VFR pilot encounters IMC, receives flight assist when low fuel conditions develop.

Attributes
ACN	166994
Time
Date	199101
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : crq
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 600 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : san
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	166994
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

At cable airport for fly-in I called for WX in san diego and el cajon. An on shore flow put gillespie field below VFR minimums. Another pilot told me he had called ramona and his wife said the sky was open. When I arrived it was solid overcast. We look for openings in overcast and did not find any. At that time we turned back to go to french valley airport which was VFR. Half way back I became concerned that we would not have enough fuel if we ran into any problems, so we turned toward the coast and contacted palomar tower, told them our problem and they told ATC who took over and brought us down over the water and vector us to palomar airport. Our altitude was 600' MSL when we broke out of the overcast. The airports lights were turned up and they blinked them to make sure we saw the runway. We made a low altitude approach to runway 6 and made a normal landing. When we refueled on sunday 1/91, we took on 22 gals of fuel. Total fuel tank capacity was 27 gals. Palomar tower and san diego approach control were extremely professional, concerned, calm and very quick to respond to my problem. I can't say enough to express my thanks to these very professional controllers. There attitude kept me calm and confident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR PLT ENCOUNTERS IMC, RECEIVES FLT ASSIST WHEN LOW FUEL CONDITIONS DEVELOP.

Narrative: AT CABLE ARPT FOR FLY-IN I CALLED FOR WX IN SAN DIEGO AND EL CAJON. AN ON SHORE FLOW PUT GILLESPIE FIELD BELOW VFR MINIMUMS. ANOTHER PLT TOLD ME HE HAD CALLED RAMONA AND HIS WIFE SAID THE SKY WAS OPEN. WHEN I ARRIVED IT WAS SOLID OVCST. WE LOOK FOR OPENINGS IN OVCST AND DID NOT FIND ANY. AT THAT TIME WE TURNED BACK TO GO TO FRENCH VALLEY ARPT WHICH WAS VFR. HALF WAY BACK I BECAME CONCERNED THAT WE WOULD NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL IF WE RAN INTO ANY PROBS, SO WE TURNED TOWARD THE COAST AND CONTACTED PALOMAR TWR, TOLD THEM OUR PROB AND THEY TOLD ATC WHO TOOK OVER AND BROUGHT US DOWN OVER THE WATER AND VECTOR US TO PALOMAR ARPT. OUR ALT WAS 600' MSL WHEN WE BROKE OUT OF THE OVCST. THE ARPTS LIGHTS WERE TURNED UP AND THEY BLINKED THEM TO MAKE SURE WE SAW THE RWY. WE MADE A LOW ALT APCH TO RWY 6 AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. WHEN WE REFUELED ON SUNDAY 1/91, WE TOOK ON 22 GALS OF FUEL. TOTAL FUEL TANK CAPACITY WAS 27 GALS. PALOMAR TWR AND SAN DIEGO APCH CTL WERE EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL, CONCERNED, CALM AND VERY QUICK TO RESPOND TO MY PROB. I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO THESE VERY PROFESSIONAL CTLRS. THERE ATTITUDE KEPT ME CALM AND CONFIDENT.

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.