GA small aircraft made a takeoff from sts at night and climbed through an overcast without clearance...

Attributes
ACN	138329
Time
Date	199002
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sts
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa tower : fai
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 700 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	138329
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I flew to santa rosa on a practice IFR night flight. And shot several approachs into napa and santa rosa. The passenger and I had dinner, and when we were ready for departure we turned in ATIS. That was when we found out the tower was closed. We had planned on asking for a tower en route clearance back to concord, but since the tower was closed I decided to call ZOA from the ground. I tried to call them once and got no answer, and did not hear any conversation on that frequency. I decided to fly the SID and call ZOA from the air. As we were climbing out, I suddenly realized I was in a layer of fog. I kept flying the SID and immediately called ZOA. I got a clearance after I had already climbed through the cloud layer. About 10 mins later I heard another pilot calling ZOA from the ground in santa rosa, getting an IFR clearance. That's when I realized I should have been more persistent in trying to reach ZOA from the ground. I also should have gotten a WX briefing since the area is prone to fog.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA MADE A TKOF FROM STS AT NIGHT AND CLIMBED THROUGH AN OVERCAST WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I FLEW TO SANTA ROSA ON A PRACTICE IFR NIGHT FLT. AND SHOT SEVERAL APCHS INTO NAPA AND SANTA ROSA. THE PAX AND I HAD DINNER, AND WHEN WE WERE READY FOR DEP WE TURNED IN ATIS. THAT WAS WHEN WE FOUND OUT THE TWR WAS CLOSED. WE HAD PLANNED ON ASKING FOR A TWR ENRTE CLRNC BACK TO CONCORD, BUT SINCE THE TWR WAS CLOSED I DECIDED TO CALL ZOA FROM THE GND. I TRIED TO CALL THEM ONCE AND GOT NO ANSWER, AND DID NOT HEAR ANY CONVERSATION ON THAT FREQ. I DECIDED TO FLY THE SID AND CALL ZOA FROM THE AIR. AS WE WERE CLBING OUT, I SUDDENLY REALIZED I WAS IN A LAYER OF FOG. I KEPT FLYING THE SID AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED ZOA. I GOT A CLRNC AFTER I HAD ALREADY CLBED THROUGH THE CLOUD LAYER. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER I HEARD ANOTHER PLT CALLING ZOA FROM THE GND IN SANTA ROSA, GETTING AN IFR CLRNC. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PERSISTENT IN TRYING TO REACH ZOA FROM THE GND. I ALSO SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING SINCE THE AREA IS PRONE TO FOG.

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.