Narrative:

The event took place on the return flight from palomar to montgomery (crq to myf). After getting a WX briefing which reported on both tafs in myf and san a ceiling not getting lower than 2000 ft, I took off from palomar and headed for the coast. In order to maintain VMC I had to fly at 500 ft over the ocean. I called socal approach and requested a class B clearance, which they accepted. I kept on flying at 500 ft over the ocean following the coast line. 5 NM north of torrey pines golf course I listened and copied montgomery ATIS which then reported broken clouds at 2500 ft which is far sufficient for a VFR approach and landing at montgomery. I then called the tower inbound for landing and they cleared me for a visual right close traffic to runway 28R. I continued along the shoreline waiting to see mount soledad where I knew I was clear of miramar class B and could start turning towards montgomery. When I saw mount soledad it was completely in the clouds and I started making a 180 degree turn because the ceiling over there was too low to get to the airport safely. At that time the WX moved on us and we entered IMC, so I continued my turn to complete a whole 360 degree turn looking for a way out of the clouds. We finally (1 passenger was on board) saw the freeway which is north of mount soledad and started heading over it but the WX passed right on us and we were IMC again. At that time I was in contact with montgomery tower and in radar contact squawking. We were at 500 ft with terrain less than 1 mi away over 1000 ft. Considering myself in an emergency situation, I requested a climb into IMC to montgomery tower who cleared me to climb to the MSA of 3400 ft onto heading 090 degrees. We passed overhead the airport without being able to see it then montgomery tower handed us over to socal approach. The first question the lady controller asked me was if I was instrument rated. I replied, 'negative, but I can fly in the clouds because I am working on my instrument rating and have about 50 hours of instrument time.' she then replied to me to continue climbing to 4000 ft onto heading 090 degrees which I complied with. At 4000 ft we broke on top. I then told her I could maintain VMC (except for the ground) at 4500 ft. She cleared me to 4500 ft and started asking me how much fuel there was on board the aircraft. She replied 'that's a lot to work with.' when I told her 'about 4 hours of fuel on board,' she was very nice and calm and said 'we will find a VFR airport for you sir and vector you there.' at that moment I saw a big hole in the clouds right over gillespie (see) airfield and immediately requested a VFR descent to gillespie which I was cleared for. Upon landing at gillespie and thanking the lady many times for her help, I had a message from the tower saying to contact socal supervisor, which I did. This person was all after me telling me they would revoke my license and so and so. The reason why I am writing this report is because at the time I requested to climb IMC without being rated there was no other way of saving the lives of my passenger and myself and a lot of people below us. I actually deviated from the far rules in order to save people's lives, not because I wanted to experience the thrill of instrument flying, which socal must be thinking. I had to do it as the final authority/authorized of the aircraft and I don't see why I should be 'punished' for taking a life saving action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT WITH INST TRAINING BUT NO RATING ERRONEOUSLY ENTERS IMC WHILE VFR AT MYF TFC PATTERN.

