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Trying to remain VFR on a VFR flight plan ends with a too late a request for the needed IFR clearance to climb to VFR conditions.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 582430 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : sgd.vortac |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zoa.artcc tracon : nct.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Bonanza 35 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent : holding |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 600 flight time type : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 582430 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
I was descending to maintain VFR through the class C while avoiding the B airspace above. I was in contact with departure. As I transition the area the cloud cover continued to push the ceilings lower. My home airport doesn't have WX reporting, but 2 airports in the vicinity were reporting clear and scattered 3100 ft. Oakland airport was reporting 2500 ft overcast. As I passed oakland airport I had planned 'to remain VFR, stay under the clouds and arrive at my airport just 22 NM, to the north. As I approached sf bay I could see the fog and descended, eventually to 500 ft over the water, unable to find a hole, I asked departure for an IFR climb to VFR, which they did, within 500 ft, (as I climbed and reached 1000 ft) I was VFR, I cancelled my IFR and landed without incident. I should have anticipated the lower ceilings and asked for the IFR clearance sooner while at a higher altitude. Contributing factors, and destination area airport reporting VFR and my belief that conditions would improve as I headed north.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: TRYING TO REMAIN VFR ON A VFR FLT PLAN ENDS WITH A TOO LATE A REQUEST FOR THE NEEDED IFR CLRNC TO CLB TO VFR CONDITIONS.
Narrative: I WAS DSNDING TO MAINTAIN VFR THROUGH THE CLASS C WHILE AVOIDING THE B AIRSPACE ABOVE. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH DEP. AS I TRANSITION THE AREA THE CLOUD COVER CONTINUED TO PUSH THE CEILINGS LOWER. MY HOME ARPT DOESN'T HAVE WX RPTING, BUT 2 ARPTS IN THE VICINITY WERE RPTING CLR AND SCATTERED 3100 FT. OAKLAND ARPT WAS RPTING 2500 FT OVCST. AS I PASSED OAKLAND ARPT I HAD PLANNED 'TO REMAIN VFR, STAY UNDER THE CLOUDS AND ARRIVE AT MY ARPT JUST 22 NM, TO THE N. AS I APCHED SF BAY I COULD SEE THE FOG AND DSNDED, EVENTUALLY TO 500 FT OVER THE WATER, UNABLE TO FIND A HOLE, I ASKED DEP FOR AN IFR CLB TO VFR, WHICH THEY DID, WITHIN 500 FT, (AS I CLBED AND REACHED 1000 FT) I WAS VFR, I CANCELLED MY IFR AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED THE LOWER CEILINGS AND ASKED FOR THE IFR CLRNC SOONER WHILE AT A HIGHER ALT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, AND DEST AREA ARPT RPTING VFR AND MY BELIEF THAT CONDITIONS WOULD IMPROVE AS I HEADED N.
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.