Narrative:

I made a VFR flight from santa inez (iza) to torrance (toa) departing iza at approximately XA45 on mar/wed/02. I called FSS while on the ground at iza and got a standard WX briefing. The WX brief was with hawthorne FSS for cessna 152. The briefing stated that the WX in torrance and at lax was 20 NM visibility, scattered clouds at 12000 ft, broken at 2500 ft, etc, and that a marine layer would be rolling into the area at XE00 and XH00 local time, long after my arrival time. The brief also stated conditions at santa barbara, broken clouds, etc, and a marine layer moving in. With this information I made the decision to go to toa. I climbed to 5500 ft out of iza and contacted santa barbara approach for flight following to toa. After passing the ventura VOR I saw what looked like a blanket of clouds over the south bay. I stated this to mugu approach who got back to me with information from toa which was 20 NM visibility, broken at 2500 ft, etc. I proceeded and was cleared for the shoreline route with socal at 5500 ft. I stated to them that I didn't have the shoreline in sight and they gave me vectors which got me over torrance. Over torrance they asked me to start a descent which I declined because there were no breaks in the cloud layer which seemed to be at about 5000 ft. Toa was claiming they had clear skies to the south, they could see the ocean. Socal vectored me around while I looked for an opening. I was starting to get low on fuel and there were no openings in the clouds. There was a full moon and I could see a blanket for as far as my eyes could see. I told socal this and that I was prepared to go through the clouds to get down because that looked like my only possibility. They gave me a vector and I started a descent down through the clouds. I broke out of the clouds at about 4000 ft over san pedro harbor. At this point I could see toa clearly and was able to come in and land safely. Toa was correct when they said they could see out to the ocean, but they had no idea there was a ceiling at 4000 ft from the marine layer that wasn't supposed to be there until XG00. I believe the problem was with the WX forecasting. It didn't really seem like anybody knew the marine layer was there except for me since I was right above it. I'm not instrument rated but have flown in the clouds with instructors before and have logged quite a bit of hood time and made a few practice approachs in preparation for an instrument rating. This helped me get down through the clouds and make a safe landing, but nonetheless I only hold a private pilot certificate and the WX briefing I received put me into a dangerous situation. Upon landing I talked to some other pilots who had gone up but came right back down because of the WX and they were under the same impression I was, 20 NM visibility, broken clouds, etc, the conditions that were being reported to them from FSS and local ATIS recordings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C152 PLT FOUND HIMSELF IMC IN VFR.

Narrative: I MADE A VFR FLT FROM SANTA INEZ (IZA) TO TORRANCE (TOA) DEPARTING IZA AT APPROX XA45 ON MAR/WED/02. I CALLED FSS WHILE ON THE GND AT IZA AND GOT A STANDARD WX BRIEFING. THE WX BRIEF WAS WITH HAWTHORNE FSS FOR CESSNA 152. THE BRIEFING STATED THAT THE WX IN TORRANCE AND AT LAX WAS 20 NM VISIBILITY, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 12000 FT, BROKEN AT 2500 FT, ETC, AND THAT A MARINE LAYER WOULD BE ROLLING INTO THE AREA AT XE00 AND XH00 LCL TIME, LONG AFTER MY ARR TIME. THE BRIEF ALSO STATED CONDITIONS AT SANTA BARBARA, BROKEN CLOUDS, ETC, AND A MARINE LAYER MOVING IN. WITH THIS INFO I MADE THE DECISION TO GO TO TOA. I CLBED TO 5500 FT OUT OF IZA AND CONTACTED SANTA BARBARA APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING TO TOA. AFTER PASSING THE VENTURA VOR I SAW WHAT LOOKED LIKE A BLANKET OF CLOUDS OVER THE S BAY. I STATED THIS TO MUGU APCH WHO GOT BACK TO ME WITH INFO FROM TOA WHICH WAS 20 NM VISIBILITY, BROKEN AT 2500 FT, ETC. I PROCEEDED AND WAS CLRED FOR THE SHORELINE RTE WITH SOCAL AT 5500 FT. I STATED TO THEM THAT I DIDN'T HAVE THE SHORELINE IN SIGHT AND THEY GAVE ME VECTORS WHICH GOT ME OVER TORRANCE. OVER TORRANCE THEY ASKED ME TO START A DSCNT WHICH I DECLINED BECAUSE THERE WERE NO BREAKS IN THE CLOUD LAYER WHICH SEEMED TO BE AT ABOUT 5000 FT. TOA WAS CLAIMING THEY HAD CLR SKIES TO THE S, THEY COULD SEE THE OCEAN. SOCAL VECTORED ME AROUND WHILE I LOOKED FOR AN OPENING. I WAS STARTING TO GET LOW ON FUEL AND THERE WERE NO OPENINGS IN THE CLOUDS. THERE WAS A FULL MOON AND I COULD SEE A BLANKET FOR AS FAR AS MY EYES COULD SEE. I TOLD SOCAL THIS AND THAT I WAS PREPARED TO GO THROUGH THE CLOUDS TO GET DOWN BECAUSE THAT LOOKED LIKE MY ONLY POSSIBILITY. THEY GAVE ME A VECTOR AND I STARTED A DSCNT DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUDS. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 4000 FT OVER SAN PEDRO HARBOR. AT THIS POINT I COULD SEE TOA CLRLY AND WAS ABLE TO COME IN AND LAND SAFELY. TOA WAS CORRECT WHEN THEY SAID THEY COULD SEE OUT TO THE OCEAN, BUT THEY HAD NO IDEA THERE WAS A CEILING AT 4000 FT FROM THE MARINE LAYER THAT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE UNTIL XG00. I BELIEVE THE PROB WAS WITH THE WX FORECASTING. IT DIDN'T REALLY SEEM LIKE ANYBODY KNEW THE MARINE LAYER WAS THERE EXCEPT FOR ME SINCE I WAS RIGHT ABOVE IT. I'M NOT INST RATED BUT HAVE FLOWN IN THE CLOUDS WITH INSTRUCTORS BEFORE AND HAVE LOGGED QUITE A BIT OF HOOD TIME AND MADE A FEW PRACTICE APCHS IN PREPARATION FOR AN INST RATING. THIS HELPED ME GET DOWN THROUGH THE CLOUDS AND MAKE A SAFE LNDG, BUT NONETHELESS I ONLY HOLD A PVT PLT CERTIFICATE AND THE WX BRIEFING I RECEIVED PUT ME INTO A DANGEROUS SIT. UPON LNDG I TALKED TO SOME OTHER PLTS WHO HAD GONE UP BUT CAME RIGHT BACK DOWN BECAUSE OF THE WX AND THEY WERE UNDER THE SAME IMPRESSION I WAS, 20 NM VISIBILITY, BROKEN CLOUDS, ETC, THE CONDITIONS THAT WERE BEING RPTED TO THEM FROM FSS AND LCL ATIS RECORDINGS.

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.