Narrative:

Routine flight home from work friday night. WX report seemed severe clear except possible 3000-4000' scattered to broken at destination (report uki) lampson airport. Decided to fly VFR and ask for NDB at lampson if necessary. No flight plan VFR flight following to 15 NM from lampson as usual. 8500' as usual. Planned route, climb 360 degrees from sjc until clear for climb through TCA to 8500' direct lampson--usual route. ATIS indicated good VFR conditions. Normal departure. ATC: 'fly runway heading till advised.' virtually simultaneous with ATC instructions for 'right to 325 degrees,' encountered scattered layer, bases approximately 1300'. I did not turn as that would have flown me into a cloud. Before I could tell ATC of situation, ATC again gave me a 'right to 325 degrees' instruction, at which time I informed them of situation, now past. Turned to 325 degrees, hand off to bay 121.3. Almost immediately thereafter saw a solid layer, banked hard right to miss it but could not. Stopped my turn and started climbing. ATC may have said something to me at this point--I do not recall. I momentarily considered whether to just be quiet and climb out (1 second or so), then told ATC, 'I seem to have flown into a cloud.' ATC responded, 'roger, what are your intentions.' I responded that I would fly back to the sjc VOR and proceeded to do so. While flying toward the VOR I broke out at approximately 4000' to see an aircraft (I think a twin) same altitude to my left (10 O'clock moving to 9), less than 1000' away. I did not report this since we were diverging. Continued climbing right turn and normal flight home. No more difficulties. No NDB 1o2 required. Gave PIREPS to bay 135.4 and oak 122.0, which were then added to sjc ATIS. I monitored it to make sure. Contributing factors: longer than normal delay between briefing and flight due to call home from airport for status on family problem and eating some candy at airport. Hadn't eaten all day; didn't want to fly on empty stomach. I believe sjc reluctant to report marginal VFR conditions due to traffic congestion on ILS. On 2 other occasions on arrival to sjc, visibility worse than ATIS. Once visibility approximately 1 mi on left downwind 29 while being reported as 3 mi. I think the controllers are under too much pressure to keep airliners on time. Also, twice I have had ILS approach clearance cancelled after established. This was after informing ATC of my maximum approach speed (105 KTS vle), and including an IFR flight plan. These guys are under too much pressure. While looking toward mission peak during preflight, I noticed something was wrong, but could not put my finger on it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON INITIAL CLIMB VECTORED INTO CLOUDS, DOES NOT COMPLY. WHEN ABLE BEGINS TURN AND CLIMBS INTO IMC. BREAKING OUT SEES TWIN ON DIVERGING PATH.

Narrative: ROUTINE FLT HOME FROM WORK FRIDAY NIGHT. WX RPT SEEMED SEVERE CLR EXCEPT POSSIBLE 3000-4000' SCATTERED TO BROKEN AT DEST (RPT UKI) LAMPSON ARPT. DECIDED TO FLY VFR AND ASK FOR NDB AT LAMPSON IF NECESSARY. NO FLT PLAN VFR FLT FOLLOWING TO 15 NM FROM LAMPSON AS USUAL. 8500' AS USUAL. PLANNED RTE, CLB 360 DEGS FROM SJC UNTIL CLR FOR CLB THROUGH TCA TO 8500' DIRECT LAMPSON--USUAL RTE. ATIS INDICATED GOOD VFR CONDITIONS. NORMAL DEP. ATC: 'FLY RWY HDG TILL ADVISED.' VIRTUALLY SIMULTANEOUS WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS FOR 'RIGHT TO 325 DEGS,' ENCOUNTERED SCATTERED LAYER, BASES APPROX 1300'. I DID NOT TURN AS THAT WOULD HAVE FLOWN ME INTO A CLOUD. BEFORE I COULD TELL ATC OF SITUATION, ATC AGAIN GAVE ME A 'RIGHT TO 325 DEGS' INSTRUCTION, AT WHICH TIME I INFORMED THEM OF SITUATION, NOW PAST. TURNED TO 325 DEGS, HAND OFF TO BAY 121.3. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER SAW A SOLID LAYER, BANKED HARD RIGHT TO MISS IT BUT COULD NOT. STOPPED MY TURN AND STARTED CLBING. ATC MAY HAVE SAID SOMETHING TO ME AT THIS POINT--I DO NOT RECALL. I MOMENTARILY CONSIDERED WHETHER TO JUST BE QUIET AND CLB OUT (1 SEC OR SO), THEN TOLD ATC, 'I SEEM TO HAVE FLOWN INTO A CLOUD.' ATC RESPONDED, 'ROGER, WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS.' I RESPONDED THAT I WOULD FLY BACK TO THE SJC VOR AND PROCEEDED TO DO SO. WHILE FLYING TOWARD THE VOR I BROKE OUT AT APPROX 4000' TO SEE AN ACFT (I THINK A TWIN) SAME ALT TO MY LEFT (10 O'CLOCK MOVING TO 9), LESS THAN 1000' AWAY. I DID NOT RPT THIS SINCE WE WERE DIVERGING. CONTINUED CLBING RIGHT TURN AND NORMAL FLT HOME. NO MORE DIFFICULTIES. NO NDB 1O2 REQUIRED. GAVE PIREPS TO BAY 135.4 AND OAK 122.0, WHICH WERE THEN ADDED TO SJC ATIS. I MONITORED IT TO MAKE SURE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: LONGER THAN NORMAL DELAY BTWN BRIEFING AND FLT DUE TO CALL HOME FROM ARPT FOR STATUS ON FAMILY PROB AND EATING SOME CANDY AT ARPT. HADN'T EATEN ALL DAY; DIDN'T WANT TO FLY ON EMPTY STOMACH. I BELIEVE SJC RELUCTANT TO RPT MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS DUE TO TFC CONGESTION ON ILS. ON 2 OTHER OCCASIONS ON ARR TO SJC, VISIBILITY WORSE THAN ATIS. ONCE VISIBILITY APPROX 1 MI ON LEFT DOWNWIND 29 WHILE BEING RPTED AS 3 MI. I THINK THE CTLRS ARE UNDER TOO MUCH PRESSURE TO KEEP AIRLINERS ON TIME. ALSO, TWICE I HAVE HAD ILS APCH CLRNC CANCELLED AFTER ESTABLISHED. THIS WAS AFTER INFORMING ATC OF MY MAX APCH SPD (105 KTS VLE), AND INCLUDING AN IFR FLT PLAN. THESE GUYS ARE UNDER TOO MUCH PRESSURE. WHILE LOOKING TOWARD MISSION PEAK DURING PREFLT, I NOTICED SOMETHING WAS WRONG, BUT COULD NOT PUT MY FINGER ON IT.

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.