Narrative:

I made a very foolish decision to fly from chico to bakersfield. I am a private pilot who has completed the instrument training course and was scheduled to take my instrument check ride the following mon. I called red bluff FSS early tue morning and obtained a standard WX briefing. The WX appeared good enough for a practice IFR flight so stupidly I filed electing to pick up my clearance at gridd intersection. This is on V23 approximately 50 mi north of sacramento. It was raining when I departed but the lights of chico 6 mi away could easily be seen. I had tuned in ZOA and was preparing to call them as I was climbing. I heard ZOA report to another plane headed for chico that there was traffic at my altitude. So I contacted ZOA and told them I was probably the traffic. Center gave me a squawk code and told me the traffic was 12 O'clock and descending. I could hear the traffic say they were IMC and could not see me. I stated to center I was IMC headed for gridd intersection not fully understanding the terminology 'IMC' but referring to it as an IFR flight plan to gridd intersection. The traffic asked center to ask me what the WX at chico airport was like and I stated I took off 6 mi south of chico and it was raining and clouds but chico should be fine. As I was talking to center I saw the traffic pass below and to the left of me about 1000 ft or so going in and out of the clouds. I continued climbing to gridd intersection when ZOA told me to call them when I landed due to a possible violation. When I contacted them after landing I was told they had not listened to the tapes but feel I may have been in the clouds prior to getting a clearance. My clearance was later given to me between gridd and sacramento. Not understanding terminology and claiming I was 'IMC' I have incriminated myself so I have no reason to lie or distort the truth. Although the WX was marginal there was never a point when I could not see the lights on the ground. Moreover, if the traffic passing below me was further north (to my right) he would have only encountered rain. In retrospect, I realize the severe nature of my actions to take a chance of any kind is foolish, immature and unacceptable. I fully understand the burden of endangerment to other pilots, myself or those on the ground. I was planning a VFR (IFR filed) trip in preparation for next week's IFR check ride. I have over 800 hours flying and have never done anything so stupid. I want to be the best pilot I can. I have discussed the entire incident with my instructor and an FAA official. I want to complete my IFR license, I have enrolled in a proficiency training program in fresno. This particular flight plan should have included a void off time to prevent any chance of entering IMC without a clearance. I think about this incident every day, and I am trying to make it into a positive learning experience. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he was eager to practice for his upcoming flight check, so filed IFR. He had not filed in his own name previously but just impulsively did it. Got thoroughly chewed out by his instructor. Even though not stated in narrative, he now does know he cannot do that! Took his check ride 2 days before callback -- passed. A very humbled instrument rated pilot who says he will always request void time in the future so as not to get caught again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT FILES IFR FLT PLAN, GETS INTO CLOUDS PRIOR TO RECEIVING CLRNC.

