Low time pilot not legal for night flight delays return trip leg so arrival is after sundown, and al...

Attributes
ACN	129438
Time
Date	198911
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : myf
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : san tower : myf
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 17 flight time total : 113
ASRS Report	129438
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Departed lake havasu on VFR flight plan to myf. San diego current WX VFR not recommended. Decided to check and divert if necessary. 10 mi east of julian, I could see clouds over the san diego area, but WX was clear west of mt cuyamaca. I turned south to I-8 and called approach for radar service into myf. Descending beneath the stratus over I-8 in the mountains looked too risky. Approach vectored me over gillespie and north of myf (ATC claimed). Lights visible below through 3000' bhn. Myf not in sight, so requested return over gillespie. Myf and see are VFR. Now it is after sunset and dark. I found a clear patch in the stratus and descended to 2500', called approach and informed them I had myf in sight and requested frequency change. Approved, squawk 1200. Contacted tower and landed safely. At gas pumps, myf, sky looked clear and I could see stars! The delay caused a night landing with passenger. Although night rated, I had made only 1 landing to full stop within last 90 days. Analysis: the descent was a silly decision. I should have requested transition to 7 mi west of myf (check for clear sky there) and then north to palomar (check again), followed by diversion to psp. Contributing factors: 1) late departure, and 2) not having wide enough range of options due to narrow mindset. Also, training does not cover the problem of being trapped above a layer of stratus.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME PLT NOT LEGAL FOR NIGHT FLT DELAYS RETURN TRIP LEG SO ARR IS AFTER SUNDOWN, AND ALSO HAS TO DESCEND THROUGH HOLE IN UNDERCAST TO GET TO DESTINATION ARPT. POSSIBLE TCA PENETRATION.

Narrative: DEPARTED LAKE HAVASU ON VFR FLT PLAN TO MYF. SAN DIEGO CURRENT WX VFR NOT RECOMMENDED. DECIDED TO CHK AND DIVERT IF NECESSARY. 10 MI E OF JULIAN, I COULD SEE CLOUDS OVER THE SAN DIEGO AREA, BUT WX WAS CLEAR W OF MT CUYAMACA. I TURNED S TO I-8 AND CALLED APCH FOR RADAR SVC INTO MYF. DSNDING BENEATH THE STRATUS OVER I-8 IN THE MOUNTAINS LOOKED TOO RISKY. APCH VECTORED ME OVER GILLESPIE AND N OF MYF (ATC CLAIMED). LIGHTS VISIBLE BELOW THROUGH 3000' BHN. MYF NOT IN SIGHT, SO REQUESTED RETURN OVER GILLESPIE. MYF AND SEE ARE VFR. NOW IT IS AFTER SUNSET AND DARK. I FOUND A CLR PATCH IN THE STRATUS AND DSNDED TO 2500', CALLED APCH AND INFORMED THEM I HAD MYF IN SIGHT AND REQUESTED FREQ CHANGE. APPROVED, SQUAWK 1200. CONTACTED TWR AND LANDED SAFELY. AT GAS PUMPS, MYF, SKY LOOKED CLR AND I COULD SEE STARS! THE DELAY CAUSED A NIGHT LNDG WITH PAX. ALTHOUGH NIGHT RATED, I HAD MADE ONLY 1 LNDG TO FULL STOP WITHIN LAST 90 DAYS. ANALYSIS: THE DSCNT WAS A SILLY DECISION. I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED TRANSITION TO 7 MI W OF MYF (CHK FOR CLR SKY THERE) AND THEN N TO PALOMAR (CHK AGAIN), FOLLOWED BY DIVERSION TO PSP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) LATE DEP, AND 2) NOT HAVING WIDE ENOUGH RANGE OF OPTIONS DUE TO NARROW MINDSET. ALSO, TRNING DOES NOT COVER THE PROB OF BEING TRAPPED ABOVE A LAYER OF STRATUS.

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.

Low time pilot not legal for night flight delays return trip leg so arrival is after sundown, and also has to descend through hole in undercast to get to destination airport. Possible TCA penetration.