Narrative:

I arrived in the vicinity of the san francisco bay area in the afternoon to discover that all airports were under a solid overcast. I am not IFR rated, so I declared an emergency. I was given an alternate of santa rosa airport (sts) where I made an uneventful landing approximately 1 hour later. Fuel remaining at santa rosa was 4.2 gallons usable, approximately 1/2 hours worth. I received a WX briefing that morning for visibility greater than 6 mi, few clouds at 12000 ft, beginning at XA00 and ending late night at the oakland airport, close to my destination at hayward (hwd). I departed L08 (borrego springs) in the afternoon flying to lancaster (wjf) where I topped off with fuel. Flying over the tehachapi's I saw a solid overcast over the valley, which I expected. I flew on, over panoche VOR (pxn), when I picked up the san jose ATIS that announced overcast at 1200 ft. I called flight watch and got the WX for hayward also announcing overcast. At that point (about 60 mi from hwd), I declared an emergency stating 2 hours of fuel remaining. After several frequency changes, I was given a discrete transponder code and directed to an alternate at santa rosa. I made a mistake in not confirming the WX earlier in the flight (perhaps at bakersfield). I also was mistaken in flying VFR on top beyond the point at which I could have reached VFR to land in case of a mechanical failure. Finally, I mistakenly relied on my 'knowledge' of standard WX patterns in the area -- ie, overcast central valley, but haze over the outer valleys from paso robles to hollister, to san jose and into hayward. Thus, I did not check WX early enough to know that I would have had to hold in paso robles, which was close to my path of flight and the last VFR airport before my destination.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NON INST RATED PA38 PLT GOT CAUGHT ABOVE A SOLID LAYER WHEN IN NCT'S AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT STS WITH 4.2 GALS OF FUEL REMAINING.

Narrative: I ARRIVED IN THE VICINITY OF THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA IN THE AFTERNOON TO DISCOVER THAT ALL ARPTS WERE UNDER A SOLID OVCST. I AM NOT IFR RATED, SO I DECLARED AN EMER. I WAS GIVEN AN ALTERNATE OF SANTA ROSA ARPT (STS) WHERE I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG APPROX 1 HR LATER. FUEL REMAINING AT SANTA ROSA WAS 4.2 GALLONS USABLE, APPROX 1/2 HRS WORTH. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING THAT MORNING FOR VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 6 MI, FEW CLOUDS AT 12000 FT, BEGINNING AT XA00 AND ENDING LATE NIGHT AT THE OAKLAND ARPT, CLOSE TO MY DEST AT HAYWARD (HWD). I DEPARTED L08 (BORREGO SPRINGS) IN THE AFTERNOON FLYING TO LANCASTER (WJF) WHERE I TOPPED OFF WITH FUEL. FLYING OVER THE TEHACHAPI'S I SAW A SOLID OVCST OVER THE VALLEY, WHICH I EXPECTED. I FLEW ON, OVER PANOCHE VOR (PXN), WHEN I PICKED UP THE SAN JOSE ATIS THAT ANNOUNCED OVCST AT 1200 FT. I CALLED FLT WATCH AND GOT THE WX FOR HAYWARD ALSO ANNOUNCING OVCST. AT THAT POINT (ABOUT 60 MI FROM HWD), I DECLARED AN EMER STATING 2 HRS OF FUEL REMAINING. AFTER SEVERAL FREQ CHANGES, I WAS GIVEN A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE AND DIRECTED TO AN ALTERNATE AT SANTA ROSA. I MADE A MISTAKE IN NOT CONFIRMING THE WX EARLIER IN THE FLT (PERHAPS AT BAKERSFIELD). I ALSO WAS MISTAKEN IN FLYING VFR ON TOP BEYOND THE POINT AT WHICH I COULD HAVE REACHED VFR TO LAND IN CASE OF A MECHANICAL FAILURE. FINALLY, I MISTAKENLY RELIED ON MY 'KNOWLEDGE' OF STANDARD WX PATTERNS IN THE AREA -- IE, OVCST CENTRAL VALLEY, BUT HAZE OVER THE OUTER VALLEYS FROM PASO ROBLES TO HOLLISTER, TO SAN JOSE AND INTO HAYWARD. THUS, I DID NOT CHK WX EARLY ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TO HOLD IN PASO ROBLES, WHICH WAS CLOSE TO MY PATH OF FLT AND THE LAST VFR ARPT BEFORE MY DEST.

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.