Narrative:

On a flight from oxnard to fla-bob airport, I departed IFR to VFR out of oxnard. After cancelling IFR, I called lax center, but was not handled (given a squawk or advisories), but was told to try burbank. Burbank approach gave me a squawk and provided VFR advisories. I remained clear of the lax TCA by flying direct to vny VOR, then headed for pomona VOR. However, ontario approach turned me to a 180 degree heading for traffic conflict. I had informed burbank and ontario approach that I would proceed VFR and if it appeared the stratus deck was not breaking up, I would like the ILS into riverside. After ontario approach gave me that 180 heading, they then said to resume own navigation, and terminated radar service. My aircraft had 2 vors and an ADF. I hastily tried to get a cross-bearing, while descending down past the stratus edge which was breaking up near riverside. Using a sectional, the vors, and ground references all the while listening for traffic, worrying about the arsa, I located my position at the same time I saw riverside airport. I was between 3-4 mi northwest and within the air traffic area. I called riverside tower, reported 4 northwest en route to fla-bob. They wanted to know who handled my approach through the arsa. I was reluctant to file IFR on this leg because of the presumed delays in getting either a clearance or an approach. Also, in attempting to call FSS several times while at oxnard, to get the WX at riverside, only a busy signal was the result. Therefore we elected the IFR departure to VFR, and chose to continue VFR without the ILS to et down through the broken layer of stratus. However, the mix of much more traffic, higher terrain in the vicinity, poor visibilities, and complex airspace, made that decision a poor one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT INADVERTENTLY PENETRATES ATA.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM OXNARD TO FLA-BOB ARPT, I DEPARTED IFR TO VFR OUT OF OXNARD. AFTER CANCELLING IFR, I CALLED LAX CENTER, BUT WAS NOT HANDLED (GIVEN A SQUAWK OR ADVISORIES), BUT WAS TOLD TO TRY BURBANK. BURBANK APCH GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND PROVIDED VFR ADVISORIES. I REMAINED CLEAR OF THE LAX TCA BY FLYING DIRECT TO VNY VOR, THEN HEADED FOR POMONA VOR. HOWEVER, ONTARIO APCH TURNED ME TO A 180 DEG HDG FOR TFC CONFLICT. I HAD INFORMED BURBANK AND ONTARIO APCH THAT I WOULD PROCEED VFR AND IF IT APPEARED THE STRATUS DECK WAS NOT BREAKING UP, I WOULD LIKE THE ILS INTO RIVERSIDE. AFTER ONTARIO APCH GAVE ME THAT 180 HDG, THEY THEN SAID TO RESUME OWN NAVIGATION, AND TERMINATED RADAR SERVICE. MY ACFT HAD 2 VORS AND AN ADF. I HASTILY TRIED TO GET A CROSS-BEARING, WHILE DESCENDING DOWN PAST THE STRATUS EDGE WHICH WAS BREAKING UP NEAR RIVERSIDE. USING A SECTIONAL, THE VORS, AND GND REFERENCES ALL THE WHILE LISTENING FOR TFC, WORRYING ABOUT THE ARSA, I LOCATED MY POSITION AT THE SAME TIME I SAW RIVERSIDE ARPT. I WAS BETWEEN 3-4 MI NW AND WITHIN THE ATA. I CALLED RIVERSIDE TWR, REPORTED 4 NW ENRTE TO FLA-BOB. THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHO HANDLED MY APCH THROUGH THE ARSA. I WAS RELUCTANT TO FILE IFR ON THIS LEG BECAUSE OF THE PRESUMED DELAYS IN GETTING EITHER A CLRNC OR AN APCH. ALSO, IN ATTEMPTING TO CALL FSS SEVERAL TIMES WHILE AT OXNARD, TO GET THE WX AT RIVERSIDE, ONLY A BUSY SIGNAL WAS THE RESULT. THEREFORE WE ELECTED THE IFR DEP TO VFR, AND CHOSE TO CONTINUE VFR WITHOUT THE ILS TO ET DOWN THROUGH THE BROKEN LAYER OF STRATUS. HOWEVER, THE MIX OF MUCH MORE TFC, HIGHER TERRAIN IN THE VICINITY, POOR VISIBILITIES, AND COMPLEX AIRSPACE, MADE THAT DECISION A POOR ONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.