UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF ATA.

Narrative

MY OBSERVER AND I WERE ON A CAP SEARCH FOR A MISSING ACFT. WE HAD AVOIDED 2 TSTMS AND HAD FINISHED SEARCHING OUR ASSIGNED AREA. AS WE STARTED TO RETURN TO BASE WE BECAME AWARE THAT A LARGE TSTM WAS BLOCKING OUR PATH TO THE S. WE TURNED N; PLANNING TO PASS TO THE N OF PAE TO AVOID THE STORM. WE CONTACTED ZSE 6 NM W OF PAE FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING. I WAS APPARENTLY UNDER MORE STRESS THAN I REALIZED BECAUSE; TRYING TO STAY IN THE BEST WX; I FEEL I PASSED TOO CLOSE TO PAE. I WAS OVER PUGET SOUND AT 1000 FT MSL ABOUT 4 NM FROM THE CTR OF THE ARPT. THIS PUT ME ABOUT 400 FT ABOVE THE RWY ELEVATION AND PROBABLY OUT OF THE WAY OF ANY POTENTIAL ARRIVING TFC. I BELIEVE I FORGOT TO ASK ZSE TO CLR ME THROUGH THE AREA AND IN FACT SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED PAE TWR DIRECTLY AND ASKED THEM TO HAND ME OFF TO SEATTLE. AS IT WAS; ZSE ADVISED ME THAT ALT WAS AT MY DISCRETION AND DID NOT GIVE ANY TA'S; NOR DID WE SEE ANY OTHER ACFT; SO WE WERE PROBABLY ALONE. I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE KEPT MORE DISTANCE BTWN MY ACFT AND THE ARPT. ANOTHER MISTAKE I MADE WAS BECOMING SO FOCUSED ON COMPLETING THE SEARCH THAT I LET MY AWARENESS OF THE WX SIT SLIP. HAVING BEEN PUSHED OUT OF MY SEARCH AREA TWICE TODAY BY TSTMS; I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF THE DEVELOPING SIT. I ALSO STAYED TOO LATE. NIGHT WAS FALLING; MAKING WX PROBS WORSE. I WAS NEVER IN A SIT WHERE VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN ABOUT 5 NM OR THE CEILING LESS THAN 1000 FT ABOVE ME; BUT NIGHT WAS FALLING AND I WAS MANEUVERING TO AVOID A LARGE TSTM TO THE S AND WHAT LOOKED LIKE 1 OR 2 SMALL ONES TO THE N. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LAND AT PAE BUT DID NOT BECAUSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING STUCK OVERNIGHT. THESE STORMS COULD HAVE EASILY INTENSIFIED TO COVER THE ENTIRE AREA. I HAD GOOD LUCK; GOOD VISIBILITY AND GOOD CEILINGS; SO COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT INCIDENT; BUT I SHOULD HAVE LANDED AT PAE.