PA32 pilot, on VFR flight plan, not instrument rated, flew into IMC approaching myf.

Attributes
ACN	543047
Time
Date	200204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : myf.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-32 Cherokee Six/Lance/Saratoga
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 28r
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 210 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	543047
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were inbound from sedona, VFR with flight following. Just spent 4 days traveling with family, who don't like to fly. FSS advised of worsening conditions at myf in san diego. 1 hour out, WX was broken at 2100 ft, expect overcast. Alternates were similar (crq, sdm, and see). Gillespi was still MVFR. As we crossed the julian mountain ridge the situation was full overcast, tops 4000 ft bases +/-1900 ft. Myf is approximately 425 ft. It was dusk and everything was locked in. I even tried french valley, 30 mi north. If I turned around and went back to ipl, we would have to cross the mountains and land at night, rent a car (if possible), and drive 2 1/2 hours to san diego. The controller advised to expect the ILS. I said again I would accept deviation to any VFR facility, he had none. I saw some thin layers below and hoped it would be misty enough for a legal let-down. I had fuel enough for 1 1/2 hours, but flying at night with 7000+ ft mountains is dangerous! The controller gave me vectors for the ILS. My plane is heavily equipped with dual GPS, autoplt with altitude hold, tcad, storm scope, etc. I set the autoplt for the ILS approach and looked for a hole in the clouds. At cloud tops I saw the ground through the haze. Rather than dive for the ground, I kept on GS. I decided it was safer to fly the approach than confound everyone (controller, traffic, etc) by deviating. Unfortunately, the clouds thickened and I let down through a 2000 ft layer. The approach was perfect and there was no incident. The late time of day, declining WX and lack of alternates made the decision to look for a 'thin layer' attractive. Not punching through the thin layer, which was sufficient to still be legal, and fly below the clouds (at approximately 2000 ft MSL) was a further difficult decision, but it all happened so fast. It all happened so quickly. The options closed behind me so rapidly that I kept thinking 'just fly the plane.' I never thought that I could be 'trapped' between a rock and a hard place, but I must take time to get an IFR license -- quickly -- and not let family convenience come into play. Also, the controller's busyness made me feel pressed to decide immediately.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA32 PLT, ON VFR FLT PLAN, NOT INST RATED, FLEW INTO IMC APCHING MYF.

Narrative: WE WERE INBOUND FROM SEDONA, VFR WITH FLT FOLLOWING. JUST SPENT 4 DAYS TRAVELING WITH FAMILY, WHO DON'T LIKE TO FLY. FSS ADVISED OF WORSENING CONDITIONS AT MYF IN SAN DIEGO. 1 HR OUT, WX WAS BROKEN AT 2100 FT, EXPECT OVCST. ALTERNATES WERE SIMILAR (CRQ, SDM, AND SEE). GILLESPI WAS STILL MVFR. AS WE CROSSED THE JULIAN MOUNTAIN RIDGE THE SIT WAS FULL OVCST, TOPS 4000 FT BASES +/-1900 FT. MYF IS APPROX 425 FT. IT WAS DUSK AND EVERYTHING WAS LOCKED IN. I EVEN TRIED FRENCH VALLEY, 30 MI N. IF I TURNED AROUND AND WENT BACK TO IPL, WE WOULD HAVE TO CROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND LAND AT NIGHT, RENT A CAR (IF POSSIBLE), AND DRIVE 2 1/2 HRS TO SAN DIEGO. THE CTLR ADVISED TO EXPECT THE ILS. I SAID AGAIN I WOULD ACCEPT DEV TO ANY VFR FACILITY, HE HAD NONE. I SAW SOME THIN LAYERS BELOW AND HOPED IT WOULD BE MISTY ENOUGH FOR A LEGAL LET-DOWN. I HAD FUEL ENOUGH FOR 1 1/2 HRS, BUT FLYING AT NIGHT WITH 7000+ FT MOUNTAINS IS DANGEROUS! THE CTLR GAVE ME VECTORS FOR THE ILS. MY PLANE IS HEAVILY EQUIPPED WITH DUAL GPS, AUTOPLT WITH ALT HOLD, TCAD, STORM SCOPE, ETC. I SET THE AUTOPLT FOR THE ILS APCH AND LOOKED FOR A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS. AT CLOUD TOPS I SAW THE GND THROUGH THE HAZE. RATHER THAN DIVE FOR THE GND, I KEPT ON GS. I DECIDED IT WAS SAFER TO FLY THE APCH THAN CONFOUND EVERYONE (CTLR, TFC, ETC) BY DEVIATING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CLOUDS THICKENED AND I LET DOWN THROUGH A 2000 FT LAYER. THE APCH WAS PERFECT AND THERE WAS NO INCIDENT. THE LATE TIME OF DAY, DECLINING WX AND LACK OF ALTERNATES MADE THE DECISION TO LOOK FOR A 'THIN LAYER' ATTRACTIVE. NOT PUNCHING THROUGH THE THIN LAYER, WHICH WAS SUFFICIENT TO STILL BE LEGAL, AND FLY BELOW THE CLOUDS (AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL) WAS A FURTHER DIFFICULT DECISION, BUT IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST. IT ALL HAPPENED SO QUICKLY. THE OPTIONS CLOSED BEHIND ME SO RAPIDLY THAT I KEPT THINKING 'JUST FLY THE PLANE.' I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I COULD BE 'TRAPPED' BTWN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, BUT I MUST TAKE TIME TO GET AN IFR LICENSE -- QUICKLY -- AND NOT LET FAMILY CONVENIENCE COME INTO PLAY. ALSO, THE CTLR'S BUSYNESS MADE ME FEEL PRESSED TO DECIDE IMMEDIATELY.

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.