Narrative: I MADE A VERY FOOLISH DECISION TO FLY FROM CHICO TO BAKERSFIELD. I AM A PRIVATE PLT WHO HAS COMPLETED THE INST TRAINING COURSE AND WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE MY INST CHK RIDE THE FOLLOWING MON. I CALLED RED BLUFF FSS EARLY TUE MORNING AND OBTAINED A STANDARD WX BRIEFING. THE WX APPEARED GOOD ENOUGH FOR A PRACTICE IFR FLT SO STUPIDLY I FILED ELECTING TO PICK UP MY CLRNC AT GRIDD INTXN. THIS IS ON V23 APPROX 50 MI N OF SACRAMENTO. IT WAS RAINING WHEN I DEPARTED BUT THE LIGHTS OF CHICO 6 MI AWAY COULD EASILY BE SEEN. I HAD TUNED IN ZOA AND WAS PREPARING TO CALL THEM AS I WAS CLBING. I HEARD ZOA RPT TO ANOTHER PLANE HEADED FOR CHICO THAT THERE WAS TFC AT MY ALT. SO I CONTACTED ZOA AND TOLD THEM I WAS PROBABLY THE TFC. CTR GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD ME THE TFC WAS 12 O'CLOCK AND DSNDING. I COULD HEAR THE TFC SAY THEY WERE IMC AND COULD NOT SEE ME. I STATED TO CTR I WAS IMC HEADED FOR GRIDD INTXN NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING THE TERMINOLOGY 'IMC' BUT REFERRING TO IT AS AN IFR FLT PLAN TO GRIDD INTXN. THE TFC ASKED CTR TO ASK ME WHAT THE WX AT CHICO ARPT WAS LIKE AND I STATED I TOOK OFF 6 MI S OF CHICO AND IT WAS RAINING AND CLOUDS BUT CHICO SHOULD BE FINE. AS I WAS TALKING TO CTR I SAW THE TFC PASS BELOW AND TO THE L OF ME ABOUT 1000 FT OR SO GOING IN AND OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I CONTINUED CLBING TO GRIDD INTXN WHEN ZOA TOLD ME TO CALL THEM WHEN I LANDED DUE TO A POSSIBLE VIOLATION. WHEN I CONTACTED THEM AFTER LNDG I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NOT LISTENED TO THE TAPES BUT FEEL I MAY HAVE BEEN IN THE CLOUDS PRIOR TO GETTING A CLRNC. MY CLRNC WAS LATER GIVEN TO ME BTWN GRIDD AND SACRAMENTO. NOT UNDERSTANDING TERMINOLOGY AND CLAIMING I WAS 'IMC' I HAVE INCRIMINATED MYSELF SO I HAVE NO REASON TO LIE OR DISTORT THE TRUTH. ALTHOUGH THE WX WAS MARGINAL THERE WAS NEVER A POINT WHEN I COULD NOT SEE THE LIGHTS ON THE GND. MOREOVER, IF THE TFC PASSING BELOW ME WAS FURTHER N (TO MY R) HE WOULD HAVE ONLY ENCOUNTERED RAIN. IN RETROSPECT, I REALIZE THE SEVERE NATURE OF MY ACTIONS TO TAKE A CHANCE OF ANY KIND IS FOOLISH, IMMATURE AND UNACCEPTABLE. I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE BURDEN OF ENDANGERMENT TO OTHER PLTS, MYSELF OR THOSE ON THE GND. I WAS PLANNING A VFR (IFR FILED) TRIP IN PREPARATION FOR NEXT WK'S IFR CHK RIDE. I HAVE OVER 800 HRS FLYING AND HAVE NEVER DONE ANYTHING SO STUPID. I WANT TO BE THE BEST PLT I CAN. I HAVE DISCUSSED THE ENTIRE INCIDENT WITH MY INSTRUCTOR AND AN FAA OFFICIAL. I WANT TO COMPLETE MY IFR LICENSE, I HAVE ENROLLED IN A PROFICIENCY TRAINING PROGRAM IN FRESNO. THIS PARTICULAR FLT PLAN SHOULD HAVE INCLUDED A VOID OFF TIME TO PREVENT ANY CHANCE OF ENTERING IMC WITHOUT A CLRNC. I THINK ABOUT THIS INCIDENT EVERY DAY, AND I AM TRYING TO MAKE IT INTO A POSITIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE WAS EAGER TO PRACTICE FOR HIS UPCOMING FLT CHK, SO FILED IFR. HE HAD NOT FILED IN HIS OWN NAME PREVIOUSLY BUT JUST IMPULSIVELY DID IT. GOT THOROUGHLY CHEWED OUT BY HIS INSTRUCTOR. EVEN THOUGH NOT STATED IN NARRATIVE, HE NOW DOES KNOW HE CANNOT DO THAT! TOOK HIS CHK RIDE 2 DAYS BEFORE CALLBACK -- PASSED. A VERY HUMBLED INST RATED PLT WHO SAYS HE WILL ALWAYS REQUEST VOID TIME IN THE FUTURE SO AS NOT TO GET CAUGHT AGAIN.

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.