Narrative:

The flight started from van nuys with a low pressure front moving over northern ca, down to fresno. The front had no thunderstorm activity but rain showers and stockton with ceilings of 2500 MSL. The decision was made to top the tehachapi mountains with cloud cover at 10500 ft MSL and then descend prior to fresno to 4500 MSL under the storm. If the WX became restrictive then we would stop at fresno. The first part of the flight went to plan. At visalia, ca, we were down to 4500 MSL under the cloud layer. I then kept moving north while I had clearance and flight following to nnw fresno. The ceiling went to 1500 at los banos, ca, and I was dropped from flight following. At crows landing I talked to sck approach and ask for special VFR because ATIS gave me 1300 ft ceilings and rain showers and 1 1/2 mi visibility. This was the time I was to turn back to fresno or get clearance for SVFR. I had 1500-1700 ceiling at present at crows landing. Stockton approach said to contact castle approach till I had 2000 MSL. Castle asked if I could go to 3000 MSL. I said yes looking for SVFR. I was then transferred to sck approach. At this point the WX closed in totally. I was then transferred to another stockton approach sector. I indicated I needed help and SVFR. I was then vectored to the ILS and asked if the plane could handle IFR. I said yes, thinking they were going to get me lower on the ILS. I was given heading to the ILS but was having very severe windshear vertically in the cloud up and down. It was almost impossible to hold direction and navigation. I then missed some command instructions but did get to the ILS 2 different times before getting into difficult bank turns due to turbulence. Finally asking for any way out of cloud, requesting livermore but was also IMC. The last pass at the ILS the plane entered a spiral right turn nose down and got into an unusual attitude. I lost 1200 ft before the plane was leveled out at 800 MSL in the clear under the clouds. I was then given permission to land runway 11L. The air traffic area was VFR at this time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter stated very wrong information when queried reference SVFR. He was referred to appropriate far and aim information. Also had a fixation on fresno as there is an FSS there. Analyst informed him telephones work from other airports to FSS and there were several others along his route he could have used. He had a business appointment he was trying to make. Is now in the middle of IFR training. Tower asked him to call once on the ground. He went up to tower instead. They asked him to explain what happened. They counseled him and he thanked them for their help. Scared himself pretty badly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT CONTINUES FLT INTO DETERIORATING WX, INTO CLOUDS. ENDS UP SPIRAL BREAKS OUT AT 800 FT MSL.

Narrative: THE FLT STARTED FROM VAN NUYS WITH A LOW PRESSURE FRONT MOVING OVER NORTHERN CA, DOWN TO FRESNO. THE FRONT HAD NO TSTM ACTIVITY BUT RAIN SHOWERS AND STOCKTON WITH CEILINGS OF 2500 MSL. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO TOP THE TEHACHAPI MOUNTAINS WITH CLOUD COVER AT 10500 FT MSL AND THEN DSND PRIOR TO FRESNO TO 4500 MSL UNDER THE STORM. IF THE WX BECAME RESTRICTIVE THEN WE WOULD STOP AT FRESNO. THE FIRST PART OF THE FLT WENT TO PLAN. AT VISALIA, CA, WE WERE DOWN TO 4500 MSL UNDER THE CLOUD LAYER. I THEN KEPT MOVING N WHILE I HAD CLRNC AND FLT FOLLOWING TO NNW FRESNO. THE CEILING WENT TO 1500 AT LOS BANOS, CA, AND I WAS DROPPED FROM FLT FOLLOWING. AT CROWS LNDG I TALKED TO SCK APCH AND ASK FOR SPECIAL VFR BECAUSE ATIS GAVE ME 1300 FT CEILINGS AND RAIN SHOWERS AND 1 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. THIS WAS THE TIME I WAS TO TURN BACK TO FRESNO OR GET CLRNC FOR SVFR. I HAD 1500-1700 CEILING AT PRESENT AT CROWS LNDG. STOCKTON APCH SAID TO CONTACT CASTLE APCH TILL I HAD 2000 MSL. CASTLE ASKED IF I COULD GO TO 3000 MSL. I SAID YES LOOKING FOR SVFR. I WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO SCK APCH. AT THIS POINT THE WX CLOSED IN TOTALLY. I WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER STOCKTON APCH SECTOR. I INDICATED I NEEDED HELP AND SVFR. I WAS THEN VECTORED TO THE ILS AND ASKED IF THE PLANE COULD HANDLE IFR. I SAID YES, THINKING THEY WERE GOING TO GET ME LOWER ON THE ILS. I WAS GIVEN HDG TO THE ILS BUT WAS HAVING VERY SEVERE WINDSHEAR VERTICALLY IN THE CLOUD UP AND DOWN. IT WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD DIRECTION AND NAV. I THEN MISSED SOME COMMAND INSTRUCTIONS BUT DID GET TO THE ILS 2 DIFFERENT TIMES BEFORE GETTING INTO DIFFICULT BANK TURNS DUE TO TURB. FINALLY ASKING FOR ANY WAY OUT OF CLOUD, REQUESTING LIVERMORE BUT WAS ALSO IMC. THE LAST PASS AT THE ILS THE PLANE ENTERED A SPIRAL R TURN NOSE DOWN AND GOT INTO AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE. I LOST 1200 FT BEFORE THE PLANE WAS LEVELED OUT AT 800 MSL IN THE CLR UNDER THE CLOUDS. I WAS THEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO LAND RWY 11L. THE ATA WAS VFR AT THIS TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATED VERY WRONG INFO WHEN QUERIED REF SVFR. HE WAS REFERRED TO APPROPRIATE FAR AND AIM INFO. ALSO HAD A FIXATION ON FRESNO AS THERE IS AN FSS THERE. ANALYST INFORMED HIM TELEPHONES WORK FROM OTHER ARPTS TO FSS AND THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHERS ALONG HIS RTE HE COULD HAVE USED. HE HAD A BUSINESS APPOINTMENT HE WAS TRYING TO MAKE. IS NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF IFR TRAINING. TWR ASKED HIM TO CALL ONCE ON THE GND. HE WENT UP TO TWR INSTEAD. THEY ASKED HIM TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED. THEY COUNSELED HIM AND HE THANKED THEM FOR THEIR HELP. SCARED HIMSELF PRETTY BADLY.

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.