Narrative:

On a flight from torrance airport, ca, (toa) to kingman airport, az, (igm) in an small aircraft, flying VFR at 9500 ft MSL, I started to encounter increasing clouds with rain and scattered thunderstorms around the palm springs/twentynine palms area. The bases of the clouds started around 5000 ft and extended upwards to 10-12000 ft and above. The clouds were scattered, but seemed to become broken to overcast further west along my flight route. Therefore, I called los angeles center on 128.15 to file IFR to kingman. Los angeles center told me to remain VFR while they worked on my IFR clearance. In my efforts to remain clear of clouds by altering my course several times, I accidently entered R-2051 according to los angeles center who told me I had entered the restr area. I acknowledged this transmission and requested vectors clear of R-2051, since I could not remain VFR and fly clear of the restr area. Los angeles center responded with my IFR clearance to igm and gave me a heading to fly clear of R-2051. The remainder of the flight was IFR but uneventful. In thinking about this event and ways to prevent it, I came to the following conclusions: I could have filed IFR earlier in the flight, however, WX had not been forecast to be this bad when I checked with FSS preflight. I was concentrating on avoiding clouds and thunderstorms while awaiting a clearance. My attention was focused on the WX and on remaining legally VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENCOUNTERS WX, CALLS FOR IFR CLRNC. WHILE DEVIATING TO REMAIN VFR ENTERS RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM TORRANCE ARPT, CA, (TOA) TO KINGMAN ARPT, AZ, (IGM) IN AN SMA, FLYING VFR AT 9500 FT MSL, I STARTED TO ENCOUNTER INCREASING CLOUDS WITH RAIN AND SCATTERED TSTMS AROUND THE PALM SPRINGS/TWENTYNINE PALMS AREA. THE BASES OF THE CLOUDS STARTED AROUND 5000 FT AND EXTENDED UPWARDS TO 10-12000 FT AND ABOVE. THE CLOUDS WERE SCATTERED, BUT SEEMED TO BECOME BROKEN TO OVCST FURTHER W ALONG MY FLT RTE. THEREFORE, I CALLED LOS ANGELES CENTER ON 128.15 TO FILE IFR TO KINGMAN. LOS ANGELES CENTER TOLD ME TO REMAIN VFR WHILE THEY WORKED ON MY IFR CLRNC. IN MY EFFORTS TO REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS BY ALTERING MY COURSE SEVERAL TIMES, I ACCIDENTLY ENTERED R-2051 ACCORDING TO LOS ANGELES CENTER WHO TOLD ME I HAD ENTERED THE RESTR AREA. I ACKNOWLEDGED THIS XMISSION AND REQUESTED VECTORS CLR OF R-2051, SINCE I COULD NOT REMAIN VFR AND FLY CLR OF THE RESTR AREA. LOS ANGELES CENTER RESPONDED WITH MY IFR CLRNC TO IGM AND GAVE ME A HDG TO FLY CLR OF R-2051. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS IFR BUT UNEVENTFUL. IN THINKING ABOUT THIS EVENT AND WAYS TO PREVENT IT, I CAME TO THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: I COULD HAVE FILED IFR EARLIER IN THE FLT, HOWEVER, WX HAD NOT BEEN FORECAST TO BE THIS BAD WHEN I CHKED WITH FSS PREFLT. I WAS CONCENTRATING ON AVOIDING CLOUDS AND TSTMS WHILE AWAITING A CLRNC. MY ATTN WAS FOCUSED ON THE WX AND ON REMAINING LEGALLY VFR.

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.