Narrative:

I took off work and planned to fly sql direct to O45, where I was scheduled to take my practical test. I got to the airport at XA45 am, preflted my aircraft and listed to sql ATIS. Then I called oakland FSS and obtained a standard WX briefing. The WX in the valley was ok (travis AFB reporting 3500 ft broken and good visibility) but low ceilings in the bay area prevented me from flying over the east bay hills. The WX briefer said conditions may improve after XC00 am. I listened to sql ATIS at XB00 am and at XC00 am but ceilings remained at 1500 ft. At XC00 am I decided to do some touch-and-goes to pass the time. Then I saw an aircraft takeoff from runway 30 and fly the downwind leg to palo alto before it climbed into the clouds, so I changed my plan to fly to the east bay and check out the sunol pass to the livermore valley. I planned to return to sql if this route was blocked by clouds. I did not file a flight plan, because I fully expected to return to sql. I departed sql at XC10 am with a 1500 ft ceiling and 7 mi visibility. Ccr was reporting 1800 ft ceiling and 8 mi visibility. I flew at 1000 ft to fremont and followed highway 680 to sunol golf course where the cloud cover fell and would not allow me to proceed. I executed a 360 degree turn over the sunol gold course to look for an alternate route. Seeing none, I executed another 180 degree turn and found myself in clouds and unable to see the hills on either side. At this point, fearing I might impact hills on either side, I decided to climb and contact bay approach to request vectoring out of the cloud cover. Bay approach put me on a heading of 040 degrees with clearance to continue climbing until reaching VFR conditions on top. When clear of clouds, I requested vectoring to the nearest airport available to me. I was cleared to 8500 ft on a heading of 045 degrees to lodi (103) and proceeded uneventfully. My compliments to the bay approach controllers that assisted in this emergency. They gave me the confidence to fly the airplane in IFR conditions. As I look back I should not have attempted this flight, especially flying into a valley. There were 2 contributing factors in preflight planning that I overlooked. My instructor entered in my logbook that cross country flts require a 3000 ft minimum ceiling. Also, that I call him and discuss flying conditions prior to flight. I called but he was not in at that moment so I departed without his advice or consent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPI ENTERS CLOUDS, REQUIRES FLT ASSIST.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF WORK AND PLANNED TO FLY SQL DIRECT TO O45, WHERE I WAS SCHEDULED TO TAKE MY PRACTICAL TEST. I GOT TO THE ARPT AT XA45 AM, PREFLTED MY ACFT AND LISTED TO SQL ATIS. THEN I CALLED OAKLAND FSS AND OBTAINED A STANDARD WX BRIEFING. THE WX IN THE VALLEY WAS OK (TRAVIS AFB RPTING 3500 FT BROKEN AND GOOD VISIBILITY) BUT LOW CEILINGS IN THE BAY AREA PREVENTED ME FROM FLYING OVER THE EAST BAY HILLS. THE WX BRIEFER SAID CONDITIONS MAY IMPROVE AFTER XC00 AM. I LISTENED TO SQL ATIS AT XB00 AM AND AT XC00 AM BUT CEILINGS REMAINED AT 1500 FT. AT XC00 AM I DECIDED TO DO SOME TOUCH-AND-GOES TO PASS THE TIME. THEN I SAW AN ACFT TKOF FROM RWY 30 AND FLY THE DOWNWIND LEG TO PALO ALTO BEFORE IT CLBED INTO THE CLOUDS, SO I CHANGED MY PLAN TO FLY TO THE EAST BAY AND CHK OUT THE SUNOL PASS TO THE LIVERMORE VALLEY. I PLANNED TO RETURN TO SQL IF THIS RTE WAS BLOCKED BY CLOUDS. I DID NOT FILE A FLT PLAN, BECAUSE I FULLY EXPECTED TO RETURN TO SQL. I DEPARTED SQL AT XC10 AM WITH A 1500 FT CEILING AND 7 MI VISIBILITY. CCR WAS RPTING 1800 FT CEILING AND 8 MI VISIBILITY. I FLEW AT 1000 FT TO FREMONT AND FOLLOWED HWY 680 TO SUNOL GOLF COURSE WHERE THE CLOUD COVER FELL AND WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO PROCEED. I EXECUTED A 360 DEG TURN OVER THE SUNOL GOLD COURSE TO LOOK FOR AN ALTERNATE RTE. SEEING NONE, I EXECUTED ANOTHER 180 DEG TURN AND FOUND MYSELF IN CLOUDS AND UNABLE TO SEE THE HILLS ON EITHER SIDE. AT THIS POINT, FEARING I MIGHT IMPACT HILLS ON EITHER SIDE, I DECIDED TO CLB AND CONTACT BAY APCH TO REQUEST VECTORING OUT OF THE CLOUD COVER. BAY APCH PUT ME ON A HDG OF 040 DEGS WITH CLRNC TO CONTINUE CLBING UNTIL REACHING VFR CONDITIONS ON TOP. WHEN CLR OF CLOUDS, I REQUESTED VECTORING TO THE NEAREST ARPT AVAILABLE TO ME. I WAS CLRED TO 8500 FT ON A HDG OF 045 DEGS TO LODI (103) AND PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY. MY COMPLIMENTS TO THE BAY APCH CTLRS THAT ASSISTED IN THIS EMER. THEY GAVE ME THE CONFIDENCE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE IN IFR CONDITIONS. AS I LOOK BACK I SHOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED THIS FLT, ESPECIALLY FLYING INTO A VALLEY. THERE WERE 2 CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN PREFLT PLANNING THAT I OVERLOOKED. MY INSTRUCTOR ENTERED IN MY LOGBOOK THAT XCOUNTRY FLTS REQUIRE A 3000 FT MINIMUM CEILING. ALSO, THAT I CALL HIM AND DISCUSS FLYING CONDITIONS PRIOR TO FLT. I CALLED BUT HE WAS NOT IN AT THAT MOMENT SO I DEPARTED WITHOUT HIS ADVICE OR CONSENT.

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.