Narrative: THE EVENT TOOK PLACE ON THE RETURN FLT FROM PALOMAR TO MONTGOMERY (CRQ TO MYF). AFTER GETTING A WX BRIEFING WHICH RPTED ON BOTH TAFS IN MYF AND SAN A CEILING NOT GETTING LOWER THAN 2000 FT, I TOOK OFF FROM PALOMAR AND HEADED FOR THE COAST. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VMC I HAD TO FLY AT 500 FT OVER THE OCEAN. I CALLED SOCAL APCH AND REQUESTED A CLASS B CLRNC, WHICH THEY ACCEPTED. I KEPT ON FLYING AT 500 FT OVER THE OCEAN FOLLOWING THE COAST LINE. 5 NM N OF TORREY PINES GOLF COURSE I LISTENED AND COPIED MONTGOMERY ATIS WHICH THEN RPTED BROKEN CLOUDS AT 2500 FT WHICH IS FAR SUFFICIENT FOR A VFR APCH AND LNDG AT MONTGOMERY. I THEN CALLED THE TWR INBOUND FOR LNDG AND THEY CLRED ME FOR A VISUAL R CLOSE TFC TO RWY 28R. I CONTINUED ALONG THE SHORELINE WAITING TO SEE MOUNT SOLEDAD WHERE I KNEW I WAS CLR OF MIRAMAR CLASS B AND COULD START TURNING TOWARDS MONTGOMERY. WHEN I SAW MOUNT SOLEDAD IT WAS COMPLETELY IN THE CLOUDS AND I STARTED MAKING A 180 DEG TURN BECAUSE THE CEILING OVER THERE WAS TOO LOW TO GET TO THE ARPT SAFELY. AT THAT TIME THE WX MOVED ON US AND WE ENTERED IMC, SO I CONTINUED MY TURN TO COMPLETE A WHOLE 360 DEG TURN LOOKING FOR A WAY OUT OF THE CLOUDS. WE FINALLY (1 PAX WAS ON BOARD) SAW THE FREEWAY WHICH IS N OF MOUNT SOLEDAD AND STARTED HDG OVER IT BUT THE WX PASSED RIGHT ON US AND WE WERE IMC AGAIN. AT THAT TIME I WAS IN CONTACT WITH MONTGOMERY TWR AND IN RADAR CONTACT SQUAWKING. WE WERE AT 500 FT WITH TERRAIN LESS THAN 1 MI AWAY OVER 1000 FT. CONSIDERING MYSELF IN AN EMER SIT, I REQUESTED A CLB INTO IMC TO MONTGOMERY TWR WHO CLRED ME TO CLB TO THE MSA OF 3400 FT ONTO HDG 090 DEGS. WE PASSED OVERHEAD THE ARPT WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE IT THEN MONTGOMERY TWR HANDED US OVER TO SOCAL APCH. THE FIRST QUESTION THE LADY CTLR ASKED ME WAS IF I WAS INST RATED. I REPLIED, 'NEGATIVE, BUT I CAN FLY IN THE CLOUDS BECAUSE I AM WORKING ON MY INST RATING AND HAVE ABOUT 50 HRS OF INST TIME.' SHE THEN REPLIED TO ME TO CONTINUE CLBING TO 4000 FT ONTO HDG 090 DEGS WHICH I COMPLIED WITH. AT 4000 FT WE BROKE ON TOP. I THEN TOLD HER I COULD MAINTAIN VMC (EXCEPT FOR THE GND) AT 4500 FT. SHE CLRED ME TO 4500 FT AND STARTED ASKING ME HOW MUCH FUEL THERE WAS ON BOARD THE ACFT. SHE REPLIED 'THAT'S A LOT TO WORK WITH.' WHEN I TOLD HER 'ABOUT 4 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD,' SHE WAS VERY NICE AND CALM AND SAID 'WE WILL FIND A VFR ARPT FOR YOU SIR AND VECTOR YOU THERE.' AT THAT MOMENT I SAW A BIG HOLE IN THE CLOUDS RIGHT OVER GILLESPIE (SEE) AIRFIELD AND IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A VFR DSCNT TO GILLESPIE WHICH I WAS CLRED FOR. UPON LNDG AT GILLESPIE AND THANKING THE LADY MANY TIMES FOR HER HELP, I HAD A MESSAGE FROM THE TWR SAYING TO CONTACT SOCAL SUPVR, WHICH I DID. THIS PERSON WAS ALL AFTER ME TELLING ME THEY WOULD REVOKE MY LICENSE AND SO AND SO. THE REASON WHY I AM WRITING THIS RPT IS BECAUSE AT THE TIME I REQUESTED TO CLB IMC WITHOUT BEING RATED THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY OF SAVING THE LIVES OF MY PAX AND MYSELF AND A LOT OF PEOPLE BELOW US. I ACTUALLY DEVIATED FROM THE FAR RULES IN ORDER TO SAVE PEOPLE'S LIVES, NOT BECAUSE I WANTED TO EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF INST FLYING, WHICH SOCAL MUST BE THINKING. I HAD TO DO IT AS THE FINAL AUTH OF THE ACFT AND I DON'T SEE WHY I SHOULD BE 'PUNISHED' FOR TAKING A LIFE SAVING ACTION.

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.