Narrative:

After flying 2 airshows that day, and 3 the day before, I departed in my airshow airplane for home -- home being cable airport in upland, ca. The WX was perfect VFR until I got to the los angeles basin. Although the air boss had reported during briefing that the WX going to the basin should be 'no problem,' it is clear that he was misinformed. Upon approaching the basin from the north, it was obvious that the entire basin was more or less completely socked in. A hurried call to hawthorne radio indicated that the ceiling at both brackett and ontario airports (cable does not report) was respectively 2900 ft and 2800 ft, with visibilities given as 5 mi, as I recall. As I descended over cable airport, it became quite obvious that there were no holes below. I flew east, just east of san bernardino international, and could see the ground. So I descended to underneath the ceiling. As I flew west from san bernardino international toward cable, both the ceiling and the visibility deteriorated significantly, even though I was assured by another call to hawthorne that both ontario and brackett were reporting 2900 ft and 2800 ft, both 5 mi. It was at this point well past sunset, and getting quite dark. I think a more accurate report would have been about 1500 ft, with visibility of just at 3 mi. As I approached cable, I descended to about 1000 ft AGL in order to stay clear of the ragged clouds which may not legally have constituted a ceiling, but certainly did a great job of obscuring the nearby mountains. Upon landing and reflecting upon what I could have done differently, I arrived at the following conclusions: my first mistake, of course, was to trust anyone else to check the WX for me. I should have checked it myself before I departed. Second, I probably should have landed at san bernardino once I was safely under the clouds, rather than attempt to press on to cable, even though they are only 15 mi or so apart. A third mistake was probably to continue when it was obvious that the WX was changing quickly, and less obvious that I could get back to san bernardino, or even rialto, if things went completely IMC. This airplane has no IFR capability, and is difficult enough to land, because of limited visibility over the nose, during the day, much less at night. Airshow flying is an extraordinarily demanding occupation. If you don't fly, you don't get paid. If you don't get to the airshow, you don't fly. If you don't get home, what money you did get paid is quickly eaten up by away-from-home expenses: hotels, meals, rental cars, etc. I think in the future I will try to arrange for 1 extra night's stay at the airshow after all the airshow flying has been completed so that the most dangerous part of the event, the cross country part, can at least be undertaken when I am fresh and not rushed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL PLT FLYING A ZLIN-50 (SLOVAK DESIGN) ON THE RETURN FROM AN AIRSHOW NEARLY FLEW IMC IN VFR FLT WITH UNVERIFIED VISIBILITY AND CLOUD BASE VALUES NEAR CABLE ARPT, CCB, CA.

Narrative: AFTER FLYING 2 AIRSHOWS THAT DAY, AND 3 THE DAY BEFORE, I DEPARTED IN MY AIRSHOW AIRPLANE FOR HOME -- HOME BEING CABLE ARPT IN UPLAND, CA. THE WX WAS PERFECT VFR UNTIL I GOT TO THE LOS ANGELES BASIN. ALTHOUGH THE AIR BOSS HAD RPTED DURING BRIEFING THAT THE WX GOING TO THE BASIN SHOULD BE 'NO PROB,' IT IS CLR THAT HE WAS MISINFORMED. UPON APCHING THE BASIN FROM THE N, IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE ENTIRE BASIN WAS MORE OR LESS COMPLETELY SOCKED IN. A HURRIED CALL TO HAWTHORNE RADIO INDICATED THAT THE CEILING AT BOTH BRACKETT AND ONTARIO ARPTS (CABLE DOES NOT RPT) WAS RESPECTIVELY 2900 FT AND 2800 FT, WITH VISIBILITIES GIVEN AS 5 MI, AS I RECALL. AS I DSNDED OVER CABLE ARPT, IT BECAME QUITE OBVIOUS THAT THERE WERE NO HOLES BELOW. I FLEW E, JUST E OF SAN BERNARDINO INTL, AND COULD SEE THE GND. SO I DSNDED TO UNDERNEATH THE CEILING. AS I FLEW W FROM SAN BERNARDINO INTL TOWARD CABLE, BOTH THE CEILING AND THE VISIBILITY DETERIORATED SIGNIFICANTLY, EVEN THOUGH I WAS ASSURED BY ANOTHER CALL TO HAWTHORNE THAT BOTH ONTARIO AND BRACKETT WERE RPTING 2900 FT AND 2800 FT, BOTH 5 MI. IT WAS AT THIS POINT WELL PAST SUNSET, AND GETTING QUITE DARK. I THINK A MORE ACCURATE RPT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT 1500 FT, WITH VISIBILITY OF JUST AT 3 MI. AS I APCHED CABLE, I DSNDED TO ABOUT 1000 FT AGL IN ORDER TO STAY CLR OF THE RAGGED CLOUDS WHICH MAY NOT LEGALLY HAVE CONSTITUTED A CEILING, BUT CERTAINLY DID A GREAT JOB OF OBSCURING THE NEARBY MOUNTAINS. UPON LNDG AND REFLECTING UPON WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY, I ARRIVED AT THE FOLLOWING CONCLUSIONS: MY FIRST MISTAKE, OF COURSE, WAS TO TRUST ANYONE ELSE TO CHK THE WX FOR ME. I SHOULD HAVE CHKED IT MYSELF BEFORE I DEPARTED. SECOND, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT SAN BERNARDINO ONCE I WAS SAFELY UNDER THE CLOUDS, RATHER THAN ATTEMPT TO PRESS ON TO CABLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ONLY 15 MI OR SO APART. A THIRD MISTAKE WAS PROBABLY TO CONTINUE WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE WX WAS CHANGING QUICKLY, AND LESS OBVIOUS THAT I COULD GET BACK TO SAN BERNARDINO, OR EVEN RIALTO, IF THINGS WENT COMPLETELY IMC. THIS AIRPLANE HAS NO IFR CAPABILITY, AND IS DIFFICULT ENOUGH TO LAND, BECAUSE OF LIMITED VISIBILITY OVER THE NOSE, DURING THE DAY, MUCH LESS AT NIGHT. AIRSHOW FLYING IS AN EXTRAORDINARILY DEMANDING OCCUPATION. IF YOU DON'T FLY, YOU DON'T GET PAID. IF YOU DON'T GET TO THE AIRSHOW, YOU DON'T FLY. IF YOU DON'T GET HOME, WHAT MONEY YOU DID GET PAID IS QUICKLY EATEN UP BY AWAY-FROM-HOME EXPENSES: HOTELS, MEALS, RENTAL CARS, ETC. I THINK IN THE FUTURE I WILL TRY TO ARRANGE FOR 1 EXTRA NIGHT'S STAY AT THE AIRSHOW AFTER ALL THE AIRSHOW FLYING HAS BEEN COMPLETED SO THAT THE MOST DANGEROUS PART OF THE EVENT, THE XCOUNTRY PART, CAN AT LEAST BE UNDERTAKEN WHEN I AM FRESH AND NOT RUSHED.

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.