Narrative:

I contacted FSS by telephone from the sbp airport for a standard briefing for a VFR flight from sbp direct to emt in the los angeles basin. Preflight briefer reported conditions in the la basin as VFR with vny, bur, ont, and emt all reporting VFR conditions and 5-6 mi visibility. WX in both the san fernando and san gabriel valleys was not forecasted to go IMC until, I think, some time. I departed from sbf within 20 mins. I had onboard, by my calculation, 1.7 hours of fuel. Flight to emt would take approximately 50 mins because I had approximately a 20 KT tailwind, which I calculated would reduce my flight time by approximately 10 mins. This left me appropriate reserve fuel for night flying plus there were a multitude of airports in the san fernando and san gabriel valleys for alternatives. In climbing to 9500 ft, I signed in with ZLA. Upon arrival at the west end of the san fernando valley (now with socal approach), I noticed that the valley seemed to have a cloud cover at approximately 4000 ft. Thought I could see the vny airport. Continued en route towards el monte as often the night cloud cover does not reach the east san gabriel valley until sometime later than the san fernando valley. After finding solid cloud cover upon arrival over emt, continued past emt towards ont. Upon reaching la verne-brackett (poc), still total cloud cover. Now got the ATIS at ont. IMC 700 ft ceiling. Turned back west for vny. Listened to bur ATIS -- IMC 800 ft. En route back to vny and somewhere back west of bur, socal approach suggested I get the AWOS at vny. Did so, IMC 700 ft. There was a 2-3 mi wide opening down to the surface north of bur and close to the whitman (whp) airport. I flew northeast to this opening and circled, dropping altitude to take a look. Told approach I was going to go off frequency to try and get the runway lights on at whitman. I could clearly see the 3 smoke stacks a mi south of the runway but no luck. I circled twice more. At this point, bur tower came on to whp's CTAF and asked if I was there. He had been listening to approach as it was a slow night at bur and he came over to see if I had had any luck. At this point, (finally) I realized I was in trouble as I had consumed at least 20-30 mins of fuel flying around the valleys after passing over emt. It was doubtful I had enough fuel to climb to 7500 ft and fly 30 mins to wjf in the high desert. I reported to bur that I didn't believe I had enough fuel to make it across the mountains to fox field and that he must vector me through the IMC to a runway at bur. He reluctantly agreed. As I flew on a heading I believe was 150 degrees at 3000 ft in total IMC per instructions from tower, my engine stopped, then started again, then stopped, then started again. I reported the engine stoppage to bur and vectoring was required immediately. I closed the left main fuel tank, as the gauge was lower. Then the engine started and continued to run. Over the next 5-10 mins, which seemed like an eternity to this VFR private pilot, bur ATC vectored me in a descent to runway 8. At approximately 800 ft, I broke out of the clouds with the runway approximately 1 mi directly ahead. Landing was normal. I thanked ATC profusely and taxied to an FBO. Further examination the following day indicated I had approximately 20-25 mins of fuel remaining in the right main.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT FLIES INTO IFR CONDITIONS DURING VFR FLT.

