Narrative:

Was returning from a x-country (pleasure) flight over thousand oaks, ca, and saw clouds over my destination, camarillo. Checked oxr ATIS, 600' overcast 4FH. Oxr is 4 mi west of destination. Turned northwest-erly and descended to get under end of cloud cover. Visibility was 2+ mi at worst, ceiling seemed 800' MSL/700' AGL. Maintained 500+' MSL, avoided overflying suburban tracks, stayed over agricultural fields. Stayed over ca highway 118 until due north of cma, 2-3 mi, the usual spot for crossing midfield for landing runway 26. Having decided I was legal to fly over highway 118 at less than 700' with 1 mi visibility/clear of clouds, I continued to landing at cma. Making a normal approach to cma, calling my positions on 122.8 as in a usual pattern but lower at 500' MSL/AGL (roughly). I watched for traffic, especially looking east on base in case anyone was on the VOR approach, but that discrepancy didn't really register until I was parked and saw a couple of planes land west/O using the pattern. At that point, it finally occurred to me that I'd made a serious mistake. Analyst sheet: visibility flight rules, paragraph 91.105, basic VFR WX minimums: (C) except as provided in paragraph 91.107, no person may operate an aircraft, under VFR, within a control zone beneath the ceiling when the ceiling is less than 1000'. (D) except as provided in paragraph 91.107, no person may takeoff or land an aircraft, or enter the traffic pattern of an airport, under VFR, within a control zone--1) unless ground visibility at that airport is at least 3 SM; or 2) if ground visibility is not reported at that airport, unless flight visibility during landing or takeoff, or while operating in the traffic pattern is at least 3 SM.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LIGHT SINGLE ENGINE ACFT OPERATING INTO CAMARILLO ATTEMPTS VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: WAS RETURNING FROM A X-COUNTRY (PLEASURE) FLT OVER THOUSAND OAKS, CA, AND SAW CLOUDS OVER MY DEST, CAMARILLO. CHKED OXR ATIS, 600' OVCST 4FH. OXR IS 4 MI W OF DEST. TURNED NW-ERLY AND DSNDED TO GET UNDER END OF CLOUD COVER. VISIBILITY WAS 2+ MI AT WORST, CEILING SEEMED 800' MSL/700' AGL. MAINTAINED 500+' MSL, AVOIDED OVERFLYING SUBURBAN TRACKS, STAYED OVER AGRICULTURAL FIELDS. STAYED OVER CA HWY 118 UNTIL DUE N OF CMA, 2-3 MI, THE USUAL SPOT FOR XING MIDFIELD FOR LNDG RWY 26. HAVING DECIDED I WAS LEGAL TO FLY OVER HWY 118 AT LESS THAN 700' WITH 1 MI VISIBILITY/CLR OF CLOUDS, I CONTINUED TO LNDG AT CMA. MAKING A NORMAL APCH TO CMA, CALLING MY POSITIONS ON 122.8 AS IN A USUAL PATTERN BUT LOWER AT 500' MSL/AGL (ROUGHLY). I WATCHED FOR TFC, ESPECIALLY LOOKING E ON BASE IN CASE ANYONE WAS ON THE VOR APCH, BUT THAT DISCREPANCY DIDN'T REALLY REGISTER UNTIL I WAS PARKED AND SAW A COUPLE OF PLANES LAND W/O USING THE PATTERN. AT THAT POINT, IT FINALLY OCCURRED TO ME THAT I'D MADE A SERIOUS MISTAKE. ANALYST SHEET: VIS FLT RULES, PARAGRAPH 91.105, BASIC VFR WX MINIMUMS: (C) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 91.107, NO PERSON MAY OPERATE AN ACFT, UNDER VFR, WITHIN A CTL ZONE BENEATH THE CEILING WHEN THE CEILING IS LESS THAN 1000'. (D) EXCEPT AS PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 91.107, NO PERSON MAY TKOF OR LAND AN ACFT, OR ENTER THE TFC PATTERN OF AN ARPT, UNDER VFR, WITHIN A CTL ZONE--1) UNLESS GND VISIBILITY AT THAT ARPT IS AT LEAST 3 SM; OR 2) IF GND VISIBILITY IS NOT RPTED AT THAT ARPT, UNLESS FLT VISIBILITY DURING LNDG OR TKOF, OR WHILE OPERATING IN THE TFC PATTERN IS AT LEAST 3 SM.

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.