Narrative:

Planned trip for 2 weeks prior to wkend. Fri arranged for aircraft, headsets, IFR hood with flight training center. Another pilot and I were going. Aircraft log not left at 24 hour desk per my request. I called person who I indicated to leave log at desk at X45 am. Awakening them, I was informed owner would be in to dispatch me. I filed flight plan that advised WX to be at 0400. At one time became frustrated with owner, mr. X, when log was unavailable to me. Went home to sleep at D00. Got to be D30. Arose D+3:30. Showered, reviewed flight plan. Went to FBO to await owner. Called FSS to update departure time. Owner arrived at D+5:05 am. Informed him I was upset, this not being the first time he did this to me. It was always happening according to desk clerk/attendant I approached earlier. At D+6:30 am I decided to skip the trip, but not entirely. I went to WX brief FSS rep tech room and waited. Called FSS. Talked with tech about wanting to leave. My words were that I was, 'developing a serious case of get thereitis.' further look at WX indicated lgb area 3500, some breaks. Down coast 2500. San diego reporting broken layers. Walk outside confirmed lgb WX. Pdz ceiling of 1500 with ground fog. Banning pass completely IFR. Planned flight was to las to see some old friends, put some resume out and build x-country time toward IFR rating. At this point I was not questioning my abilities. Call it pride or whatever, I was beyond my limit. I realize now because of fatigue I was not using good judgement. I went back to collect up aircraft log and keys and headset. I decided to wait for a break. Breaks became larger a little before noon. A call to FSS rescheduled takeoff time. Then I called TRACON. I asked mr. Y for SVFR. He assembled a plan to get me out of the la basin and entered it into the computer. Immediately made for the aircraft to get out through a hole I saw. Earlier I had taken off to get a feel for the WX, 25L depart. Light train la river altitude 1100', climb to 2000' over bay and returned. Saw no holes. Same takeoff procedure except headed along break water to south toward seal beach, emma/eve platforms. Lgb gave frequency change ok. TRACON acknowledged verified intentions asked altitude. Heard small aircraft northbound for lgb call. Busy in cockpit. TRACON asks my situation. Next look up I was in clouds. Vertical speed indicator degrees down. TRACON asked if I saw traffic. I did not. Course 090 degrees. Assumed on request of TRACON. I decided to continue to climb. A little shook, but in control. Maintaining altitude of 5000' in clear on top. Instrument from fly center asked TRACON for right to talk to me direct. Also informed TRACON I was not familiar with VOR. Instrument advised me to return to base and wait. Return through first open hole. Open hole directly over los alamitos. I estimated it to be 2000' by 900' slit. I began my descent. TRACON asked if I intended to descend I had already. The experience must have shook me because I missed my call for altitude change required. TRACON asked how long I was out of cloud I stated 30 seconds that was from punching out on top to descent under the clouds through hole. About that time I heard lgb OM. TRACON informed me to stay on beam and report lbg. Approach I did not I went that same route I normally take VFR into lgb. Call at queens gate for entry. Landed uneventfully. Went to WX room to wait for another chance. I did not realize what had happened, even went home for lunch and to talk to my girlfriend. I was shook when talked to girlfriend. Returned to WX room to wait. 2-3 hours after incident, owner informed me TRACON had requested certificate # and for me to call. I called and talked to mr. Y. I reconstructed the flight. I recognized that I got into a cloud and broke altitude onto ILS approach. Further study of far's and aim indicated. I also erred in that SVFR is only for IFR rated pilots. At the point of talking to mr. Y when I finished I decided to postpone trip. The other pilot never showed up. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he was trying to leave early evening in order to beat the WX. Very frustrated being unableto do so. Very fatigued as well. Did not realize how much so until finally airborne. Quite shaken at finding himself in clouds and no breaks to get down. Feels the instrument who called him was making a valid suggestion from what the instrument could see WX wise. TRACON stated their concern was cloud penetration and altitude deviation. Appears that FAA gave up trying to follow up since he was still on a temporary certificate and they were unable to find him in the files. He's lucky!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT DEPARTS SVFR, PENETRATES CLOUD. CLIMBS ON TOP. DESCENDS THROUGH HOLE.

