Narrative:

Just finishing having dinner in half moon bay, ca, in a restaurant near the airport (haf). Was with a girl I had been dating for 3 months and it was time to either go ahead with a real relationship or call it off. This relationship had been causing me much anxiety and calling it off wasn't going to be easy either. Earlier in the day I had accidentally cut something in my inner-ear with a q-tip while thinking about this...you get the idea. Called for a WX briefing. Both sfo and oak (destination) at 1400 ft broken and greater than 6 mi visibility. Pretty strong winds with a not-so-bad storm blowing through. Could verify something close at haf by looking out the window. I didn't file an IFR flight plan when asked by the briefer as the WX sounded ok. The forecast was for improvement, although it had been slow in coming as of that time. Walked back to the plane and during preflight noticed mist forming. It was also getting humid. Thought it would be just a few wisps during the first few hundred feet of climb. I didn't think it could get foggy or misty with all of that wind. It seemed to be drizzling too. Departed runway 30 and at about 300 ft started going through wisps of mist. Thought they would end and we would top them shortly. The mist started getting worse as we progressed straight out, so I climbed immediately to 1000 ft -- no luck. Looked back and could see some lights along the bay south of haf between 500 ft and 1000 ft, but nothing ahead. This was the last chance I had to stay anything near VFR. 'How could this be?' I thought. I was now in IMC totally and thinking of those cliffs at devil's slide. I had already turned southwest to get a safe margin. We then intercepted the 180 degrees or 190 degrees to sau VOR. I had lost all hope of breaking out now, but still pressed on. Was going to fly a few mi off shore of ocean beach in san francisco, call bay approach and get a clearance. I thought this was the safest plan since I had already screwed up. I did not like the situation at all. I kept thinking of those cliffs and the FAA (getting in trouble would be almost as bad as the cliffs), and how irresponsible I had been by not just telephoning for a flight plan. I thought of the gal sitting next to me and that I owed her an appropriate level of safety. This was the maximum point of anxiety, when I turned south 5 NM from sau I was thinking of the marin headlands hills. Somewhere in there I made up my mind to relax and finish the flight safely and never get into such a situation again. Actually we were never in any danger of hitting any land and the airplane was in very good condition. Was able to get a hold of bay near daly city. Had to fly back and forth off-shore from ocean beach a couple of times while waiting for a clearance (lots of sfo arrs). They asked me to climb to no greater than 3500 ft in VFR conditions. I told them I was unable but I could climb to 2000 ft (even though I was nowhere near VFR I didn't want to get in anyone's way). They asked if I could proceed over the golden gate bridge or san francisco, I told them unable ('visibility was bad over there') and continued flying in front of ocean beach about 1300 ft by this time. I didn't tell them the truth of course -- I was so worried about getting into trouble. Within about 5 mins or so I had the clearance, crossed near sau VOR at 3000 ft, got a vector of 080 degrees for VOR runway 9R oak and was on my way, fumbling for my charts the whole time as I did not expect such fast service. Actually I was fumbling with charts the whole time though I thought I organized the cockpit well. The rest of the flight went well. The gal enjoyed the flight immensely -- little did she know. I apologized to her profusely for the irresponsibility after the flight. Then reviewed the flight on a chart with her to show her exactly what we did. She told me she never wanted to see me again (not because of the flight). What a night! Pilots: don't do this to yourself, just file the IFR flight plan -- you can cancel if you don't need it. And thank you bay approach. Contributing factors: 1) I could have had apleasurable IFR flight (I love IFR in light to moderate storms in a properly equipped plane), but I was impatient and filled with anxiety and wanted to get the date over with. 2) I had gotten used to flying in marginal WX as a part 135 cargo pilot, though I'm doing computer programming full- time now. Have had much success in 'reading' marginal WX and flying safely in it. 3) the cost of the airplane rental and having to taxi over to the telephone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 DEPARTED IN MVFR CONDITIONS AND ENCOUNTERED IFR CONDITIONS. REMAINED OFF SHORE UNTIL COULD BE GIVEN IFR CLRNC AND VECTORS.

