Narrative:

I was flying a traffic watch flight in the san diego area. The nearest controled airport that was open was myf. Myf was reporting 1100 ft overcast. I don't remember the visibility report. I was transitioning through see airport's class D surface area. After flying approximately 1 hour; I reached under the right front seat; the seat that I fly from; to find a water bottle that I keep under the seat. I was not able to locate the water bottle under the seat. So I slid the seat back in order to reach further back on the floor of the aircraft. The resulting center of gravity shift caused the aircraft to pitch up slightly and begin climbing. I inadvertently flew into the base of the overcast. At the time I reached under seat; I was flying towards fortuna mountain. I had noted a heading that would take me through pass that was clear ahead. Heading approximately 255 degrees magnetic. After discovering I was in the clouds; I noticed that I was still on heading; so I pushed the nose down and descended from the base of the overcast. At the time I cleared the clouds; I was directly over the saddle of the pass at less than 500 ft AGL. I knew I was approaching rising terrain with a low ceiling above; when I reached for the water bottle under the seat. My decision to divert my attention to look for the bottle was a mistake; in 20/20 hindsight. I was fatigued at the time of the flight. I had a poor night of sleep the night before the flight. In addition; I have become complacent due to the fact that I fly the same aircraft 6 hours per day; 5 days per week; along the same freeways and roads; day after day. I attribute this event to fatigue and complacency and consider this event to be my wake-up call. I also realized (later); that I have a traffic reporter that is also a licensed pilot; sitting right next to me. I could have given positive control of the aircraft before diverting my attention away from the flight; even for a moment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FATIGUED AND COMPLACENT; A VFR TRAFFIC REPORTER PLT FLIES INTO AN OVERCAST WHILE SEARCHING FOR A WATER BOTTLE UNDER HIS SEAT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A TFC WATCH FLT IN THE SAN DIEGO AREA. THE NEAREST CTLED ARPT THAT WAS OPEN WAS MYF. MYF WAS RPTING 1100 FT OVCST. I DON'T REMEMBER THE VISIBILITY RPT. I WAS TRANSITIONING THROUGH SEE ARPT'S CLASS D SURFACE AREA. AFTER FLYING APPROX 1 HR; I REACHED UNDER THE R FRONT SEAT; THE SEAT THAT I FLY FROM; TO FIND A WATER BOTTLE THAT I KEEP UNDER THE SEAT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO LOCATE THE WATER BOTTLE UNDER THE SEAT. SO I SLID THE SEAT BACK IN ORDER TO REACH FURTHER BACK ON THE FLOOR OF THE ACFT. THE RESULTING CTR OF GRAVITY SHIFT CAUSED THE ACFT TO PITCH UP SLIGHTLY AND BEGIN CLBING. I INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO THE BASE OF THE OVCST. AT THE TIME I REACHED UNDER SEAT; I WAS FLYING TOWARDS FORTUNA MOUNTAIN. I HAD NOTED A HDG THAT WOULD TAKE ME THROUGH PASS THAT WAS CLR AHEAD. HDG APPROX 255 DEGS MAGNETIC. AFTER DISCOVERING I WAS IN THE CLOUDS; I NOTICED THAT I WAS STILL ON HDG; SO I PUSHED THE NOSE DOWN AND DSNDED FROM THE BASE OF THE OVCST. AT THE TIME I CLRED THE CLOUDS; I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE SADDLE OF THE PASS AT LESS THAN 500 FT AGL. I KNEW I WAS APCHING RISING TERRAIN WITH A LOW CEILING ABOVE; WHEN I REACHED FOR THE WATER BOTTLE UNDER THE SEAT. MY DECISION TO DIVERT MY ATTN TO LOOK FOR THE BOTTLE WAS A MISTAKE; IN 20/20 HINDSIGHT. I WAS FATIGUED AT THE TIME OF THE FLT. I HAD A POOR NIGHT OF SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE THE FLT. IN ADDITION; I HAVE BECOME COMPLACENT DUE TO THE FACT THAT I FLY THE SAME ACFT 6 HRS PER DAY; 5 DAYS PER WK; ALONG THE SAME FREEWAYS AND ROADS; DAY AFTER DAY. I ATTRIBUTE THIS EVENT TO FATIGUE AND COMPLACENCY AND CONSIDER THIS EVENT TO BE MY WAKE-UP CALL. I ALSO REALIZED (LATER); THAT I HAVE A TFC RPTR THAT IS ALSO A LICENSED PLT; SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME. I COULD HAVE GIVEN POSITIVE CTL OF THE ACFT BEFORE DIVERTING MY ATTN AWAY FROM THE FLT; EVEN FOR A MOMENT.

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.