Inexperienced instrument rated private pilot gets more IFR time than anticipated after takeoff in sm...

Narrative:

I am a 2000 hour recreational private pilot with an IFR rating but not proficient in IFR flying due to lack of necessity to fly under IFR condition. I just do the minimum of 6 approachs to remain current. Since I kept my plane in the san francisco bay area; I mostly use my IFR skill to depart the bay area in the morning fog. I would climb and be on top after 2000 ft of fog. On the afternoon of jun/xa/08; around XA00; I checked the WX and found that WX to be clear with 4 mi visibility at hayward airport. I am used to departing under foggy conditions; therefore; I made my biggest mistake by assuming that I could climb out in a few thousand ft and see the blue sky. After departing VFR from hayward; I climbed to 6000 ft and still remained in the haze. By then I realized that this smoke from the fire is different from the fog I am used to. At that time I am already over the mountains and I know I will have trouble finding my way back to the hayward airport localizer for runway 28L and return to hayward. I start to tense up and being tense; I made the plane unstable and started to bank left and right. At that moment; I realized that I will soon lose control of my plane. Immediately; I turned on the autoplt on the plane hoping to buy myself some time to decide on what to do next. Since the plane was at a left bank when I turned on the autoplt; my plane continued its bank toward ZZZ1 class C airspace. Knowing that I will be violating the ZZZ1 airspace soon; I tried desperately to slow down the plane and to turn off the autoplt and at that moment I heard the controller telling me to turn right 30 degrees. I acknowledged the controller but the plane was already at a steep left bank turning towards ZZZ1 airport and I tried to level the plane first before I dare to turn right 30 degrees. By the time I got the plane flying level but still flying towards ZZZ1; the stall warning came on because I slowed the plane down too much. Immediately; I gave the plane full power and it continued on flying into the ZZZ1 class C airspace. Then; and only then; I was able to turn the plane slowly around to leave the ZZZ1 airspace. During all those times; I knew I violated the ZZZ1 airspace but I have no choice but to stay on top of the plane and fly the plane in the thick smoke. After I got the plane leveled and flying out of the ZZZ1 and class B airspace; I was flying at 7600 ft above all terrain. I then decided to head for flat land of ZZZ2 or ZZZ3 where there will not be any mountains around the airport and I can slowly descend to a low enough altitude to land visually. After 20 tense mins; I finally managed to land my plane in ZZZ3 and from there I rented a car and drove home. At this moment; my plane is still kept with the FBO at ZZZ3 and I will wait until next week after the smoke clears up before going to bring the plane back to hayward airport. The lesson I have learned from all this was that smoke and fog looks about the same from the ground at the airport; but the smoke haze is a lot more intimidating and challenging in the air and I will never again fly in those conditions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INEXPERIENCED INSTRUMENT RATED PRIVATE PLT GETS MORE IFR TIME THAN ANTICIPATED AFTER TKOF IN SMOKEY CONDITIONS. VIOLATES AREA CLASS C BEFORE GAINING CONTROL OF THE ACFT.

