBTAIN SCATTERED VFR WX TO DSND AND GET UNDER THE TOPS. MY GPS READ 60 MI FROM ANGWIN ARPT, AND I DECIDED THAT AT THIS POINT TO CONTINUE AWAY FROM THE MOUNTAINOUS AREA IN HOPES TO FIND THE FORECAST SCATTERED AND BROKEN LAYERS TO START MY DSCNT. IN A VERY SHORT TIME I WAS CLOSE TO FL180 AND ZOA ASKED IF I WAS IFR CAPABLE, AND I STATED NEGATIVE. ZOA STATED, AS I RECALL, THAT I COULD OBTAIN AN IFR CLRNC IF NEEDED. AT THIS VERY POINT IT APPEARED THAT I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO WHAT LOOKED LIKE THE HORIZON AHEAD OF ME WAS OPENING AROUND THE TWRING CUMULO NIMBUS CLOUDS. THIS TURNED OUT TO BE FALSE, AND SHORTLY AFTER I WAS IN CLASS A AIRSPACE AND ZOA THEN ASKED IF I HAD SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN, AND I STATED NEGATIVE. IN A SHORT WHILE I WAS AT FL197 AND ZOA CONTACTED ME WITH A DIFFERENT CTLR AND HE STATED WE HAVE TO GET YOU BACK TO 12500 FT. I WAS GIVEN A HDG TO FLY AND WAS TOLD TO CHOP MY PWR AND KEEP MY WINGS LEVEL WITH A 500-600 FPM DSCNT, DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUDS, WITH REF TO MY ARTIFICIAL HORIZON. UPON MY PWR REDUCTION AND DSNDING INTO THE CLOUDS, I HAD MODERATE TURB AND CLBED BACK UP. ZOA STATED 'YOU'RE CLBING, WE NEED TO GET YOU DOWN TO 12500 FT,' SO I DID AS TOLD AND FOR THE SECOND TIME ESTABLISHED A 500- 600 FPM DSCNT, AGAIN WITH MODERATE TURB. I ESTIMATE I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT THE NE SIDE OF LAKE TAHOE AT 13000 FT. AT AROUND 12500 FT I FELT A VERY BAD HEADACHE, AND DISORIENTED. ZOA ASKED HOW I FELT, AND CONFIRMED I FELT UP TO LNDG AT TAHOE. I CONFIRMED AND WAS HANDED OVER TO TWR. MY GRATITUDE CANNOT BE STATED FOR ZOA! I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME SORTING OUT MY WRONG DECISIONS THAT CAUSED ME TO BE BOXED INTO SUCH DANGEROUS FLT! NOW AS A VFR PLT I NOW WILL NEVER TRY TO OUTCLB RISING CLOUDS! I CLRLY REALIZE I SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND, WHEN I CONFIRMED THE UNDERCAST LAYER WAS ASCENDING! THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR MY CLBING INTO AN ALT THAT VIOLATED OXYGEN REQUIREMENTS, AND FURTHERMORE CLASS A AIRSPACE! I REALIZE MY DISTRS OF TRYING TO MAINTAIN VFR CONTRIBUTED TO MY MISTAKE OF CONTINUING MY FLT, AFTER IT WAS TOO LATE TO HAVE A SAFE OUT. NOW WITH 20/20 HINDSIGHT, THE RISING CLOUD TOPS WERE EXTREMELY STRONG, AND CLR STOP SIGNS, AND TURN AROUND SIGNS IN THE SKY!

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.