Narrative:

On 11/sun/89, I was piloting small aircraft from loreto, baja ca, to tijuana, baja ca, VFR. Projected flight time was 3 hours, 45 mins. Nearing ensenada, I received the san diego brown field ATIS, as relayed to me by another aircraft north of my position with whom I had radio contact. Brown field was 1000' overcast with light rain, so I opted for a landing at ensenada, noting the close proximity of tij to brown. Up to this point, I had been unable radio contact with tij approach control. At ensenada, I cleared mexican customs, took fuel and filed a border crossing flight plan from ensenada to brown field--VFR. San FSS (by phone) reported that brown field had become VFR, with rain having ended and clouds scattered. No reports were issued for the area between ensenada and tij--but tij was now VFR. I departed ensenada around sunset, anticipating the border crossing before nightfall (50 NM). I was told by ensenada tower to contact tij approach when able, VFR, at 2000' heading north. As my flight progressed, however, the WX deteriorated. Some of the rainfall which had affected san diego earlier was impeding my progress northbound. The coastline became obscured, and as I could not climb through the overcast which had lowered somewhat, I headed westerly out to sea, safely away from coastal terrain. NAVAID reception was nil, so I utilized dead reckoning. At several points, I executed 360 degree turns over fishing boats below me so as not to fly too far offshore. It became a matter of waiting out the rain. The lights of rosarito beach became visible and I headed for them. All of this time, my attempts to reach tij approach for clearance/climb were in vain. It was not until I was over rosarito beach (20 DME southwest of tij) and full nightfall with the cloud cover 3000' scattered when I finally raised tij approach. They were surprised to hear from me, with evidently no prior notice of my border crossing flight plan. I offered to continue the flight under IFR to brown field, but they instructed me to maintain VFR along the shoreline at 2000'. Several mins later they handed me off to tij tower. The tower confirmed my position,altitude and VMC. He then said he was holding his takeoff departures as I made my way across the extended centerline of his east/west runway, approximately 10 mi west of his airport at 2000'. Shortly after, I was in us airspace and contacted brown tower for a normal arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXPERIENCES COM DIFFICULTIES WHILE VFR IN FOREIGN AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON 11/SUN/89, I WAS PILOTING SMA FROM LORETO, BAJA CA, TO TIJUANA, BAJA CA, VFR. PROJECTED FLT TIME WAS 3 HRS, 45 MINS. NEARING ENSENADA, I RECEIVED THE SAN DIEGO BROWN FIELD ATIS, AS RELAYED TO ME BY ANOTHER ACFT N OF MY POS WITH WHOM I HAD RADIO CONTACT. BROWN FIELD WAS 1000' OVCST WITH LIGHT RAIN, SO I OPTED FOR A LNDG AT ENSENADA, NOTING THE CLOSE PROX OF TIJ TO BROWN. UP TO THIS POINT, I HAD BEEN UNABLE RADIO CONTACT WITH TIJ APCH CTL. AT ENSENADA, I CLRED MEXICAN CUSTOMS, TOOK FUEL AND FILED A BORDER XING FLT PLAN FROM ENSENADA TO BROWN FIELD--VFR. SAN FSS (BY PHONE) RPTED THAT BROWN FIELD HAD BECOME VFR, WITH RAIN HAVING ENDED AND CLOUDS SCATTERED. NO RPTS WERE ISSUED FOR THE AREA BTWN ENSENADA AND TIJ--BUT TIJ WAS NOW VFR. I DEPARTED ENSENADA AROUND SUNSET, ANTICIPATING THE BORDER XING BEFORE NIGHTFALL (50 NM). I WAS TOLD BY ENSENADA TWR TO CONTACT TIJ APCH WHEN ABLE, VFR, AT 2000' HDG N. AS MY FLT PROGRESSED, HOWEVER, THE WX DETERIORATED. SOME OF THE RAINFALL WHICH HAD AFFECTED SAN DIEGO EARLIER WAS IMPEDING MY PROGRESS NBND. THE COASTLINE BECAME OBSCURED, AND AS I COULD NOT CLB THROUGH THE OVCST WHICH HAD LOWERED SOMEWHAT, I HEADED WESTERLY OUT TO SEA, SAFELY AWAY FROM COASTAL TERRAIN. NAVAID RECEPTION WAS NIL, SO I UTILIZED DEAD RECKONING. AT SEVERAL POINTS, I EXECUTED 360 DEG TURNS OVER FISHING BOATS BELOW ME SO AS NOT TO FLY TOO FAR OFFSHORE. IT BECAME A MATTER OF WAITING OUT THE RAIN. THE LIGHTS OF ROSARITO BEACH BECAME VISIBLE AND I HEADED FOR THEM. ALL OF THIS TIME, MY ATTEMPTS TO REACH TIJ APCH FOR CLRNC/CLB WERE IN VAIN. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS OVER ROSARITO BEACH (20 DME SW OF TIJ) AND FULL NIGHTFALL WITH THE CLOUD COVER 3000' SCATTERED WHEN I FINALLY RAISED TIJ APCH. THEY WERE SURPRISED TO HEAR FROM ME, WITH EVIDENTLY NO PRIOR NOTICE OF MY BORDER XING FLT PLAN. I OFFERED TO CONTINUE THE FLT UNDER IFR TO BROWN FIELD, BUT THEY INSTRUCTED ME TO MAINTAIN VFR ALONG THE SHORELINE AT 2000'. SEVERAL MINS LATER THEY HANDED ME OFF TO TIJ TWR. THE TWR CONFIRMED MY POS,ALT AND VMC. HE THEN SAID HE WAS HOLDING HIS TKOF DEPS AS I MADE MY WAY ACROSS THE EXTENDED CENTERLINE OF HIS E/W RWY, APPROX 10 MI W OF HIS ARPT AT 2000'. SHORTLY AFTER, I WAS IN U.S. AIRSPACE AND CONTACTED BROWN TWR FOR A NORMAL ARR.

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.