<< >> NASA ASRS Report 425617, January 1999

Instrument rated pilot in PA28 aircraft on a flight from hwd to ccr continued unauthorized flight from VFR conditions to IMC without IFR clearance.

Attributes
ACN	425617
Time
Date	199901
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ccr
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : svfr
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 540 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	425617
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While flying from the hwd airport to ccr I continued from VFR conditions to IFR conditions. Less than 3 mi visibility less than 500 ft below clouds. I had to descend to less than 1000 ft AGL to stay out of clouds. I asked and received SVFR clearance into the ccr class D. When asked to hold for landing IFR traffic, I decided since I was too low over populated area to retreat to better conditions. Later I realized I was below VFR conditions in class east and too low to ground. When I was faced with deteriorating conditions I should have returned to hwd instead of press on. My desire to make ccr overrode my better judgement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INST RATED PLT IN PA28 ACFT ON A FLT FROM HWD TO CCR CONTINUED UNAUTH FLT FROM VFR CONDITIONS TO IMC WITHOUT IFR CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING FROM THE HWD ARPT TO CCR I CONTINUED FROM VFR CONDITIONS TO IFR CONDITIONS. LESS THAN 3 MI VISIBILITY LESS THAN 500 FT BELOW CLOUDS. I HAD TO DSND TO LESS THAN 1000 FT AGL TO STAY OUT OF CLOUDS. I ASKED AND RECEIVED SVFR CLRNC INTO THE CCR CLASS D. WHEN ASKED TO HOLD FOR LNDG IFR TFC, I DECIDED SINCE I WAS TOO LOW OVER POPULATED AREA TO RETREAT TO BETTER CONDITIONS. LATER I REALIZED I WAS BELOW VFR CONDITIONS IN CLASS E AND TOO LOW TO GND. WHEN I WAS FACED WITH DETERIORATING CONDITIONS I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO HWD INSTEAD OF PRESS ON. MY DESIRE TO MAKE CCR OVERRODE MY BETTER JUDGEMENT.

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.