Narrative:

Approximately XX15 hours I had phoned the hhr FSS for a WX briefing and flight plan filing. The reported conditions were 1500' scattered, 3000' broken for santa monica municipal. The WX for the route from santa monica to mev was clear with scattered clouds near the sierras. I filed the flight plan and he acknowledged it was complete and filed. By the time I had finished my preflight inspection, listened to santa monica ATIS again and radioed ground control for taxi instructions, it was probably XX50-XX55 hours. Since there was considerable traffic inbound and out from santa monica municipal, I was held at runway 21 for a short period. I requested a right turn at the shoreline, which was granted by smo tower. When I departed smo it was just after XY00 hours. The sky over the shoreline and long my proposed direction of flight was blue with remnants of ocean strata, so I wasn't concerned with clouds or overcast problems. I then contacted hhr radio (122.5) to open my flight plan. This was at XY05 hours. They informed me that none was on file. I was a bit irritated at this since it was the second or third time it had happened to me from this FSS. The operator then asked me if I wished to file from the air. Since I had never done this before, I felt it would be good experience (sky was still blue with wisps of strata, no concern). I couldn't find flight plan form (not prepared for this activity from the air). Hhr stepped me through this, which I think took longer than necessary (maybe 4-5 mins). I thanked him for his patience and signed off. At this pint I wasn't mentally paying attention to the WX. I then contacted bur approach on frequency 134.2 for flight following. They requested my position which it was at this time that I realized that I was in the clouds. I told this to bur approach. They had me squawk 5550, which I input as 5500. While doing this the aircraft went into a shallow bank (15 degrees). I tried to correct, but applied right aileron, thus compounding the problem. Meanwhile, I noticed that my microphone switch was sticking. Bur approach was in contact asking if I was IFR rated, to which I replied, 'negative, VFR only.' at this pint my artificial horizon was showing more brown that blue (panic!). I was either entering a spiral or going inverted. Microphone switch stuck again. Tapped it to release it. Bur was saying something, but my mind was occupied with getting the aircraft level. I noticed that the transponder was not correct, so I switched it to 5550. Then I noticed that the slip indicator was to the far right. Bur approach apparently felt that I was climbing because they said to radio again when I reached VFR conditions. I then must have regained my composure and input correct counter-controls, because I then noticed I was once again level and climbing at 500 FPM indicated on the artificial horizon. Just after leveling (what seemed to be an eternity, but was probably 1-1 1/2 mins) I broke through the clouds at approximately 5000' MSL. I then radioed bur approach, apologized about the panic and that I was clear of the clouds at 5500' with solid VFR conditions and that I was going to 8500'. Approach then had me switch frequency from 134.2 to another frequency, which I did and made contact. This individual asked my position, which I was so rattled and on top of the clouds that all I could think of and tell him was the gorman VOR. He then said I was in his airspace and to contact ZLA. I could not reach them for some reason so I tried to go back to the previous frequency, but I hadn't recorded it. I couldn't find the frequency in my manual or on the chart, so I tried 120.4 which was the published frequency for that area. He told me to contact ZLA which I tried again, but couldn't contact them--I could hear xmissions but received no response to my call. I then looked at my LORAN for my correct course which I had deviated from. It was then that I determined that I had not yet reached the gorman VOR, but still had approximately 30 mi to go and that I was approximately 3 mi off course. I then squawked 1200 and corrected my course heading and continued on with my flight. I feel that the fact that my flight plan had been lost by thehhr FSS was a contributing factor to this incident. The responsibility of flying the aircraft rests with the PIC, and it was my fault for allowing this to distract my attention from this responsibility. Since the flight plan loss of hhr FSS has happened to me more than once in the past yr, it has probably happened to others flying the la area also. In the future it may help of more attention is given to VFR flight plans. I can only assume that the flight plan was filed as stated, but possibly under a different north#, or the individual I was in contact with after departure misentered the # and immediately assumed that it was not on file. Flying in the la basin is intimidating enough for a low-time pilot west/O having added distrs such as this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DISTRACTED WITH RADIO COMS ENTERS IMC.

