Narrative:

I phoned riverside FSS from L35 to get current WX at emt which was marginal in haze with a 4000 ft overcast. However, the briefer said the tops in the area were reported between 3500 ft and 4000 ft and ontario (ont) was 4 mi and clear below 12000 ft. Based on this report, I filed an IFR flight plan for the VOR-a approach at emt. The briefer told me I would get the clearance when I contacted the socal controller on 125.5. Leaving L35, I climbed to 8000 ft for terrain clearance and stayed at that altitude as I flew west. Northeast of ont, I called 125.5 and said I was en route from L35 to emt at 8000 ft and was told to contact socal on 127.35, which I did. I do not recall any other contact until I was told to go back to 125.5 and I made this contact stating, 'with you at 8000 ft.' shortly, I was descended to 6500 ft, then 4500 ft while the controller was working a lot of other traffic. The haze was worse than forecast. As I approached the pomona VOR, I thought the controller cleared me for the VOR-a approach, but in the subsequent requested phone call to socal, I was told he did not. I began the approach, encountered solid IMC (which caught me by surprise), became unsure of my exact position and did not want to break any minimums. I advised the controller and he vectored me and climbed me back up to 4000 ft. In retrospect, I believe the controller had no idea I had filed for an IFR approach for the emt VOR-a approach. At one point, I understood him to tell me to fly '264' which does not appear on the chart but it might be a vector for runway 19 at emt. This confused me further because I was trying to fly the published '258' final approach course. I was unable to complete a second attempt at the approach when the controller told me I was a quarter mi south of the course and again gave me vector and climb instructions to 4000 ft over the ont airport. He handed me off to the tower and I landed there. My comments are that I was fatigued and my performance had deteriorated. Neither the controller nor I caught the little clues along the way that we were not on the same page and the WX was worse than forecast.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN TO EMT WITH FSS AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT A SOCAL CTLR ON 125 PT 5 MZ FOR CLRNC.

Narrative: I PHONED RIVERSIDE FSS FROM L35 TO GET CURRENT WX AT EMT WHICH WAS MARGINAL IN HAZE WITH A 4000 FT OVCST. HOWEVER, THE BRIEFER SAID THE TOPS IN THE AREA WERE RPTED BTWN 3500 FT AND 4000 FT AND ONTARIO (ONT) WAS 4 MI AND CLR BELOW 12000 FT. BASED ON THIS RPT, I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FOR THE VOR-A APCH AT EMT. THE BRIEFER TOLD ME I WOULD GET THE CLRNC WHEN I CONTACTED THE SOCAL CTLR ON 125.5. LEAVING L35, I CLBED TO 8000 FT FOR TERRAIN CLRNC AND STAYED AT THAT ALT AS I FLEW W. NE OF ONT, I CALLED 125.5 AND SAID I WAS ENRTE FROM L35 TO EMT AT 8000 FT AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT SOCAL ON 127.35, WHICH I DID. I DO NOT RECALL ANY OTHER CONTACT UNTIL I WAS TOLD TO GO BACK TO 125.5 AND I MADE THIS CONTACT STATING, 'WITH YOU AT 8000 FT.' SHORTLY, I WAS DSNDED TO 6500 FT, THEN 4500 FT WHILE THE CTLR WAS WORKING A LOT OF OTHER TFC. THE HAZE WAS WORSE THAN FORECAST. AS I APCHED THE POMONA VOR, I THOUGHT THE CTLR CLRED ME FOR THE VOR-A APCH, BUT IN THE SUBSEQUENT REQUESTED PHONE CALL TO SOCAL, I WAS TOLD HE DID NOT. I BEGAN THE APCH, ENCOUNTERED SOLID IMC (WHICH CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE), BECAME UNSURE OF MY EXACT POS AND DID NOT WANT TO BREAK ANY MINIMUMS. I ADVISED THE CTLR AND HE VECTORED ME AND CLBED ME BACK UP TO 4000 FT. IN RETROSPECT, I BELIEVE THE CTLR HAD NO IDEA I HAD FILED FOR AN IFR APCH FOR THE EMT VOR-A APCH. AT ONE POINT, I UNDERSTOOD HIM TO TELL ME TO FLY '264' WHICH DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE CHART BUT IT MIGHT BE A VECTOR FOR RWY 19 AT EMT. THIS CONFUSED ME FURTHER BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO FLY THE PUBLISHED '258' FINAL APCH COURSE. I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLETE A SECOND ATTEMPT AT THE APCH WHEN THE CTLR TOLD ME I WAS A QUARTER MI S OF THE COURSE AND AGAIN GAVE ME VECTOR AND CLB INSTRUCTIONS TO 4000 FT OVER THE ONT ARPT. HE HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR AND I LANDED THERE. MY COMMENTS ARE THAT I WAS FATIGUED AND MY PERFORMANCE HAD DETERIORATED. NEITHER THE CTLR NOR I CAUGHT THE LITTLE CLUES ALONG THE WAY THAT WE WERE NOT ON THE SAME PAGE AND THE WX WAS WORSE THAN FORECAST.

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.