BE35 pilot encountered IMC WX when in the special flight rules area over lax. Pilot then penetrated ...

Attributes
ACN	421638
Time
Date	199812
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	421638
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was en route from hayward, ca, to torrance, ca, and was in class east airspace on a 132 degree heading in VFR conditions in preparation for entering the special flight rules area (sfra). I had lax in sight and santa monica airport in sight at that time. As I entered the sfra the VFR condition changed to IMC. With loss of ground contact I proceeded on course at 3500 ft altitude until I judged that I was south of the sfra and started my let down into torrance airport. When I regained ground contact I found that I was still in the sfra over lax below the required altitude of 3500 ft. My choice to continue on when IMC was encountered was based on maintaining a smooth traffic flow as opposed to a 180 degree turn which could have put me in conflict with other traffic at my altitude. I obviously misjudged the time required to transit the sfra and thereby ended up lower than the required 3500 ft in the sfra. The IMC WX encountered was very localized and unexpected since the torrance ATIS was reporting scattered to broken with 10 mi visibility. My assessment of what could have prevented this situation is as follows: 1) I could have called for a hollywood park transition with socal to transit the lax area. 2) I could have filed IFR from hayward to torrance even though the WX was VFR all the way.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 PLT ENCOUNTERED IMC WX WHEN IN THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA OVER LAX. PLT THEN PENETRATED LAX CLASS B AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM HAYWARD, CA, TO TORRANCE, CA, AND WAS IN CLASS E AIRSPACE ON A 132 DEG HDG IN VFR CONDITIONS IN PREPARATION FOR ENTERING THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA (SFRA). I HAD LAX IN SIGHT AND SANTA MONICA ARPT IN SIGHT AT THAT TIME. AS I ENTERED THE SFRA THE VFR CONDITION CHANGED TO IMC. WITH LOSS OF GND CONTACT I PROCEEDED ON COURSE AT 3500 FT ALT UNTIL I JUDGED THAT I WAS S OF THE SFRA AND STARTED MY LET DOWN INTO TORRANCE ARPT. WHEN I REGAINED GND CONTACT I FOUND THAT I WAS STILL IN THE SFRA OVER LAX BELOW THE REQUIRED ALT OF 3500 FT. MY CHOICE TO CONTINUE ON WHEN IMC WAS ENCOUNTERED WAS BASED ON MAINTAINING A SMOOTH TFC FLOW AS OPPOSED TO A 180 DEG TURN WHICH COULD HAVE PUT ME IN CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC AT MY ALT. I OBVIOUSLY MISJUDGED THE TIME REQUIRED TO TRANSIT THE SFRA AND THEREBY ENDED UP LOWER THAN THE REQUIRED 3500 FT IN THE SFRA. THE IMC WX ENCOUNTERED WAS VERY LOCALIZED AND UNEXPECTED SINCE THE TORRANCE ATIS WAS RPTING SCATTERED TO BROKEN WITH 10 MI VISIBILITY. MY ASSESSMENT OF WHAT COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS SIT IS AS FOLLOWS: 1) I COULD HAVE CALLED FOR A HOLLYWOOD PARK TRANSITION WITH SOCAL TO TRANSIT THE LAX AREA. 2) I COULD HAVE FILED IFR FROM HAYWARD TO TORRANCE EVEN THOUGH THE WX WAS VFR ALL THE WAY.

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.

BE35 pilot encountered IMC WX when in the special flight rules area over lax. Pilot then penetrated lax class B airspace.