Narrative:

I received a VFR flight notification from oak FSS, 'small aircraft X, small aircraft, acv YY15.' the terminal forecast, although VFR, included WX that should have precluded VFR flight at most altitudes above mountainous terrain. At XX19Z, aircraft called acv FSS on the airport advisory frequency 123.65, and advised 18.5 DME on the ILS localizer. Issued airport advisory. Pilot asked for current WX at arcata. Gave pilot present WX as '-X M35 overcast 3 rw-F temperature 56 degrees, dewpoint 56 degrees, wind 160 at 05, altimeter 29.83 rfz. At XX21, pilot advised he was 16.6 out, followed shortly by, 'I'm IFR.' requested his present altitude and if he was capable of IFR flight. Pilot advised altitude 'descending through 5900 and I am not IFR rated, but the aircraft is IFR equipped.' advised pilot that WX was better toward the coast to the west. The pilot responded immediately with, 'turning to 270.' at XX24, a moment after making his turn, the pilot advised, 'I'm 10.8 south and in VFR conditions.' after this, the pilot proceeded in VFR conditions and landed safely at XX28Z. After clearing the runway, pilot closed his VFR flight plan. Afterward, the pilot came into the FSS and spoke with the controllers at the station. He advised that he had received 4 briefings from FSS, and that he had been told the WX was scattered conditions each time. He also advised that he was flying 'between layers the entire trip,' and had been on autoplt throughout the trip. When he was told the WX was better to the west, he dialed in 270 and broke out almost immediately. On a different frequency, 122.3, another aircraft departing from murray field a few mins before this aircraft arrived on 123.65, on an IFR flight plan and clearance, at XX24 gave a PIREP of conditions at murray field as '4000' ceiling and 20-30 mi visibility.' 1) I find it hard to believe that small aircraft X calling 4 different times not be told that the conditions were overcast the entire morning at arcata. 2) flying on autoplt at 7000' the entire route, placed the pilot 'between layers the entire trip,' which should have been only with a VFR on top clearance (an IFR clearance) from ARTCC. Flying, in this manner, regardless of his equipment, only shows the pilot's decision to beat the system and hope he doesn't get caught. 3) then, when the pilot found himself over an overcast layer, made the decision to descend through the clouds, depending on his aircraft to get him through the clouds. Then, when told better WX was T the west, continues to allow the aircraft to fly for him. Overreliance upon equipment to fly an aircraft in conditions the pilot was not capable of making an assessment as to its quality of maneuvering makes it doubtful that the pilot would have survived had an equipment malfunction occurred in those critical IMC 3 mins. 4) adding to these mistakes were my own errors. A) not turning the aircraft over to ARTCC, when the aircraft was at the very least in an emergency situation. B) advising the pilot that better WX was to the west, at a time when the aircraft should have been in a straight and level flight, and not advising the pilot to do so (maintain straight and level flight).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X ENTERED IMC WITHOUT CLRNC. PLT QUALIFICATION NOT IFR QUALIFIED.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A VFR FLT NOTIFICATION FROM OAK FSS, 'SMA X, SMA, ACV YY15.' THE TERMINAL FORECAST, ALTHOUGH VFR, INCLUDED WX THAT SHOULD HAVE PRECLUDED VFR FLT AT MOST ALTS ABOVE MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN. AT XX19Z, ACFT CALLED ACV FSS ON THE ARPT ADVISORY FREQ 123.65, AND ADVISED 18.5 DME ON THE ILS LOC. ISSUED ARPT ADVISORY. PLT ASKED FOR CURRENT WX AT ARCATA. GAVE PLT PRESENT WX AS '-X M35 OVCST 3 RW-F TEMP 56 DEGS, DEWPOINT 56 DEGS, WIND 160 AT 05, ALTIMETER 29.83 RFZ. AT XX21, PLT ADVISED HE WAS 16.6 OUT, FOLLOWED SHORTLY BY, 'I'M IFR.' REQUESTED HIS PRESENT ALT AND IF HE WAS CAPABLE OF IFR FLT. PLT ADVISED ALT 'DSNDING THROUGH 5900 AND I AM NOT IFR RATED, BUT THE ACFT IS IFR EQUIPPED.' ADVISED PLT THAT WX WAS BETTER TOWARD THE COAST TO THE W. THE PLT RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY WITH, 'TURNING TO 270.' AT XX24, A MOMENT AFTER MAKING HIS TURN, THE PLT ADVISED, 'I'M 10.8 S AND IN VFR CONDITIONS.' AFTER THIS, THE PLT PROCEEDED IN VFR CONDITIONS AND LANDED SAFELY AT XX28Z. AFTER CLRING THE RWY, PLT CLOSED HIS VFR FLT PLAN. AFTERWARD, THE PLT CAME INTO THE FSS AND SPOKE WITH THE CTLRS AT THE STATION. HE ADVISED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED 4 BRIEFINGS FROM FSS, AND THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD THE WX WAS SCATTERED CONDITIONS EACH TIME. HE ALSO ADVISED THAT HE WAS FLYING 'BTWN LAYERS THE ENTIRE TRIP,' AND HAD BEEN ON AUTOPLT THROUGHOUT THE TRIP. WHEN HE WAS TOLD THE WX WAS BETTER TO THE W, HE DIALED IN 270 AND BROKE OUT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. ON A DIFFERENT FREQ, 122.3, ANOTHER ACFT DEPARTING FROM MURRAY FIELD A FEW MINS BEFORE THIS ACFT ARRIVED ON 123.65, ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND CLRNC, AT XX24 GAVE A PIREP OF CONDITIONS AT MURRAY FIELD AS '4000' CEILING AND 20-30 MI VISIBILITY.' 1) I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT SMA X CALLING 4 DIFFERENT TIMES NOT BE TOLD THAT THE CONDITIONS WERE OVCST THE ENTIRE MORNING AT ARCATA. 2) FLYING ON AUTOPLT AT 7000' THE ENTIRE RTE, PLACED THE PLT 'BTWN LAYERS THE ENTIRE TRIP,' WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONLY WITH A VFR ON TOP CLRNC (AN IFR CLRNC) FROM ARTCC. FLYING, IN THIS MANNER, REGARDLESS OF HIS EQUIP, ONLY SHOWS THE PLT'S DECISION TO BEAT THE SYS AND HOPE HE DOESN'T GET CAUGHT. 3) THEN, WHEN THE PLT FOUND HIMSELF OVER AN OVCST LAYER, MADE THE DECISION TO DSND THROUGH THE CLOUDS, DEPENDING ON HIS ACFT TO GET HIM THROUGH THE CLOUDS. THEN, WHEN TOLD BETTER WX WAS T THE W, CONTINUES TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO FLY FOR HIM. OVERRELIANCE UPON EQUIP TO FLY AN ACFT IN CONDITIONS THE PLT WAS NOT CAPABLE OF MAKING AN ASSESSMENT AS TO ITS QUALITY OF MANEUVERING MAKES IT DOUBTFUL THAT THE PLT WOULD HAVE SURVIVED HAD AN EQUIP MALFUNCTION OCCURRED IN THOSE CRITICAL IMC 3 MINS. 4) ADDING TO THESE MISTAKES WERE MY OWN ERRORS. A) NOT TURNING THE ACFT OVER TO ARTCC, WHEN THE ACFT WAS AT THE VERY LEAST IN AN EMER SITUATION. B) ADVISING THE PLT THAT BETTER WX WAS TO THE W, AT A TIME WHEN THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN A STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT, AND NOT ADVISING THE PLT TO DO SO (MAINTAIN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT).

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.