AIR TAXI DEPARTS VFR IN CTL ZONE WHEN BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative

ON ARR INTO SMX THE WX WAS RPTED 300 THIN BROKEN; 6 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG. WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR A LOC BACK COURSE; I SPOTTED THE ARPT AND SHOT A VISUAL APCH. AFTER LNDG; I STARTED TO TRY TO COORDINATE AN IFR DEP CLRNC IN ANTICIPATION OF POSSIBLE WORSENING WX TO IFR. THE TWR CLOSES AT XX00 PDT. I WAS TRYING TO OBTAIN A CLRNC WITH A VOID TIME BECAUSE I WOULD BE DEPARTING AFTER XX00. GND WAS UNABLE TO COORDINATE THE CLRNC. BEFORE THEY CLOSED; I ASKED FOR THE LATEST WX AND IF THE CTL ZONE WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AFTER TWR CLOSURE. I WAS TOLD THE WX HADN'T COME IN AND THE CTL ZONE WOULD NOT BE IN EFFECT AFTER TWR CLOSURE. THIS BROUGHT A CONCLUSION TO MY MIND THAT NO FURTHER WX UPDATES WOULD BE POSSIBLE. ALSO; SINCE I WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART IN 2 MINS; I WAS STARTING TO FEEL PRESSED FOR TIME. I TRIED TO GET MY CLRNC BY PHONING HAWTHORNE FSS. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO GIVE MY CLRNC TO ME. I WAS TOLD TO PHONE ZLA. SINCE I BELIEVED NO FURTHER WX UPDATES WERE POSSIBLE; I DIDN'T ASK FOR ONE; AND FSS DIDN'T VOLUNTEER THE WX. A PHONED ZLA AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY HAD AN ACFT INBOUND AND THEY SUGGESTED I CALL THEM ON FREQ 119.05 ON TAXI OUT ONCE THE ACFT HAD LANDED. I LOADED THE ACFT AND STARTED UP. I REALIZE NOW I SHOULD HAVE PRESSED CTR TO GIVE ME A DEP WINDOW WITH A VOID TIME SO I COULDN'T GET BACKED INTO A CORNER LATER. I WAS UNABLE TO RAISE CTR ON FREQ. THE PHONE THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO ME WAS NOW LOCKED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. I SHOULD HAVE SHUT DOWN AT THIS POINT AND TRIED TO COORDINATE A CLRNC WITH FSS OVER THE RADIO. INSTEAD; WHILE SEARCHING FOR OTHER OPTIONS; I FOUND A LARGE HOLE IN THE CLOUDS EXTENDING FROM THE SE 1/3 TO 1/2 OF THE ARPT FOR AS FAR AS I COULD SEE SE (MY DIRECTION OF FLT). THE CLOUD LAYER STILL APPEARED TO BE THIN AND VISIBILITY APPEARED TO BE AT LEAST 3 MI. I ALSO THOUGHT THE AIRSPACE WAS UNCTLED SO I DEPARTED. I WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CLOUD CLRNC AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ON CLBOUT; I HEARD CTR ADVISE AN ACFT INBOUND THAT THE WX WAS 200 BROKEN 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG. CTR ALSO ADVISED THE CTL ZONE WAS EFFECTIVE. IN RETROSPECT; I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE WX AND AIRSPACE. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO BE OPERATING IFR IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE (WHICH COMPANY MANUAL DOES NOT ALLOW). THROUGH SOME ASSUMPTIONS; MISUNDERSTANDINGS; AND INCORRECT INFO (FROM SMA GND) I WAS OPERATING VFR IN AIRSPACE BELOW VFR WX MINIMUMS. I ALSO ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE PRESSURED BY MY SCHEDULE AND DESIRE TO GET HOME. FORTUNATELY; I WAS ABLE TO LEARN A VALUABLE LESSON WITHOUT ENDANGERING MYSELF OR OTHERS.