An small aircraft VFR private pilot in a night operation runs into rain showers and clouds off the c...

Attributes
ACN	398573
Time
Date	199803
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gvo airport : sba
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 8500 msl bound upper : 8500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sba 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 other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 160 flight time type : 35
ASRS Report	398573
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying from san diego to reid hillview airport (san jose) VFR along the coast. I transitioned the hollywood park corridor through los angeles's class B airspace. There were some cumulus formations along the way, but it still remained VFR. Conditions north of santa barbara were reported clear and visibility unlimited. I experienced moderate turbulence 2-5 mi south of santa barbara. The time was XA00Z when I passed santa barbara airport. I was tracking 120 degree radial morrow bay VOR and triangulating with the fellows VOR. The night was extremely dark with no moon. I passed santa barbara and was talking to approach when I lost all visual contact with ground due to there being very little to no lights north of santa barbara. I was still experiencing turbulence and then rain. I then turned on my landing light to see the conditions in front of me and then knew I flew into a cumulus formation. I then contacted santa barbara approach, told them I was a VFR pilot in IMC, and requested vectors back to santa barbara airport. Approach handed me off to socal approach and I received vectors into VFR conditions. I landed at santa barbara and stayed the night. I was unable to see the cumulus formation I flew into due to the darkness of the night and the loss of visual contact with the ground. I believe this could have been avoided if I had realized the severity of the turbulence prior to santa barbara, and had decided to land at santa barbara. The night also became too dark for VFR flight along the coast in that area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA VFR PVT PLT IN A NIGHT OP RUNS INTO RAIN SHOWERS AND CLOUDS OFF THE COAST NEAR SBA. HE GETS VECTORS FROM SOCAL APCH AND DIVERTS TO SBA FOR THE NIGHT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM SAN DIEGO TO REID HILLVIEW ARPT (SAN JOSE) VFR ALONG THE COAST. I TRANSITIONED THE HOLLYWOOD PARK CORRIDOR THROUGH LOS ANGELES'S CLASS B AIRSPACE. THERE WERE SOME CUMULUS FORMATIONS ALONG THE WAY, BUT IT STILL REMAINED VFR. CONDITIONS N OF SANTA BARBARA WERE RPTED CLR AND VISIBILITY UNLIMITED. I EXPERIENCED MODERATE TURB 2-5 MI S OF SANTA BARBARA. THE TIME WAS XA00Z WHEN I PASSED SANTA BARBARA ARPT. I WAS TRACKING 120 DEG RADIAL MORROW BAY VOR AND TRIANGULATING WITH THE FELLOWS VOR. THE NIGHT WAS EXTREMELY DARK WITH NO MOON. I PASSED SANTA BARBARA AND WAS TALKING TO APCH WHEN I LOST ALL VISUAL CONTACT WITH GND DUE TO THERE BEING VERY LITTLE TO NO LIGHTS N OF SANTA BARBARA. I WAS STILL EXPERIENCING TURB AND THEN RAIN. I THEN TURNED ON MY LNDG LIGHT TO SEE THE CONDITIONS IN FRONT OF ME AND THEN KNEW I FLEW INTO A CUMULUS FORMATION. I THEN CONTACTED SANTA BARBARA APCH, TOLD THEM I WAS A VFR PLT IN IMC, AND REQUESTED VECTORS BACK TO SANTA BARBARA ARPT. APCH HANDED ME OFF TO SOCAL APCH AND I RECEIVED VECTORS INTO VFR CONDITIONS. I LANDED AT SANTA BARBARA AND STAYED THE NIGHT. I WAS UNABLE TO SEE THE CUMULUS FORMATION I FLEW INTO DUE TO THE DARKNESS OF THE NIGHT AND THE LOSS OF VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. I BELIEVE THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD REALIZED THE SEVERITY OF THE TURB PRIOR TO SANTA BARBARA, AND HAD DECIDED TO LAND AT SANTA BARBARA. THE NIGHT ALSO BECAME TOO DARK FOR VFR FLT ALONG THE COAST IN THAT AREA.

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.

An small aircraft VFR private pilot in a night operation runs into rain showers and clouds off the coast near sba. He gets vectors from socal approach and diverts to sba for the night.