Narrative:

Flight was planned from burbank to boulder city, nv to see air show (on the same day) at boulder city. Planned to depart burbank at TT00 local. Began monitoring burbank ATIS broadcasts at RR30 (at home). WX varied from 1-2 mi visibility and 800' to indefinite ceiling. Arrived at our airplane at burbank airport at SS30 and called tower (after again monitoring current ATIS which was 1 1/2 mi visibility and indefinite ceiling) to see if we could get an SVFR clearance out of control zone. Tower indicated it would not be a problem and to call them when ready to taxi. After completing the preflight I called the tower and received an SVFR clearance out of the control zone to the northwest with a 3000' altitude restriction. Takeoff on runway 25 was normal but approximately 30 seconds after takeoff we lost visual contact with the ground. Maintaining runway heading we climbed for another 45 seconds (approximately) until we broke out of a ragged deck at approximately 2300'. Tower advised us that we were approaching ban nuys airport airspace and to advise them when we were VFR. We replied that we were VFR and were turning to a 360 degree heading to avoid van nuys airspace. A few minutes later we were asked to call the burbank tower after landing at boulder city (we were unable to contact the tower after landing due to heavy air show crowds). I believe the problem was caused by my erroneous interpretation of ATIS ceiling information and by the tower's issuance of an SVFR clearance under prevailing WX conditions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT ON SVFR FLT PLAN ENCOUNTERED IMC CONDITIONS BRIEFLY. MAY HAVE PENETRATED VNY ARPT TRAFFIC AREA.

Narrative: FLT WAS PLANNED FROM BURBANK TO BOULDER CITY, NV TO SEE AIR SHOW (ON THE SAME DAY) AT BOULDER CITY. PLANNED TO DEPART BURBANK AT TT00 LOCAL. BEGAN MONITORING BURBANK ATIS BROADCASTS AT RR30 (AT HOME). WX VARIED FROM 1-2 MI VISIBILITY AND 800' TO INDEFINITE CEILING. ARRIVED AT OUR AIRPLANE AT BURBANK ARPT AT SS30 AND CALLED TWR (AFTER AGAIN MONITORING CURRENT ATIS WHICH WAS 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY AND INDEFINITE CEILING) TO SEE IF WE COULD GET AN SVFR CLRNC OUT OF CTL ZONE. TWR INDICATED IT WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM AND TO CALL THEM WHEN READY TO TAXI. AFTER COMPLETING THE PREFLT I CALLED THE TWR AND RECEIVED AN SVFR CLRNC OUT OF THE CTL ZONE TO THE NW WITH A 3000' ALT RESTRICTION. TKOF ON RWY 25 WAS NORMAL BUT APPROX 30 SECONDS AFTER TKOF WE LOST VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. MAINTAINING RWY HDG WE CLIMBED FOR ANOTHER 45 SECONDS (APPROX) UNTIL WE BROKE OUT OF A RAGGED DECK AT APPROX 2300'. TWR ADVISED US THAT WE WERE APCHING BAN NUYS ARPT AIRSPACE AND TO ADVISE THEM WHEN WE WERE VFR. WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE VFR AND WERE TURNING TO A 360 DEG HDG TO AVOID VAN NUYS AIRSPACE. A FEW MINUTES LATER WE WERE ASKED TO CALL THE BURBANK TWR AFTER LNDG AT BOULDER CITY (WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT THE TWR AFTER LNDG DUE TO HEAVY AIR SHOW CROWDS). I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM WAS CAUSED BY MY ERRONEOUS INTERPRETATION OF ATIS CEILING INFO AND BY THE TWR'S ISSUANCE OF AN SVFR CLRNC UNDER PREVAILING WX CONDITIONS.

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.