Narrative: JUST FINISHING HAVING DINNER IN HALF MOON BAY, CA, IN A RESTAURANT NEAR THE ARPT (HAF). WAS WITH A GIRL I HAD BEEN DATING FOR 3 MONTHS AND IT WAS TIME TO EITHER GO AHEAD WITH A REAL RELATIONSHIP OR CALL IT OFF. THIS RELATIONSHIP HAD BEEN CAUSING ME MUCH ANXIETY AND CALLING IT OFF WASN'T GOING TO BE EASY EITHER. EARLIER IN THE DAY I HAD ACCIDENTALLY CUT SOMETHING IN MY INNER-EAR WITH A Q-TIP WHILE THINKING ABOUT THIS...YOU GET THE IDEA. CALLED FOR A WX BRIEFING. BOTH SFO AND OAK (DEST) AT 1400 FT BROKEN AND GREATER THAN 6 MI VISIBILITY. PRETTY STRONG WINDS WITH A NOT-SO-BAD STORM BLOWING THROUGH. COULD VERIFY SOMETHING CLOSE AT HAF BY LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW. I DIDN'T FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN WHEN ASKED BY THE BRIEFER AS THE WX SOUNDED OK. THE FORECAST WAS FOR IMPROVEMENT, ALTHOUGH IT HAD BEEN SLOW IN COMING AS OF THAT TIME. WALKED BACK TO THE PLANE AND DURING PREFLT NOTICED MIST FORMING. IT WAS ALSO GETTING HUMID. THOUGHT IT WOULD BE JUST A FEW WISPS DURING THE FIRST FEW HUNDRED FEET OF CLB. I DIDN'T THINK IT COULD GET FOGGY OR MISTY WITH ALL OF THAT WIND. IT SEEMED TO BE DRIZZLING TOO. DEPARTED RWY 30 AND AT ABOUT 300 FT STARTED GOING THROUGH WISPS OF MIST. THOUGHT THEY WOULD END AND WE WOULD TOP THEM SHORTLY. THE MIST STARTED GETTING WORSE AS WE PROGRESSED STRAIGHT OUT, SO I CLBED IMMEDIATELY TO 1000 FT -- NO LUCK. LOOKED BACK AND COULD SEE SOME LIGHTS ALONG THE BAY SOUTH OF HAF BTWN 500 FT AND 1000 FT, BUT NOTHING AHEAD. THIS WAS THE LAST CHANCE I HAD TO STAY ANYTHING NEAR VFR. 'HOW COULD THIS BE?' I THOUGHT. I WAS NOW IN IMC TOTALLY AND THINKING OF THOSE CLIFFS AT DEVIL'S SLIDE. I HAD ALREADY TURNED SW TO GET A SAFE MARGIN. WE THEN INTERCEPTED THE 180 DEGS OR 190 DEGS TO SAU VOR. I HAD LOST ALL HOPE OF BREAKING OUT NOW, BUT STILL PRESSED ON. WAS GOING TO FLY A FEW MI OFF SHORE OF OCEAN BEACH IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALL BAY APCH AND GET A CLRNC. I THOUGHT THIS WAS THE SAFEST PLAN SINCE I HAD ALREADY SCREWED UP. I DID NOT LIKE THE SIT AT ALL. I KEPT THINKING OF THOSE CLIFFS AND THE FAA (GETTING IN TROUBLE WOULD BE ALMOST AS BAD AS THE CLIFFS), AND HOW IRRESPONSIBLE I HAD BEEN BY NOT JUST TELEPHONING FOR A FLT PLAN. I THOUGHT OF THE GAL SITTING NEXT TO ME AND THAT I OWED HER AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF SAFETY. THIS WAS THE MAX POINT OF ANXIETY, WHEN I TURNED S 5 NM FROM SAU I WAS THINKING OF THE MARIN HEADLANDS HILLS. SOMEWHERE IN THERE I MADE UP MY MIND TO RELAX AND FINISH THE FLT SAFELY AND NEVER GET INTO SUCH A SIT AGAIN. ACTUALLY WE WERE NEVER IN ANY DANGER OF HITTING ANY LAND AND THE AIRPLANE WAS IN VERY GOOD CONDITION. WAS ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF BAY NEAR DALY CITY. HAD TO FLY BACK AND FORTH OFF-SHORE FROM OCEAN BEACH A COUPLE OF TIMES WHILE WAITING FOR A CLRNC (LOTS OF SFO ARRS). THEY ASKED ME TO CLB TO NO GREATER THAN 3500 FT IN VFR CONDITIONS. I TOLD THEM I WAS UNABLE BUT I COULD CLB TO 2000 FT (EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOWHERE NEAR VFR I DIDN'T WANT TO GET IN ANYONE'S WAY). THEY ASKED IF I COULD PROCEED OVER THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE OR SAN FRANCISCO, I TOLD THEM UNABLE ('VISIBILITY WAS BAD OVER THERE') AND CONTINUED FLYING IN FRONT OF OCEAN BEACH ABOUT 1300 FT BY THIS TIME. I DIDN'T TELL THEM THE TRUTH OF COURSE -- I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT GETTING INTO TROUBLE. WITHIN ABOUT 5 MINS OR SO I HAD THE CLRNC, CROSSED NEAR SAU VOR AT 3000 FT, GOT A VECTOR OF 080 DEGS FOR VOR RWY 9R OAK AND WAS ON MY WAY, FUMBLING FOR MY CHARTS THE WHOLE TIME AS I DID NOT EXPECT SUCH FAST SVC. ACTUALLY I WAS FUMBLING WITH CHARTS THE WHOLE TIME THOUGH I THOUGHT I ORGANIZED THE COCKPIT WELL. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT WELL. THE GAL ENJOYED THE FLT IMMENSELY -- LITTLE DID SHE KNOW. I APOLOGIZED TO HER PROFUSELY FOR THE IRRESPONSIBILITY AFTER THE FLT. THEN REVIEWED THE FLT ON A CHART WITH HER TO SHOW HER EXACTLY WHAT WE DID. SHE TOLD ME SHE NEVER WANTED TO SEE ME AGAIN (NOT BECAUSE OF THE FLT). WHAT A NIGHT! PLTS: DON'T DO THIS TO YOURSELF, JUST FILE THE IFR FLT PLAN -- YOU CAN CANCEL IF YOU DON'T NEED IT. AND THANK YOU BAY APCH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) I COULD HAVE HAD APLEASURABLE IFR FLT (I LOVE IFR IN LIGHT TO MODERATE STORMS IN A PROPERLY EQUIPPED PLANE), BUT I WAS IMPATIENT AND FILLED WITH ANXIETY AND WANTED TO GET THE DATE OVER WITH. 2) I HAD GOTTEN USED TO FLYING IN MARGINAL WX AS A PART 135 CARGO PLT, THOUGH I'M DOING COMPUTER PROGRAMMING FULL- TIME NOW. HAVE HAD MUCH SUCCESS IN 'READING' MARGINAL WX AND FLYING SAFELY IN IT. 3) THE COST OF THE AIRPLANE RENTAL AND HAVING TO TAXI OVER TO THE TELEPHONE.

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.