Narrative:

I was flying an small aircraft (not owned by me) for an individual. I was alone in the aircraft at the time of the occurrence, on a VFR flight from fullerton, ca, to santa ynez, ca. At the time I was not in contact with any local approach controller, having just been released from positive control for my wbound transition through the los angeles TCA. A short time before I was going to call point mugu approach control for advisories, I noticed a problem with my transponder (the 'reply' light was no longer blinking). I conducted a troubleshooting check of the transponder's power circuit, while heading in the general direction of the ventura VOR. While I was 'head down' in the cockpit, I allowed my heading to drift towards some puffy cumulus buildups that I should otherwise have avoided by a mi or so that were on the right of my course. I looked up, and could see nothing but solid cloud outside the aircraft. I attempted a couple of turns to clear the clouds, along with climbing and descending a couple of hundred ft. Suddenly, I broke out of the cloud that I was in on a wbound heading at approximately 4500 ft, only to find myself head-on with a commuter aircraft. Although the commuter appeared that it would pass slightly above me, I initiated an immediate descending left turn to pass well clear of him. Shaken and frustrated by my mistake of allowing myself into such a situation, I continued in VFR conditions north to fillmore, then along the coastal mountain range to santa ynez. I feel that I am to blame for the cause of this incident, for allowing a comparatively small problem (a check of the transponder appeared to show no problems) to distract me enough to inadvertently enter clouds and possibly endanger IFR aircraft. In retrospect, I should have immediately contacted point mugu approach for flight following after talking to lax approach, for proper flight following/TA's, and not allowed such a minor problem to distract me from maintaining VFR clearance from clouds. An immediate handoff from lax to mugu approach would be helpful, but I suppose that they are unable to do this because of their wkend traffic load.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMT ENTERS CLOUD ACCIDENTALLY, EXITS HEAD ON WITH LTT. EVASIVE ACTION.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING AN SMA (NOT OWNED BY ME) FOR AN INDIVIDUAL. I WAS ALONE IN THE ACFT AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE, ON A VFR FLT FROM FULLERTON, CA, TO SANTA YNEZ, CA. AT THE TIME I WAS NOT IN CONTACT WITH ANY LCL APCH CTLR, HAVING JUST BEEN RELEASED FROM POSITIVE CTL FOR MY WBOUND TRANSITION THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES TCA. A SHORT TIME BEFORE I WAS GOING TO CALL POINT MUGU APCH CTL FOR ADVISORIES, I NOTICED A PROB WITH MY XPONDER (THE 'REPLY' LIGHT WAS NO LONGER BLINKING). I CONDUCTED A TROUBLESHOOTING CHK OF THE XPONDER'S PWR CIRCUIT, WHILE HDG IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF THE VENTURA VOR. WHILE I WAS 'HEAD DOWN' IN THE COCKPIT, I ALLOWED MY HDG TO DRIFT TOWARDS SOME PUFFY CUMULUS BUILDUPS THAT I SHOULD OTHERWISE HAVE AVOIDED BY A MI OR SO THAT WERE ON THE R OF MY COURSE. I LOOKED UP, AND COULD SEE NOTHING BUT SOLID CLOUD OUTSIDE THE ACFT. I ATTEMPTED A COUPLE OF TURNS TO CLR THE CLOUDS, ALONG WITH CLBING AND DSNDING A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT. SUDDENLY, I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUD THAT I WAS IN ON A WBOUND HDG AT APPROX 4500 FT, ONLY TO FIND MYSELF HEAD-ON WITH A COMMUTER ACFT. ALTHOUGH THE COMMUTER APPEARED THAT IT WOULD PASS SLIGHTLY ABOVE ME, I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE DSNDING L TURN TO PASS WELL CLR OF HIM. SHAKEN AND FRUSTRATED BY MY MISTAKE OF ALLOWING MYSELF INTO SUCH A SIT, I CONTINUED IN VFR CONDITIONS N TO FILLMORE, THEN ALONG THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN RANGE TO SANTA YNEZ. I FEEL THAT I AM TO BLAME FOR THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, FOR ALLOWING A COMPARATIVELY SMALL PROB (A CHK OF THE XPONDER APPEARED TO SHOW NO PROBS) TO DISTRACT ME ENOUGH TO INADVERTENTLY ENTER CLOUDS AND POSSIBLY ENDANGER IFR ACFT. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED POINT MUGU APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING AFTER TALKING TO LAX APCH, FOR PROPER FLT FOLLOWING/TA'S, AND NOT ALLOWED SUCH A MINOR PROB TO DISTRACT ME FROM MAINTAINING VFR CLRNC FROM CLOUDS. AN IMMEDIATE HDOF FROM LAX TO MUGU APCH WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT I SUPPOSE THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO THIS BECAUSE OF THEIR WKEND TFC LOAD.

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.