Narrative:

On the night of 7/X/90 I was in lompoc visiting a friend. At PM30 local (PDT) I decided it was time to return to my home base (bur). I went outside to check conditions and noted an overcast which appeared to be 1500 ft AGL or less, visibility underneath was good. I then called hawthorne FSS and obtained a WX briefing. The nearest reporting station was sba, reporting 400 ft overcast; however, lpc is considerably further inland and separated by the santa ynez mountains, and generally has higher ceilings. I filed an IFR flight plan at the time, given that I was unsure of the ceiling. The remainder of the flight was forecast in VFR conditions. The briefer then asked if I knew the procedure for obtaining a clearance from ZLA, since vandenberg approach was closed, after completing preflight checks, I called ZLA to obtain my IFR clearance for departure. ZLA informed me that IFR departures were not authority/authorized when vandenberg was closed. This was surprising as I had used the exact procedure several times in the past 2 yrs and never been refused a departure clearance by center. After several mins discussion I determined that I would not get a clearance, and walked back to my aircraft. At this time I was extremely annoyed with ZLA at what appeared to be a sudden change of policy. Struck by get homeitis, I decided to depart anyway. My reasoning was that I could then see if the ceiling was high enough to permit VFR departure, and if not, I could land. On climb out I entered the cloud layer at 500 ft MSL. This was still in uncontrolled airspace. At that point I quickly decided that the safest course was to continue on the standard INS departure for lpc, and execute a climbing right turn direct to gvo VOR. I rationalized that as long as I broke out below controled airspace, that no violation would occur. I broke out of the layer at 1300 ft MSL (in controled airspace) the remainder of the flight was in VFR conditions. The main factors influencing this event were: my determination to get home that night (I could have stayed overnight in lompoc). ZLA's sudden and inexplicable change in policy (hawthorne FSS did not know that this was not authority/authorized). My irritation with ZLA also influenced my judgement. Later review of the regulations and IAP's indicated (to the best of my ability to interpret) that while approachs to lpc are not authority/authorized when vandenberg approach is closed, that IFR departures are permitted at all times (the clearance would only be effective for the controled airspace above the airport, but is not required below that level). I feel that, barring leaving the aircraft on the ground, once departing the safest course of action was the one I took. The ceiling was too low to permit safe circling, and I knew that the overcast layer was relatively thin. I also knew that the probability of another aircraft in the area was exceedingly small. I should have stayed on the ground, but I feel that I handled the situation in the air in the best way possible. I also feel that the traffic manager at ZLA bears a certain responsibility for what occurred, given the sudden reinterpretation of the far's from earlier procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DEPARTS UNCONTROLLED ARPT AFTER REFUSAL OF IFR CLRNC. FLIES INTO IMC IN CTLED AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON THE NIGHT OF 7/X/90 I WAS IN LOMPOC VISITING A FRIEND. AT PM30 LCL (PDT) I DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO RETURN TO MY HOME BASE (BUR). I WENT OUTSIDE TO CHK CONDITIONS AND NOTED AN OVCST WHICH APPEARED TO BE 1500 FT AGL OR LESS, VISIBILITY UNDERNEATH WAS GOOD. I THEN CALLED HAWTHORNE FSS AND OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING. THE NEAREST RPTING STATION WAS SBA, RPTING 400 FT OVCST; HOWEVER, LPC IS CONSIDERABLY FURTHER INLAND AND SEPARATED BY THE SANTA YNEZ MOUNTAINS, AND GENERALLY HAS HIGHER CEILINGS. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AT THE TIME, GIVEN THAT I WAS UNSURE OF THE CEILING. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS FORECAST IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE BRIEFER THEN ASKED IF I KNEW THE PROC FOR OBTAINING A CLRNC FROM ZLA, SINCE VANDENBERG APCH WAS CLOSED, AFTER COMPLETING PREFLT CHKS, I CALLED ZLA TO OBTAIN MY IFR CLRNC FOR DEP. ZLA INFORMED ME THAT IFR DEPS WERE NOT AUTH WHEN VANDENBERG WAS CLOSED. THIS WAS SURPRISING AS I HAD USED THE EXACT PROC SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST 2 YRS AND NEVER BEEN REFUSED A DEP CLRNC BY CTR. AFTER SEVERAL MINS DISCUSSION I DETERMINED THAT I WOULD NOT GET A CLRNC, AND WALKED BACK TO MY ACFT. AT THIS TIME I WAS EXTREMELY ANNOYED WITH ZLA AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SUDDEN CHANGE OF POLICY. STRUCK BY GET HOMEITIS, I DECIDED TO DEPART ANYWAY. MY REASONING WAS THAT I COULD THEN SEE IF THE CEILING WAS HIGH ENOUGH TO PERMIT VFR DEP, AND IF NOT, I COULD LAND. ON CLBOUT I ENTERED THE CLOUD LAYER AT 500 FT MSL. THIS WAS STILL IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE. AT THAT POINT I QUICKLY DECIDED THAT THE SAFEST COURSE WAS TO CONTINUE ON THE STANDARD INS DEP FOR LPC, AND EXECUTE A CLBING R TURN DIRECT TO GVO VOR. I RATIONALIZED THAT AS LONG AS I BROKE OUT BELOW CTLED AIRSPACE, THAT NO VIOLATION WOULD OCCUR. I BROKE OUT OF THE LAYER AT 1300 FT MSL (IN CTLED AIRSPACE) THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE MAIN FACTORS INFLUENCING THIS EVENT WERE: MY DETERMINATION TO GET HOME THAT NIGHT (I COULD HAVE STAYED OVERNIGHT IN LOMPOC). ZLA'S SUDDEN AND INEXPLICABLE CHANGE IN POLICY (HAWTHORNE FSS DID NOT KNOW THAT THIS WAS NOT AUTH). MY IRRITATION WITH ZLA ALSO INFLUENCED MY JUDGEMENT. LATER REVIEW OF THE REGS AND IAP'S INDICATED (TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY TO INTERPRET) THAT WHILE APCHS TO LPC ARE NOT AUTH WHEN VANDENBERG APCH IS CLOSED, THAT IFR DEPS ARE PERMITTED AT ALL TIMES (THE CLRNC WOULD ONLY BE EFFECTIVE FOR THE CTLED AIRSPACE ABOVE THE ARPT, BUT IS NOT REQUIRED BELOW THAT LEVEL). I FEEL THAT, BARRING LEAVING THE ACFT ON THE GND, ONCE DEPARTING THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS THE ONE I TOOK. THE CEILING WAS TOO LOW TO PERMIT SAFE CIRCLING, AND I KNEW THAT THE OVCST LAYER WAS RELATIVELY THIN. I ALSO KNEW THAT THE PROBABILITY OF ANOTHER ACFT IN THE AREA WAS EXCEEDINGLY SMALL. I SHOULD HAVE STAYED ON THE GND, BUT I FEEL THAT I HANDLED THE SIT IN THE AIR IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE. I ALSO FEEL THAT THE TFC MGR AT ZLA BEARS A CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT OCCURRED, GIVEN THE SUDDEN REINTERPRETATION OF THE FAR'S FROM EARLIER PROC.

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.