Narrative: APPROX XX15 HRS I HAD PHONED THE HHR FSS FOR A WX BRIEFING AND FLT PLAN FILING. THE RPTED CONDITIONS WERE 1500' SCATTERED, 3000' BROKEN FOR SANTA MONICA MUNI. THE WX FOR THE RTE FROM SANTA MONICA TO MEV WAS CLR WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS NEAR THE SIERRAS. I FILED THE FLT PLAN AND HE ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS COMPLETE AND FILED. BY THE TIME I HAD FINISHED MY PREFLT INSPECTION, LISTENED TO SANTA MONICA ATIS AGAIN AND RADIOED GND CTL FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, IT WAS PROBABLY XX50-XX55 HRS. SINCE THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE TFC INBND AND OUT FROM SANTA MONICA MUNI, I WAS HELD AT RWY 21 FOR A SHORT PERIOD. I REQUESTED A RIGHT TURN AT THE SHORELINE, WHICH WAS GRANTED BY SMO TWR. WHEN I DEPARTED SMO IT WAS JUST AFTER XY00 HRS. THE SKY OVER THE SHORELINE AND LONG MY PROPOSED DIRECTION OF FLT WAS BLUE WITH REMNANTS OF OCEAN STRATA, SO I WASN'T CONCERNED WITH CLOUDS OR OVCST PROBS. I THEN CONTACTED HHR RADIO (122.5) TO OPEN MY FLT PLAN. THIS WAS AT XY05 HRS. THEY INFORMED ME THAT NONE WAS ON FILE. I WAS A BIT IRRITATED AT THIS SINCE IT WAS THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME IT HAD HAPPENED TO ME FROM THIS FSS. THE OPERATOR THEN ASKED ME IF I WISHED TO FILE FROM THE AIR. SINCE I HAD NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE, I FELT IT WOULD BE GOOD EXPERIENCE (SKY WAS STILL BLUE WITH WISPS OF STRATA, NO CONCERN). I COULDN'T FIND FLT PLAN FORM (NOT PREPARED FOR THIS ACTIVITY FROM THE AIR). HHR STEPPED ME THROUGH THIS, WHICH I THINK TOOK LONGER THAN NECESSARY (MAYBE 4-5 MINS). I THANKED HIM FOR HIS PATIENCE AND SIGNED OFF. AT THIS PINT I WASN'T MENTALLY PAYING ATTN TO THE WX. I THEN CONTACTED BUR APCH ON FREQ 134.2 FOR FLT FOLLOWING. THEY REQUESTED MY POS WHICH IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I REALIZED THAT I WAS IN THE CLOUDS. I TOLD THIS TO BUR APCH. THEY HAD ME SQUAWK 5550, WHICH I INPUT AS 5500. WHILE DOING THIS THE ACFT WENT INTO A SHALLOW BANK (15 DEGS). I TRIED TO CORRECT, BUT APPLIED RIGHT AILERON, THUS COMPOUNDING THE PROB. MEANWHILE, I NOTICED THAT MY MIC SWITCH WAS STICKING. BUR APCH WAS IN CONTACT ASKING IF I WAS IFR RATED, TO WHICH I REPLIED, 'NEGATIVE, VFR ONLY.' AT THIS PINT MY ARTIFICIAL HORIZON WAS SHOWING MORE BROWN THAT BLUE (PANIC!). I WAS EITHER ENTERING A SPIRAL OR GOING INVERTED. MIC SWITCH STUCK AGAIN. TAPPED IT TO RELEASE IT. BUR WAS SAYING SOMETHING, BUT MY MIND WAS OCCUPIED WITH GETTING THE ACFT LEVEL. I NOTICED THAT THE XPONDER WAS NOT CORRECT, SO I SWITCHED IT TO 5550. THEN I NOTICED THAT THE SLIP INDICATOR WAS TO THE FAR RIGHT. BUR APCH APPARENTLY FELT THAT I WAS CLBING BECAUSE THEY SAID TO RADIO AGAIN WHEN I REACHED VFR CONDITIONS. I THEN MUST HAVE REGAINED MY COMPOSURE AND INPUT CORRECT COUNTER-CONTROLS, BECAUSE I THEN NOTICED I WAS ONCE AGAIN LEVEL AND CLBING AT 500 FPM INDICATED ON THE ARTIFICIAL HORIZON. JUST AFTER LEVELING (WHAT SEEMED TO BE AN ETERNITY, BUT WAS PROBABLY 1-1 1/2 MINS) I BROKE THROUGH THE CLOUDS AT APPROX 5000' MSL. I THEN RADIOED BUR APCH, APOLOGIZED ABOUT THE PANIC AND THAT I WAS CLR OF THE CLOUDS AT 5500' WITH SOLID VFR CONDITIONS AND THAT I WAS GOING TO 8500'. APCH THEN HAD ME SWITCH FREQ FROM 134.2 TO ANOTHER FREQ, WHICH I DID AND MADE CONTACT. THIS INDIVIDUAL ASKED MY POS, WHICH I WAS SO RATTLED AND ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS THAT ALL I COULD THINK OF AND TELL HIM WAS THE GORMAN VOR. HE THEN SAID I WAS IN HIS AIRSPACE AND TO CONTACT ZLA. I COULD NOT REACH THEM FOR SOME REASON SO I TRIED TO GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS FREQ, BUT I HADN'T RECORDED IT. I COULDN'T FIND THE FREQ IN MY MANUAL OR ON THE CHART, SO I TRIED 120.4 WHICH WAS THE PUBLISHED FREQ FOR THAT AREA. HE TOLD ME TO CONTACT ZLA WHICH I TRIED AGAIN, BUT COULDN'T CONTACT THEM--I COULD HEAR XMISSIONS BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE TO MY CALL. I THEN LOOKED AT MY LORAN FOR MY CORRECT COURSE WHICH I HAD DEVIATED FROM. IT WAS THEN THAT I DETERMINED THAT I HAD NOT YET REACHED THE GORMAN VOR, BUT STILL HAD APPROX 30 MI TO GO AND THAT I WAS APPROX 3 MI OFF COURSE. I THEN SQUAWKED 1200 AND CORRECTED MY COURSE HDG AND CONTINUED ON WITH MY FLT. I FEEL THAT THE FACT THAT MY FLT PLAN HAD BEEN LOST BY THEHHR FSS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF FLYING THE ACFT RESTS WITH THE PIC, AND IT WAS MY FAULT FOR ALLOWING THIS TO DISTRACT MY ATTN FROM THIS RESPONSIBILITY. SINCE THE FLT PLAN LOSS OF HHR FSS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MORE THAN ONCE IN THE PAST YR, IT HAS PROBABLY HAPPENED TO OTHERS FLYING THE LA AREA ALSO. IN THE FUTURE IT MAY HELP OF MORE ATTN IS GIVEN TO VFR FLT PLANS. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE FLT PLAN WAS FILED AS STATED, BUT POSSIBLY UNDER A DIFFERENT N#, OR THE INDIVIDUAL I WAS IN CONTACT WITH AFTER DEP MISENTERED THE # AND IMMEDIATELY ASSUMED THAT IT WAS NOT ON FILE. FLYING IN THE LA BASIN IS INTIMIDATING ENOUGH FOR A LOW-TIME PLT W/O HAVING ADDED DISTRS SUCH AS THIS.

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.