Small aircraft pilot descends below 1000 ft over city on approach to landing due to WX factors.

Attributes
ACN	332591
Time
Date	199604
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hhr
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 700 agl bound upper : 900
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : lax
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 450 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	332591
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : clearance delivery
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed VFR from hhr to shoot some approachs at chino, el monte. Dinner at vny airport. Requested WX for return flight to vny from hhr FSS. Hhr tower closed, last WX showed 3000 ft scattered 1 hour prior. Lax WX was just being updated but appeared to indicate marine layer moving in. Decided to file tower to tower IFR with hhr clearance delivery. Was told that the wait would be greater than 1/2 hour and was asked whether I would go VFR through lax corridor. Proceeded VFR over lax (corridor 3500 ft sbound). I observed marine layer had moved in over hhr airport. Letdown over torrance (remained clear of torrance airspace), no ATIS available at hhr. Proceeded under clouds along I10 freeway at about 1000-1100 ft. While navigating and remaining clear of clouds directly over the freeway I belatedly noticed that my altitude had dropped to 700-900 ft prior to landing at hhr. No dangerous situation ever existed, but I did not remain 1000 ft above the city and the ceiling at hhr may not have been greater than 1000 ft at the time of landing (approximately XX30 pm). Tower was closed at the time of landing. Corrective action: should have just waited for my IFR clearance to come through (greater than 30 mins), air filed over torrance for an instrument localizer approach or turned back after observing the cloud level. Approaching 1000 ft (was too intent on navigating and keeping clear of class B and torrance class D airspace.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DSNDS BELOW 1000 FT OVER CITY ON APCH TO LNDG DUE TO WX FACTORS.

Narrative: DEPARTED VFR FROM HHR TO SHOOT SOME APCHS AT CHINO, EL MONTE. DINNER AT VNY ARPT. REQUESTED WX FOR RETURN FLT TO VNY FROM HHR FSS. HHR TWR CLOSED, LAST WX SHOWED 3000 FT SCATTERED 1 HR PRIOR. LAX WX WAS JUST BEING UPDATED BUT APPEARED TO INDICATE MARINE LAYER MOVING IN. DECIDED TO FILE TWR TO TWR IFR WITH HHR CLRNC DELIVERY. WAS TOLD THAT THE WAIT WOULD BE GREATER THAN 1/2 HR AND WAS ASKED WHETHER I WOULD GO VFR THROUGH LAX CORRIDOR. PROCEEDED VFR OVER LAX (CORRIDOR 3500 FT SBOUND). I OBSERVED MARINE LAYER HAD MOVED IN OVER HHR ARPT. LETDOWN OVER TORRANCE (REMAINED CLR OF TORRANCE AIRSPACE), NO ATIS AVAILABLE AT HHR. PROCEEDED UNDER CLOUDS ALONG I10 FREEWAY AT ABOUT 1000-1100 FT. WHILE NAVING AND REMAINING CLR OF CLOUDS DIRECTLY OVER THE FREEWAY I BELATEDLY NOTICED THAT MY ALT HAD DROPPED TO 700-900 FT PRIOR TO LNDG AT HHR. NO DANGEROUS SIT EVER EXISTED, BUT I DID NOT REMAIN 1000 FT ABOVE THE CITY AND THE CEILING AT HHR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN GREATER THAN 1000 FT AT THE TIME OF LNDG (APPROX XX30 PM). TWR WAS CLOSED AT THE TIME OF LNDG. CORRECTIVE ACTION: SHOULD HAVE JUST WAITED FOR MY IFR CLRNC TO COME THROUGH (GREATER THAN 30 MINS), AIR FILED OVER TORRANCE FOR AN INST LOC APCH OR TURNED BACK AFTER OBSERVING THE CLOUD LEVEL. APCHING 1000 FT (WAS TOO INTENT ON NAVING AND KEEPING CLR OF CLASS B AND TORRANCE CLASS D AIRSPACE.

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.