Narrative: I CONTACTED FSS BY TELEPHONE FROM THE SBP ARPT FOR A STANDARD BRIEFING FOR A VFR FLT FROM SBP DIRECT TO EMT IN THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. PREFLT BRIEFER RPTED CONDITIONS IN THE LA BASIN AS VFR WITH VNY, BUR, ONT, AND EMT ALL RPTING VFR CONDITIONS AND 5-6 MI VISIBILITY. WX IN BOTH THE SAN FERNANDO AND SAN GABRIEL VALLEYS WAS NOT FORECASTED TO GO IMC UNTIL, I THINK, SOME TIME. I DEPARTED FROM SBF WITHIN 20 MINS. I HAD ONBOARD, BY MY CALCULATION, 1.7 HRS OF FUEL. FLT TO EMT WOULD TAKE APPROX 50 MINS BECAUSE I HAD APPROX A 20 KT TAILWIND, WHICH I CALCULATED WOULD REDUCE MY FLT TIME BY APPROX 10 MINS. THIS LEFT ME APPROPRIATE RESERVE FUEL FOR NIGHT FLYING PLUS THERE WERE A MULTITUDE OF ARPTS IN THE SAN FERNANDO AND SAN GABRIEL VALLEYS FOR ALTERNATIVES. IN CLBING TO 9500 FT, I SIGNED IN WITH ZLA. UPON ARR AT THE W END OF THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY (NOW WITH SOCAL APCH), I NOTICED THAT THE VALLEY SEEMED TO HAVE A CLOUD COVER AT APPROX 4000 FT. THOUGHT I COULD SEE THE VNY ARPT. CONTINUED ENRTE TOWARDS EL MONTE AS OFTEN THE NIGHT CLOUD COVER DOES NOT REACH THE E SAN GABRIEL VALLEY UNTIL SOMETIME LATER THAN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. AFTER FINDING SOLID CLOUD COVER UPON ARR OVER EMT, CONTINUED PAST EMT TOWARDS ONT. UPON REACHING LA VERNE-BRACKETT (POC), STILL TOTAL CLOUD COVER. NOW GOT THE ATIS AT ONT. IMC 700 FT CEILING. TURNED BACK W FOR VNY. LISTENED TO BUR ATIS -- IMC 800 FT. ENRTE BACK TO VNY AND SOMEWHERE BACK W OF BUR, SOCAL APCH SUGGESTED I GET THE AWOS AT VNY. DID SO, IMC 700 FT. THERE WAS A 2-3 MI WIDE OPENING DOWN TO THE SURFACE N OF BUR AND CLOSE TO THE WHITMAN (WHP) ARPT. I FLEW NE TO THIS OPENING AND CIRCLED, DROPPING ALT TO TAKE A LOOK. TOLD APCH I WAS GOING TO GO OFF FREQ TO TRY AND GET THE RWY LIGHTS ON AT WHITMAN. I COULD CLRLY SEE THE 3 SMOKE STACKS A MI S OF THE RWY BUT NO LUCK. I CIRCLED TWICE MORE. AT THIS POINT, BUR TWR CAME ON TO WHP'S CTAF AND ASKED IF I WAS THERE. HE HAD BEEN LISTENING TO APCH AS IT WAS A SLOW NIGHT AT BUR AND HE CAME OVER TO SEE IF I HAD HAD ANY LUCK. AT THIS POINT, (FINALLY) I REALIZED I WAS IN TROUBLE AS I HAD CONSUMED AT LEAST 20-30 MINS OF FUEL FLYING AROUND THE VALLEYS AFTER PASSING OVER EMT. IT WAS DOUBTFUL I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO CLB TO 7500 FT AND FLY 30 MINS TO WJF IN THE HIGH DESERT. I RPTED TO BUR THAT I DIDN'T BELIEVE I HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS TO FOX FIELD AND THAT HE MUST VECTOR ME THROUGH THE IMC TO A RWY AT BUR. HE RELUCTANTLY AGREED. AS I FLEW ON A HEADING I BELIEVE WAS 150 DEGS AT 3000 FT IN TOTAL IMC PER INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR, MY ENG STOPPED, THEN STARTED AGAIN, THEN STOPPED, THEN STARTED AGAIN. I RPTED THE ENG STOPPAGE TO BUR AND VECTORING WAS REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY. I CLOSED THE L MAIN FUEL TANK, AS THE GAUGE WAS LOWER. THEN THE ENG STARTED AND CONTINUED TO RUN. OVER THE NEXT 5-10 MINS, WHICH SEEMED LIKE AN ETERNITY TO THIS VFR PVT PLT, BUR ATC VECTORED ME IN A DSCNT TO RWY 8. AT APPROX 800 FT, I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS WITH THE RWY APPROX 1 MI DIRECTLY AHEAD. LNDG WAS NORMAL. I THANKED ATC PROFUSELY AND TAXIED TO AN FBO. FURTHER EXAMINATION THE FOLLOWING DAY INDICATED I HAD APPROX 20-25 MINS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE R MAIN.

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.