Narrative:

At or about XA30 pm on feb/mon/95, I left fat in VFR conditions en route to bakersfield, ca, with a full clearance. I had received the WX conditions from the NWS WX brief. I was told VFR conditions through bakersfield and the ceilings were expected to rise in the san diego area (see) after XB00PM. When we arrived in bakersfield we observed the WX and VFR conditions. We chose to proceed to san diego, see. All was well until we went through the cajon pass into riverside. Clouds engrossed our aircraft, piper arrow. We dared not turn around because we were in a pass with no visibility, mountains on each side 10700 ft and 12500 ft. We were at 6500 ft. When it was pretty certain the conditions would not change for the better, I chose to call san approach about 53 NM northwest of see according to the inboard (in dash) GPS. I informed san approach that I was in trouble because of the wind, rain, turbulence, lack of visibility and had run into a cloud. San approach asked me to squawk 7700. Then they gave me another squawk number. They asked me if I could fly IFR, I responded I am IFR approved. San approach then gave me an altitude and vectored me to the see localizer. I continually lost altitude due to turbulence, downdrafts and torrents of rain. My communication with san approach was choppy at best. The radios (transceiver) continually cut out. San approach told me that the previous pilot was not successful in using the localizer to land at see. They asked if I would like to try, my response, yes. I asked san approach if there were any other airports nearby where I could land. They told me after a while that brown, montgomery, oceanside, palomar, etc, had ceilings lower than see. I tried to land 2 times at see but the ceilings were too low. Communications became so bad that san approach patched me with a jet aircraft. I was sent to ipl, ca. I told lax approach when switched over that I was on a VFR flight and needed to avoid clouds. They thought I had an IFR flight plan. I explained this was never the case. Lax approach then terminated radar. I avoided all clouds and landed in ipl, ca, without incident. I asked for help because I felt an emergency situation had occurred. Although I have passed the IFR ground school and FAA written examination and completed about 80 percent of the practical instruction with my instructor, I have not yet gained the rating. My son, 14 1/2 yrs old, and myself were in an aircraft that was in an emergency situation. I needed immediate help and needed to land!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INST RATED PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL REQUESTED AND RECEIVED ATC FLT ASSIST WHEN BEING CAUGHT IN UNFORECASTED WX.

Narrative: AT OR ABOUT XA30 PM ON FEB/MON/95, I LEFT FAT IN VFR CONDITIONS ENRTE TO BAKERSFIELD, CA, WITH A FULL CLRNC. I HAD RECEIVED THE WX CONDITIONS FROM THE NWS WX BRIEF. I WAS TOLD VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH BAKERSFIELD AND THE CEILINGS WERE EXPECTED TO RISE IN THE SAN DIEGO AREA (SEE) AFTER XB00PM. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN BAKERSFIELD WE OBSERVED THE WX AND VFR CONDITIONS. WE CHOSE TO PROCEED TO SAN DIEGO, SEE. ALL WAS WELL UNTIL WE WENT THROUGH THE CAJON PASS INTO RIVERSIDE. CLOUDS ENGROSSED OUR ACFT, PIPER ARROW. WE DARED NOT TURN AROUND BECAUSE WE WERE IN A PASS WITH NO VISIBILITY, MOUNTAINS ON EACH SIDE 10700 FT AND 12500 FT. WE WERE AT 6500 FT. WHEN IT WAS PRETTY CERTAIN THE CONDITIONS WOULD NOT CHANGE FOR THE BETTER, I CHOSE TO CALL SAN APCH ABOUT 53 NM NW OF SEE ACCORDING TO THE INBOARD (IN DASH) GPS. I INFORMED SAN APCH THAT I WAS IN TROUBLE BECAUSE OF THE WIND, RAIN, TURB, LACK OF VISIBILITY AND HAD RUN INTO A CLOUD. SAN APCH ASKED ME TO SQUAWK 7700. THEN THEY GAVE ME ANOTHER SQUAWK NUMBER. THEY ASKED ME IF I COULD FLY IFR, I RESPONDED I AM IFR APPROVED. SAN APCH THEN GAVE ME AN ALT AND VECTORED ME TO THE SEE LOC. I CONTINUALLY LOST ALT DUE TO TURB, DOWNDRAFTS AND TORRENTS OF RAIN. MY COM WITH SAN APCH WAS CHOPPY AT BEST. THE RADIOS (TRANSCEIVER) CONTINUALLY CUT OUT. SAN APCH TOLD ME THAT THE PREVIOUS PLT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN USING THE LOC TO LAND AT SEE. THEY ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE TO TRY, MY RESPONSE, YES. I ASKED SAN APCH IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER ARPTS NEARBY WHERE I COULD LAND. THEY TOLD ME AFTER A WHILE THAT BROWN, MONTGOMERY, OCEANSIDE, PALOMAR, ETC, HAD CEILINGS LOWER THAN SEE. I TRIED TO LAND 2 TIMES AT SEE BUT THE CEILINGS WERE TOO LOW. COMS BECAME SO BAD THAT SAN APCH PATCHED ME WITH A JET ACFT. I WAS SENT TO IPL, CA. I TOLD LAX APCH WHEN SWITCHED OVER THAT I WAS ON A VFR FLT AND NEEDED TO AVOID CLOUDS. THEY THOUGHT I HAD AN IFR FLT PLAN. I EXPLAINED THIS WAS NEVER THE CASE. LAX APCH THEN TERMINATED RADAR. I AVOIDED ALL CLOUDS AND LANDED IN IPL, CA, WITHOUT INCIDENT. I ASKED FOR HELP BECAUSE I FELT AN EMER SIT HAD OCCURRED. ALTHOUGH I HAVE PASSED THE IFR GND SCHOOL AND FAA WRITTEN EXAMINATION AND COMPLETED ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF THE PRACTICAL INSTRUCTION WITH MY INSTRUCTOR, I HAVE NOT YET GAINED THE RATING. MY SON, 14 1/2 YRS OLD, AND MYSELF WERE IN AN ACFT THAT WAS IN AN EMER SIT. I NEEDED IMMEDIATE HELP AND NEEDED TO LAND!

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.