Originally Posted by
simon001
Van Nuys 1000 overcast and then he was heading for the mountains. You drive up over a mountain pass between CMA and Thousand Oaks. Definitely over 1000'. It's mountains everywhere.
Van Nuys was 1100 ft overcast AGL (per ATC). VNY elevation is 800 ft. So that means ceiling was 1900 ft MSL at VNY. The highest elevation on Hwy 101 between VNY and Camarillo is about 1150 ft MSL (about 1 mi east of Las Virgenes Rd). So *IF* the ceiling was 1900 ft MSL in the mountains, they would have had at least 750 ft of clearance above Hwy 101.
Unfortunately, this was not the case, and the ceiling was much lower than 1900 ft MSL in the mountains. The fog was around 1150 ft MSL, which local residents said it was the lowest they had ever seen.
But it could explain why the pilot was hopeful that it would be clear enough for VFR in the mountains.