Narrative:

I checked WX before I left pao by 3 hours (5 hours total) and the central valley was to be a mess with haze, but socal was to be fine for VFR into ful. I should have checked the WX en route or just before I left. I followed I-5 from grapevine to castaic by which time it was obvious that the entire los angeles basin was covered by a layer at 3100 ft. I told the controller that I would like to follow I-5 to ful and he said that may be possible at 2000 ft. I said fine and responded that I saw a hole at 10 mi ahead. When I dropped down, it was low visibility, but not technically IFR (3-5 mi, haze). Having no desire to navigation that to ful I returned to approximately 7500 ft by spiraling. On the way up, the controller got me back on radar and radio communication. He informed me I was under the vny approach path and a gulfstream and citation were above me and to stay below 6500 ft for the moment and that I could resume own navigation. I headed northeast. After the traffic was no factor, I was told to squawk 1200. I then headed to wjf, landed, and rented a car. Human factors: when I saw the cloud layer my first thought was bfl until I saw the hole. Before I dropped down I had decided to divert if it wasn't clear below the layer. The hole was long and narrow so I may have moved farther east or west then I realized to end up in the approach path when I was circling to see the conditions. When looking at the chart to divert to bfl I noticed wjf was closer and went there instead.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INST RATED PVT PLT SPIRALED DOWN THROUGH A HOLE IN THE UNDERCAST TO GO ENRTE UNDERNEATH. HOWEVER, WHEN HE HAD INSUFFICIENT CLOUD CLRNC AND VISIBILITY, HE SPIRALED BACK UP. APCH CTLR RECOMMENDED THAT HE DSND 1000 FT TO AVOID IFR TFC NEARBY.

Narrative: I CHKED WX BEFORE I LEFT PAO BY 3 HRS (5 HRS TOTAL) AND THE CENTRAL VALLEY WAS TO BE A MESS WITH HAZE, BUT SOCAL WAS TO BE FINE FOR VFR INTO FUL. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED THE WX ENRTE OR JUST BEFORE I LEFT. I FOLLOWED I-5 FROM GRAPEVINE TO CASTAIC BY WHICH TIME IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE ENTIRE LOS ANGELES BASIN WAS COVERED BY A LAYER AT 3100 FT. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW I-5 TO FUL AND HE SAID THAT MAY BE POSSIBLE AT 2000 FT. I SAID FINE AND RESPONDED THAT I SAW A HOLE AT 10 MI AHEAD. WHEN I DROPPED DOWN, IT WAS LOW VISIBILITY, BUT NOT TECHNICALLY IFR (3-5 MI, HAZE). HAVING NO DESIRE TO NAV THAT TO FUL I RETURNED TO APPROX 7500 FT BY SPIRALING. ON THE WAY UP, THE CTLR GOT ME BACK ON RADAR AND RADIO COM. HE INFORMED ME I WAS UNDER THE VNY APCH PATH AND A GULFSTREAM AND CITATION WERE ABOVE ME AND TO STAY BELOW 6500 FT FOR THE MOMENT AND THAT I COULD RESUME OWN NAV. I HEADED NE. AFTER THE TFC WAS NO FACTOR, I WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK 1200. I THEN HEADED TO WJF, LANDED, AND RENTED A CAR. HUMAN FACTORS: WHEN I SAW THE CLOUD LAYER MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS BFL UNTIL I SAW THE HOLE. BEFORE I DROPPED DOWN I HAD DECIDED TO DIVERT IF IT WASN'T CLR BELOW THE LAYER. THE HOLE WAS LONG AND NARROW SO I MAY HAVE MOVED FARTHER E OR W THEN I REALIZED TO END UP IN THE APCH PATH WHEN I WAS CIRCLING TO SEE THE CONDITIONS. WHEN LOOKING AT THE CHART TO DIVERT TO BFL I NOTICED WJF WAS CLOSER AND WENT THERE INSTEAD.

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.