Narrative: PLANNED TRIP FOR 2 WKS PRIOR TO WKEND. FRI ARRANGED FOR ACFT, HEADSETS, IFR HOOD WITH FLT TRAINING CENTER. ANOTHER PLT AND I WERE GOING. ACFT LOG NOT LEFT AT 24 HR DESK PER MY REQUEST. I CALLED PERSON WHO I INDICATED TO LEAVE LOG AT DESK AT X45 AM. AWAKENING THEM, I WAS INFORMED OWNER WOULD BE IN TO DISPATCH ME. I FILED FLT PLAN THAT ADVISED WX TO BE AT 0400. AT ONE TIME BECAME FRUSTRATED WITH OWNER, MR. X, WHEN LOG WAS UNAVAILABLE TO ME. WENT HOME TO SLEEP AT D00. GOT TO BE D30. AROSE D+3:30. SHOWERED, REVIEWED FLT PLAN. WENT TO FBO TO AWAIT OWNER. CALLED FSS TO UPDATE DEP TIME. OWNER ARRIVED AT D+5:05 AM. INFORMED HIM I WAS UPSET, THIS NOT BEING THE FIRST TIME HE DID THIS TO ME. IT WAS ALWAYS HAPPENING ACCORDING TO DESK CLERK/ATTENDANT I APCHED EARLIER. AT D+6:30 AM I DECIDED TO SKIP THE TRIP, BUT NOT ENTIRELY. I WENT TO WX BRIEF FSS REP TECH ROOM AND WAITED. CALLED FSS. TALKED WITH TECH ABOUT WANTING TO LEAVE. MY WORDS WERE THAT I WAS, 'DEVELOPING A SERIOUS CASE OF GET THEREITIS.' FURTHER LOOK AT WX INDICATED LGB AREA 3500, SOME BREAKS. DOWN COAST 2500. SAN DIEGO RPTING BROKEN LAYERS. WALK OUTSIDE CONFIRMED LGB WX. PDZ CEILING OF 1500 WITH GND FOG. BANNING PASS COMPLETELY IFR. PLANNED FLT WAS TO LAS TO SEE SOME OLD FRIENDS, PUT SOME RESUME OUT AND BUILD X-COUNTRY TIME TOWARD IFR RATING. AT THIS POINT I WAS NOT QUESTIONING MY ABILITIES. CALL IT PRIDE OR WHATEVER, I WAS BEYOND MY LIMIT. I REALIZE NOW BECAUSE OF FATIGUE I WAS NOT USING GOOD JUDGEMENT. I WENT BACK TO COLLECT UP ACFT LOG AND KEYS AND HEADSET. I DECIDED TO WAIT FOR A BREAK. BREAKS BECAME LARGER A LITTLE BEFORE NOON. A CALL TO FSS RESCHEDULED TKOF TIME. THEN I CALLED TRACON. I ASKED MR. Y FOR SVFR. HE ASSEMBLED A PLAN TO GET ME OUT OF THE LA BASIN AND ENTERED IT INTO THE COMPUTER. IMMEDIATELY MADE FOR THE ACFT TO GET OUT THROUGH A HOLE I SAW. EARLIER I HAD TAKEN OFF TO GET A FEEL FOR THE WX, 25L DEPART. LIGHT TRAIN LA RIVER ALT 1100', CLB TO 2000' OVER BAY AND RETURNED. SAW NO HOLES. SAME TKOF PROC EXCEPT HEADED ALONG BREAK WATER TO S TOWARD SEAL BEACH, EMMA/EVE PLATFORMS. LGB GAVE FREQ CHANGE OK. TRACON ACKNOWLEDGED VERIFIED INTENTIONS ASKED ALT. HEARD SMA NBND FOR LGB CALL. BUSY IN COCKPIT. TRACON ASKS MY SITUATION. NEXT LOOK UP I WAS IN CLOUDS. VERT SPD INDICATOR DEGS DOWN. TRACON ASKED IF I SAW TFC. I DID NOT. COURSE 090 DEGS. ASSUMED ON REQUEST OF TRACON. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO CLB. A LITTLE SHOOK, BUT IN CTL. MAINTAINING ALT OF 5000' IN CLR ON TOP. INSTR FROM FLY CENTER ASKED TRACON FOR RIGHT TO TALK TO ME DIRECT. ALSO INFORMED TRACON I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH VOR. INSTR ADVISED ME TO RETURN TO BASE AND WAIT. RETURN THROUGH FIRST OPEN HOLE. OPEN HOLE DIRECTLY OVER LOS ALAMITOS. I ESTIMATED IT TO BE 2000' BY 900' SLIT. I BEGAN MY DSNT. TRACON ASKED IF I INTENDED TO DSND I HAD ALREADY. THE EXPERIENCE MUST HAVE SHOOK ME BECAUSE I MISSED MY CALL FOR ALT CHANGE REQUIRED. TRACON ASKED HOW LONG I WAS OUT OF CLOUD I STATED 30 SECS THAT WAS FROM PUNCHING OUT ON TOP TO DSNT UNDER THE CLOUDS THROUGH HOLE. ABOUT THAT TIME I HEARD LGB OM. TRACON INFORMED ME TO STAY ON BEAM AND RPT LBG. APCH I DID NOT I WENT THAT SAME RTE I NORMALLY TAKE VFR INTO LGB. CALL AT QUEENS GATE FOR ENTRY. LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WENT TO WX ROOM TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER CHANCE. I DID NOT REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED, EVEN WENT HOME FOR LUNCH AND TO TALK TO MY GIRLFRIEND. I WAS SHOOK WHEN TALKED TO GIRLFRIEND. RETURNED TO WX ROOM TO WAIT. 2-3 HRS AFTER INCIDENT, OWNER INFORMED ME TRACON HAD REQUESTED CERTIFICATE # AND FOR ME TO CALL. I CALLED AND TALKED TO MR. Y. I RECONSTRUCTED THE FLT. I RECOGNIZED THAT I GOT INTO A CLOUD AND BROKE ALT ONTO ILS APCH. FURTHER STUDY OF FAR'S AND AIM INDICATED. I ALSO ERRED IN THAT SVFR IS ONLY FOR IFR RATED PLTS. AT THE POINT OF TALKING TO MR. Y WHEN I FINISHED I DECIDED TO POSTPONE TRIP. THE OTHER PLT NEVER SHOWED UP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HE WAS TRYING TO LEAVE EARLY EVENING IN ORDER TO BEAT THE WX. VERY FRUSTRATED BEING UNABLETO DO SO. VERY FATIGUED AS WELL. DID NOT REALIZE HOW MUCH SO UNTIL FINALLY AIRBORNE. QUITE SHAKEN AT FINDING HIMSELF IN CLOUDS AND NO BREAKS TO GET DOWN. FEELS THE INSTR WHO CALLED HIM WAS MAKING A VALID SUGGESTION FROM WHAT THE INSTR COULD SEE WX WISE. TRACON STATED THEIR CONCERN WAS CLOUD PENETRATION AND ALT DEVIATION. APPEARS THAT FAA GAVE UP TRYING TO FOLLOW UP SINCE HE WAS STILL ON A TEMPORARY CERTIFICATE AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO FIND HIM IN THE FILES. HE'S LUCKY!

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.