Narrative: I AM A 2000 HR RECREATIONAL PVT PLT WITH AN IFR RATING BUT NOT PROFICIENT IN IFR FLYING DUE TO LACK OF NECESSITY TO FLY UNDER IFR CONDITION. I JUST DO THE MINIMUM OF 6 APCHS TO REMAIN CURRENT. SINCE I KEPT MY PLANE IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA; I MOSTLY USE MY IFR SKILL TO DEPART THE BAY AREA IN THE MORNING FOG. I WOULD CLB AND BE ON TOP AFTER 2000 FT OF FOG. ON THE AFTERNOON OF JUN/XA/08; AROUND XA00; I CHKED THE WX AND FOUND THAT WX TO BE CLR WITH 4 MI VISIBILITY AT HAYWARD ARPT. I AM USED TO DEPARTING UNDER FOGGY CONDITIONS; THEREFORE; I MADE MY BIGGEST MISTAKE BY ASSUMING THAT I COULD CLB OUT IN A FEW THOUSAND FT AND SEE THE BLUE SKY. AFTER DEPARTING VFR FROM HAYWARD; I CLBED TO 6000 FT AND STILL REMAINED IN THE HAZE. BY THEN I REALIZED THAT THIS SMOKE FROM THE FIRE IS DIFFERENT FROM THE FOG I AM USED TO. AT THAT TIME I AM ALREADY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND I KNOW I WILL HAVE TROUBLE FINDING MY WAY BACK TO THE HAYWARD ARPT LOC FOR RWY 28L AND RETURN TO HAYWARD. I START TO TENSE UP AND BEING TENSE; I MADE THE PLANE UNSTABLE AND STARTED TO BANK L AND R. AT THAT MOMENT; I REALIZED THAT I WILL SOON LOSE CTL OF MY PLANE. IMMEDIATELY; I TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT ON THE PLANE HOPING TO BUY MYSELF SOME TIME TO DECIDE ON WHAT TO DO NEXT. SINCE THE PLANE WAS AT A L BANK WHEN I TURNED ON THE AUTOPLT; MY PLANE CONTINUED ITS BANK TOWARD ZZZ1 CLASS C AIRSPACE. KNOWING THAT I WILL BE VIOLATING THE ZZZ1 AIRSPACE SOON; I TRIED DESPERATELY TO SLOW DOWN THE PLANE AND TO TURN OFF THE AUTOPLT AND AT THAT MOMENT I HEARD THE CTLR TELLING ME TO TURN R 30 DEGS. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CTLR BUT THE PLANE WAS ALREADY AT A STEEP L BANK TURNING TOWARDS ZZZ1 ARPT AND I TRIED TO LEVEL THE PLANE FIRST BEFORE I DARE TO TURN R 30 DEGS. BY THE TIME I GOT THE PLANE FLYING LEVEL BUT STILL FLYING TOWARDS ZZZ1; THE STALL WARNING CAME ON BECAUSE I SLOWED THE PLANE DOWN TOO MUCH. IMMEDIATELY; I GAVE THE PLANE FULL PWR AND IT CONTINUED ON FLYING INTO THE ZZZ1 CLASS C AIRSPACE. THEN; AND ONLY THEN; I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE PLANE SLOWLY AROUND TO LEAVE THE ZZZ1 AIRSPACE. DURING ALL THOSE TIMES; I KNEW I VIOLATED THE ZZZ1 AIRSPACE BUT I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO STAY ON TOP OF THE PLANE AND FLY THE PLANE IN THE THICK SMOKE. AFTER I GOT THE PLANE LEVELED AND FLYING OUT OF THE ZZZ1 AND CLASS B AIRSPACE; I WAS FLYING AT 7600 FT ABOVE ALL TERRAIN. I THEN DECIDED TO HEAD FOR FLAT LAND OF ZZZ2 OR ZZZ3 WHERE THERE WILL NOT BE ANY MOUNTAINS AROUND THE ARPT AND I CAN SLOWLY DSND TO A LOW ENOUGH ALT TO LAND VISUALLY. AFTER 20 TENSE MINS; I FINALLY MANAGED TO LAND MY PLANE IN ZZZ3 AND FROM THERE I RENTED A CAR AND DROVE HOME. AT THIS MOMENT; MY PLANE IS STILL KEPT WITH THE FBO AT ZZZ3 AND I WILL WAIT UNTIL NEXT WK AFTER THE SMOKE CLRS UP BEFORE GOING TO BRING THE PLANE BACK TO HAYWARD ARPT. THE LESSON I HAVE LEARNED FROM ALL THIS WAS THAT SMOKE AND FOG LOOKS ABOUT THE SAME FROM THE GND AT THE ARPT; BUT THE SMOKE HAZE IS A LOT MORE INTIMIDATING AND CHALLENGING IN THE AIR AND I WILL NEVER AGAIN FLY IN THOSE CONDITIONS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Attributes
ACN	792848
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz1.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 7600
Environment
Weather Elements	other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 18 flight time total : 1968 flight time type : 138
ASRS Report	792848
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Airspace Structure Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Inexperienced instrument rated private pilot gets more IFR time than anticipated after takeoff in smokey conditions. Violates area class C before gaining control of the aircraft.