Narrative:

Problem could have been avoided by more ATC awareness of rapidly changing lowering of ceiling and more flexibility with course out of area. Should have more consideration of pilot judgement of WX; i.e., rapidly lowering ceiling and rapid appearance of marginal VFR conditions. I had arrived at mry from turlock. En route, approaching salinas, stratus clouds were seen at approximately 2000'. A course diversion to the left was done bypassing the clouds and mry was approached following highway 68 west/O problems and maintaining VFR conditions. Later, upon departure, contact was made by radio with mry clearance control. A SVFR clearance was requested, since it appeared that the ceiling was getting thicker and lowering. WX reports at the tie showed scattered clouds at 1500', visibility 12 mi. I requested a routine following highway 68. I was told by clearance control that mry was at VFR conditions and that on departing runway 28, I should cross over the highway and maintain a heading of 110 degrees. Ground control clearance was obtained for taxiing to runway 28L. After runup, I proceeded to the runway; however, I failed to stop at the hold line, since the hold line was not clearly marked--it appeared to have been whited out with paint. I did hold well before the actual runway and the mry tower told me to hold; however, there was no danger. Upon takeoff, after clearing highway 1, a heading of 110 degrees as directed was maintained. I estimated that I achieved an altitude of 1200', as I turned on this heading and ahead of me was stratus clouds and also ahead was much higher terrain, since there are tall hills to the south of mry. If I climbed to clear the hills, I would be approaching within 500' of the base of the clouds and not maintaining VFR conditions. If I stayed at an altitude to remain within VFR conditions, then impact with the hilly terrain would have occurred. I immediately tried to contact mry ATC on frequency 133.5 as directed by clearance control before takeoff; however, I was not able to contact them. I received 2 or 3 messages stating that transmission was garbled. I switched to another radio and still was not able to contact mry ATC. Finally, they acknowledged my xmissions and told me to switch to frequency 133.0, at which time I was told to maintain a heading of 110 degrees. I again transmitted that I needed a heading change to avoid terrain, and also to maintain VFR conditions. I then heard to maintain radio silence. Finally, after ensuring that there was no traffic in the area, and west/O any choice, since the terrain was approaching and also the clouds were forming a ceiling above, I changed course to approximately 090 degrees to maintain a steady altitude, but to avoid the high terrain ahead. When ATC did finally contact me, I was asked what my home station was and told them turlock municipal. I was told to maintain a heading of 110 degrees. By this point, terrain and clouds were no longer a problem and this heading was maintained west/O problem. The rest of the trip to turlock municipal airport was made west/O incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DEPARTING FROM ARSA ARPT DOES NOT HOLD AT RWY AS INSTRUCTED AND AFTER TKOF DEVIATES FROM ASSIGNED HEADING IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VFR.

Narrative: PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY MORE ATC AWARENESS OF RAPIDLY CHANGING LOWERING OF CEILING AND MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH COURSE OUT OF AREA. SHOULD HAVE MORE CONSIDERATION OF PLT JUDGEMENT OF WX; I.E., RAPIDLY LOWERING CEILING AND RAPID APPEARANCE OF MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. I HAD ARRIVED AT MRY FROM TURLOCK. ENRTE, APCHING SALINAS, STRATUS CLOUDS WERE SEEN AT APPROX 2000'. A COURSE DIVERSION TO THE LEFT WAS DONE BYPASSING THE CLOUDS AND MRY WAS APCHED FOLLOWING HWY 68 W/O PROBS AND MAINTAINING VFR CONDITIONS. LATER, UPON DEP, CONTACT WAS MADE BY RADIO WITH MRY CLRNC CTL. A SVFR CLRNC WAS REQUESTED, SINCE IT APPEARED THAT THE CEILING WAS GETTING THICKER AND LOWERING. WX RPTS AT THE TIE SHOWED SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 1500', VISIBILITY 12 MI. I REQUESTED A ROUTINE FOLLOWING HWY 68. I WAS TOLD BY CLRNC CTL THAT MRY WAS AT VFR CONDITIONS AND THAT ON DEPARTING RWY 28, I SHOULD CROSS OVER THE HWY AND MAINTAIN A HDG OF 110 DEGS. GND CTL CLRNC WAS OBTAINED FOR TAXIING TO RWY 28L. AFTER RUNUP, I PROCEEDED TO THE RWY; HOWEVER, I FAILED TO STOP AT THE HOLD LINE, SINCE THE HOLD LINE WAS NOT CLEARLY MARKED--IT APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN WHITED OUT WITH PAINT. I DID HOLD WELL BEFORE THE ACTUAL RWY AND THE MRY TWR TOLD ME TO HOLD; HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO DANGER. UPON TKOF, AFTER CLRING HWY 1, A HDG OF 110 DEGS AS DIRECTED WAS MAINTAINED. I ESTIMATED THAT I ACHIEVED AN ALT OF 1200', AS I TURNED ON THIS HDG AND AHEAD OF ME WAS STRATUS CLOUDS AND ALSO AHEAD WAS MUCH HIGHER TERRAIN, SINCE THERE ARE TALL HILLS TO THE S OF MRY. IF I CLBED TO CLR THE HILLS, I WOULD BE APCHING WITHIN 500' OF THE BASE OF THE CLOUDS AND NOT MAINTAINING VFR CONDITIONS. IF I STAYED AT AN ALT TO REMAIN WITHIN VFR CONDITIONS, THEN IMPACT WITH THE HILLY TERRAIN WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. I IMMEDIATELY TRIED TO CONTACT MRY ATC ON FREQ 133.5 AS DIRECTED BY CLRNC CTL BEFORE TKOF; HOWEVER, I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTACT THEM. I RECEIVED 2 OR 3 MESSAGES STATING THAT XMISSION WAS GARBLED. I SWITCHED TO ANOTHER RADIO AND STILL WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTACT MRY ATC. FINALLY, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED MY XMISSIONS AND TOLD ME TO SWITCH TO FREQ 133.0, AT WHICH TIME I WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN A HDG OF 110 DEGS. I AGAIN XMITTED THAT I NEEDED A HDG CHANGE TO AVOID TERRAIN, AND ALSO TO MAINTAIN VFR CONDITIONS. I THEN HEARD TO MAINTAIN RADIO SILENCE. FINALLY, AFTER ENSURING THAT THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AREA, AND W/O ANY CHOICE, SINCE THE TERRAIN WAS APCHING AND ALSO THE CLOUDS WERE FORMING A CEILING ABOVE, I CHANGED COURSE TO APPROX 090 DEGS TO MAINTAIN A STEADY ALT, BUT TO AVOID THE HIGH TERRAIN AHEAD. WHEN ATC DID FINALLY CONTACT ME, I WAS ASKED WHAT MY HOME STATION WAS AND TOLD THEM TURLOCK MUNI. I WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN A HDG OF 110 DEGS. BY THIS POINT, TERRAIN AND CLOUDS WERE NO LONGER A PROB AND THIS HDG WAS MAINTAINED W/O PROB. THE REST OF THE TRIP TO TURLOCK MUNICIPAL ARPT WAS MADE W/O INCIDENT.

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.