Narrative:

This was a VFR flight from northway, ak to gulkana, ak. Route of flight was ort-tok-mentasa pass direct gulkana. At time of departure gulkana was reporting 05 broken 3 fog. Marginal VFR conditions were reported in the pass. Actual flight conditions were 30 scattered 15 up to the pass and then a fairly consistent 16 overcast 10 from the pass until about 2 NM north of gulkana. At 10 NM from gulkana contact was made with gulkana FSS and it was understood that current gulkana was 16 overcast 3. This airport advisory was acknowledged and the flight continued. 2 NM north of gulkana a cloud bank was encountered reducing the ceiling to about 600'. An uneventful landing was made. After thinking about things after landing, it was realized that the FSS advisory was probably misunderstood. The 'marginal VFR' was in fact IFR and therefore a special VFR clearance should have been obtained prior to entering the control zone. A greater effort should have been made by the pilot to fully understand the gulkana WX prior to entering the control zone and barring this the flight should have been turned around before entering the 600' ceiling area. After the pilot verified reception of the airport advisory, it would have been most helpful if the FSS had said, 'the airport is IFR, what are your intentions'. This was not done. A personal visit to the gkn FSS was made after the flight but the subject of the violation was not brought up by pilot or the sole FSS specialist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA VFR IN MARGINAL VFR WX. ENTERED CTL ZONE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS WAS A VFR FLT FROM NORTHWAY, AK TO GULKANA, AK. ROUTE OF FLT WAS ORT-TOK-MENTASA PASS DIRECT GULKANA. AT TIME OF DEP GULKANA WAS REPORTING 05 BROKEN 3 FOG. MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS WERE REPORTED IN THE PASS. ACTUAL FLT CONDITIONS WERE 30 SCATTERED 15 UP TO THE PASS AND THEN A FAIRLY CONSISTENT 16 OVERCAST 10 FROM THE PASS UNTIL ABOUT 2 NM N OF GULKANA. AT 10 NM FROM GULKANA CONTACT WAS MADE WITH GULKANA FSS AND IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT CURRENT GULKANA WAS 16 OVERCAST 3. THIS ARPT ADVISORY WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AND THE FLT CONTINUED. 2 NM N OF GULKANA A CLOUD BANK WAS ENCOUNTERED REDUCING THE CEILING TO ABOUT 600'. AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. AFTER THINKING ABOUT THINGS AFTER LNDG, IT WAS REALIZED THAT THE FSS ADVISORY WAS PROBABLY MISUNDERSTOOD. THE 'MARGINAL VFR' WAS IN FACT IFR AND THEREFORE A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN OBTAINED PRIOR TO ENTERING THE CTL ZONE. A GREATER EFFORT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE BY THE PLT TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE GULKANA WX PRIOR TO ENTERING THE CTL ZONE AND BARRING THIS THE FLT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED AROUND BEFORE ENTERING THE 600' CEILING AREA. AFTER THE PLT VERIFIED RECEPTION OF THE ARPT ADVISORY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST HELPFUL IF THE FSS HAD SAID, 'THE ARPT IS IFR, WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS'. THIS WAS NOT DONE. A PERSONAL VISIT TO THE GKN FSS WAS MADE AFTER THE FLT BUT THE SUBJECT OF THE VIOLATION WAS NOT BROUGHT UP BY PLT OR THE SOLE FSS SPECIALIST.

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.