Narrative:

I called flight service and they reported VFR to hayward. During the flight I experienced good WX and contacted bay approach as soon as I could reach them about 40 mi out of hayward. They stayed with me awhile and then asked me to squawk XXXX. Shortly after that I noticed that WX was dropping quickly. I recontacted approach and requested a clearance through the layer of clouds that was rapidly developing. As they vectored me around VFR I noticed many hills and antennas sticking up through the cloud layer. The controller vectored me on to the final approach course for the localizer DME runway 28L at hayward. I contacted tower and was cleared to land. I had the DME fix but no marker beacon. There was a thin layer of clouds with holes at this time. I tried to assess the problem staying VFR and told the tower I did not have the marker. In a very urgent tone he told me I was entering oakland's airspace. I took that to mean, don't do that, and turned left VFR to avoid the airspace. He then handed me back to the controller who gave me a 90 degree heading out of the area and confirmed we had visual separation between other aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ON DME LOC APCH TO HWD BECOMES CONFUSED ABOUT THE APCH AND INSTRUCTIONS AND BREAKS OFF VFR.

Narrative: I CALLED FLT SVC AND THEY RPTED VFR TO HAYWARD. DURING THE FLT I EXPERIENCED GOOD WX AND CONTACTED BAY APCH AS SOON AS I COULD REACH THEM ABOUT 40 MI OUT OF HAYWARD. THEY STAYED WITH ME AWHILE AND THEN ASKED ME TO SQUAWK XXXX. SHORTLY AFTER THAT I NOTICED THAT WX WAS DROPPING QUICKLY. I RECONTACTED APCH AND REQUESTED A CLRNC THROUGH THE LAYER OF CLOUDS THAT WAS RAPIDLY DEVELOPING. AS THEY VECTORED ME AROUND VFR I NOTICED MANY HILLS AND ANTENNAS STICKING UP THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER. THE CTLR VECTORED ME ON TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR THE LOC DME RWY 28L AT HAYWARD. I CONTACTED TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I HAD THE DME FIX BUT NO MARKER BEACON. THERE WAS A THIN LAYER OF CLOUDS WITH HOLES AT THIS TIME. I TRIED TO ASSESS THE PROB STAYING VFR AND TOLD THE TWR I DID NOT HAVE THE MARKER. IN A VERY URGENT TONE HE TOLD ME I WAS ENTERING OAKLAND'S AIRSPACE. I TOOK THAT TO MEAN, DON'T DO THAT, AND TURNED L VFR TO AVOID THE AIRSPACE. HE THEN HANDED ME BACK TO THE CTLR WHO GAVE ME A 90 DEG HDG OUT OF THE AREA AND CONFIRMED WE HAD VISUAL SEPARATION BTWN OTHER ACFT.

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.