Narrative:

Background: I planned to fly sql to sba for a weekend. A front was coming into the bay area. Conditions were reported as good visibility with broken clouds at sql and 30 percent chance of precipitation. I planned to depart sql and climb on top of the clouds to sba. Sns was reported as better WX. How the problem arose: there were big opening in the clouds above sql. I took off sql and was looking to climb through a hole in the clouds. I had flight following from norcal. Norcal cleared me to 3500 ft (cloud base was 2000 ft). I climbed through a hole of clear blue skies just to find me surrounded by tops above 3500 ft. Norcal called me to turn to 270 degrees to avoid traffic. I did and got into a cloud. I should have said unable. I immediately initiated a turn to get out of the cloud. While doing so I found myself in steep decent; which I recovered from; and was soon out of the cloud. Norcal asked me again to turn to 270 degrees and I replied unable. They then directed me to 090 degrees at 4000 ft. From there on I was above the clouds. Contributing factors: 1) I think I entered a hole in the clouds which was too small. I think it was a legal hole (2000 ft from the sides). My personal rule from now on that the hole should (be legal and) extra large to allow for a wide 360 degree turn if needed; which this one did not. 2) my us license is based on my foreign license. In foreign you cannot legally fly VFR above clouds and this was the first attempt for me. Pretty much first time I flew in such WX. 3) I guess that the planned weekend was a contributing factor in taking off in such WX conditions. I would not do that again. 4) when norcal told me to turn 270 degrees the first time I should have said unable. My instinct was to comply with the request. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter possesses a foreign pilot's license and so his flying is restr to the constraints of his issuing country. For him this meant that he must fly specific routes in his country and never fly VFR on top. The point to point flying is not a restr in the us because the airspace is much more open. However; flying above an overcast is never permitted in his country and when he found himself in an overcast with no visual reference he became disoriented and asked for help. He does plan to enhance his pilot ratings with an instrument certificate but has to complete the foreign identity process first.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR PLT IN A C172 ENCOUNTERED CLOUDS WHILE RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING TFC VECTORS AND BECAME DISORIENTED CAUSING A DSCNT OUT OF THE CLOUDS. HE RECOVERED AND PROCEEDED WITH FLT FOLLOWING.

Narrative: BACKGROUND: I PLANNED TO FLY SQL TO SBA FOR A WEEKEND. A FRONT WAS COMING INTO THE BAY AREA. CONDITIONS WERE RPTED AS GOOD VISIBILITY WITH BROKEN CLOUDS AT SQL AND 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION. I PLANNED TO DEPART SQL AND CLB ON TOP OF THE CLOUDS TO SBA. SNS WAS RPTED AS BETTER WX. HOW THE PROB AROSE: THERE WERE BIG OPENING IN THE CLOUDS ABOVE SQL. I TOOK OFF SQL AND WAS LOOKING TO CLB THROUGH A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS. I HAD FLT FOLLOWING FROM NORCAL. NORCAL CLRED ME TO 3500 FT (CLOUD BASE WAS 2000 FT). I CLBED THROUGH A HOLE OF CLR BLUE SKIES JUST TO FIND ME SURROUNDED BY TOPS ABOVE 3500 FT. NORCAL CALLED ME TO TURN TO 270 DEGS TO AVOID TFC. I DID AND GOT INTO A CLOUD. I SHOULD HAVE SAID UNABLE. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED A TURN TO GET OUT OF THE CLOUD. WHILE DOING SO I FOUND MYSELF IN STEEP DECENT; WHICH I RECOVERED FROM; AND WAS SOON OUT OF THE CLOUD. NORCAL ASKED ME AGAIN TO TURN TO 270 DEGS AND I REPLIED UNABLE. THEY THEN DIRECTED ME TO 090 DEGS AT 4000 FT. FROM THERE ON I WAS ABOVE THE CLOUDS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) I THINK I ENTERED A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS WHICH WAS TOO SMALL. I THINK IT WAS A LEGAL HOLE (2000 FT FROM THE SIDES). MY PERSONAL RULE FROM NOW ON THAT THE HOLE SHOULD (BE LEGAL AND) EXTRA LARGE TO ALLOW FOR A WIDE 360 DEG TURN IF NEEDED; WHICH THIS ONE DID NOT. 2) MY US LICENSE IS BASED ON MY FOREIGN LICENSE. IN FOREIGN YOU CANNOT LEGALLY FLY VFR ABOVE CLOUDS AND THIS WAS THE FIRST ATTEMPT FOR ME. PRETTY MUCH FIRST TIME I FLEW IN SUCH WX. 3) I GUESS THAT THE PLANNED WEEKEND WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN TAKING OFF IN SUCH WX CONDITIONS. I WOULD NOT DO THAT AGAIN. 4) WHEN NORCAL TOLD ME TO TURN 270 DEGS THE FIRST TIME I SHOULD HAVE SAID UNABLE. MY INSTINCT WAS TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR POSSESSES A FOREIGN PLT'S LICENSE AND SO HIS FLYING IS RESTR TO THE CONSTRAINTS OF HIS ISSUING COUNTRY. FOR HIM THIS MEANT THAT HE MUST FLY SPECIFIC ROUTES IN HIS COUNTRY AND NEVER FLY VFR ON TOP. THE POINT TO POINT FLYING IS NOT A RESTR IN THE US BECAUSE THE AIRSPACE IS MUCH MORE OPEN. HOWEVER; FLYING ABOVE AN OVERCAST IS NEVER PERMITTED IN HIS COUNTRY AND WHEN HE FOUND HIMSELF IN AN OVERCAST WITH NO VISUAL REFERENCE HE BECAME DISORIENTED AND ASKED FOR HELP. HE DOES PLAN TO ENHANCE HIS PLT RATINGS WITH AN INSTRUMENT CERTIFICATE BUT HAS TO COMPLETE THE FOREIGN IDENTITY PROCESS FIRST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.