Narrative:

Small transport was entering from the west at 1500'. Visibility was approximately 5 mi (from the buskin pass I could see the state airport and gibson cove). Upon reaching the southwest end of buskin lake, I reported to the tower, 'tower, buskin for lily lake.' tower then replied, 'the WX conditions at field below VFR minimum, give intentions.' having descended to 800' to stay below clouds, I reported back that I would like to land either at lily lake or the channel. Tower repeated the WX conditions and again asked my intentions. At this point I was between the mountain range and the antenna field, and below the clouds. I asked for a special. Tower then repeated the WX conditions and to 'hold clear of the control zone due to presence of other aircraft in control zone,' then asked other pilot for his position. The other aircraft reported he was over town, for lake. By the time tower had reported for me to hold clear of the controller zone, I was unable to execute any maneuver safely except straight ahead--which put me into the control zone. Knowing the position of the other aircraft,and the position I myself was in, the only safe maneuver I could execute was to drop down to the surface of the water and report my position (position being gibson cove). As I descended through 450' I had 4 mi visibility and the other aircraft in sight. At that time I was ready to report my position and reason for entering the controller zone, but tower was addressing the other, after which tower asked for my position. I reported, 'holding low over trident basin,' and gave my reason for entering the control zone (which was in the best interest of the safety of both aircraft). With WX conditions diminishing over lily lake, I proceeded to land in the channel. In prior similar situations, after reporting to tower, tower would reply, 'WX conditions below VFR minimum, aircraft in control zone, hold outside of zone.' had tower reported from the start the presence of another aircraft, I would have had the time to safely maneuver my aircraft clear of the control zone. In addition, in the future after receiving the information on marginal WX, I believe I'll develop my hold and then await further clrncs to avoid this problem from occurring again. Also, when reporting lake, you are already in the air traffic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ENTERED CTL ZONE AFTER BEING REQUESTED TO HOLD OUTSIDE DUE TO LOW ALT AND TERRAIN CREATING INABILITY TO MANEUVER TO REMAIN CLEAR.

Narrative: SMT WAS ENTERING FROM THE W AT 1500'. VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 5 MI (FROM THE BUSKIN PASS I COULD SEE THE STATE ARPT AND GIBSON COVE). UPON REACHING THE SW END OF BUSKIN LAKE, I RPTED TO THE TWR, 'TWR, BUSKIN FOR LILY LAKE.' TWR THEN REPLIED, 'THE WX CONDITIONS AT FIELD BELOW VFR MINIMUM, GIVE INTENTIONS.' HAVING DSNDED TO 800' TO STAY BELOW CLOUDS, I RPTED BACK THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LAND EITHER AT LILY LAKE OR THE CHANNEL. TWR REPEATED THE WX CONDITIONS AND AGAIN ASKED MY INTENTIONS. AT THIS POINT I WAS BTWN THE MOUNTAIN RANGE AND THE ANTENNA FIELD, AND BELOW THE CLOUDS. I ASKED FOR A SPECIAL. TWR THEN REPEATED THE WX CONDITIONS AND TO 'HOLD CLR OF THE CTL ZONE DUE TO PRESENCE OF OTHER ACFT IN CTL ZONE,' THEN ASKED OTHER PLT FOR HIS POS. THE OTHER ACFT RPTED HE WAS OVER TOWN, FOR LAKE. BY THE TIME TWR HAD RPTED FOR ME TO HOLD CLR OF THE CTLR ZONE, I WAS UNABLE TO EXECUTE ANY MANEUVER SAFELY EXCEPT STRAIGHT AHEAD--WHICH PUT ME INTO THE CTL ZONE. KNOWING THE POS OF THE OTHER ACFT,AND THE POS I MYSELF WAS IN, THE ONLY SAFE MANEUVER I COULD EXECUTE WAS TO DROP DOWN TO THE SURFACE OF THE WATER AND RPT MY POS (POS BEING GIBSON COVE). AS I DSNDED THROUGH 450' I HAD 4 MI VISIBILITY AND THE OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT. AT THAT TIME I WAS READY TO RPT MY POS AND REASON FOR ENTERING THE CTLR ZONE, BUT TWR WAS ADDRESSING THE OTHER, AFTER WHICH TWR ASKED FOR MY POS. I RPTED, 'HOLDING LOW OVER TRIDENT BASIN,' AND GAVE MY REASON FOR ENTERING THE CTL ZONE (WHICH WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE SAFETY OF BOTH ACFT). WITH WX CONDITIONS DIMINISHING OVER LILY LAKE, I PROCEEDED TO LAND IN THE CHANNEL. IN PRIOR SIMILAR SITUATIONS, AFTER RPTING TO TWR, TWR WOULD REPLY, 'WX CONDITIONS BELOW VFR MINIMUM, ACFT IN CTL ZONE, HOLD OUTSIDE OF ZONE.' HAD TWR RPTED FROM THE START THE PRESENCE OF ANOTHER ACFT, I WOULD HAVE HAD THE TIME TO SAFELY MANEUVER MY ACFT CLEAR OF THE CTL ZONE. IN ADDITION, IN THE FUTURE AFTER RECEIVING THE INFO ON MARGINAL WX, I BELIEVE I'LL DEVELOP MY HOLD AND THEN AWAIT FURTHER CLRNCS TO AVOID THIS PROB FROM OCCURRING AGAIN. ALSO, WHEN RPTING LAKE, YOU ARE ALREADY IN THE ATA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.