Narrative:

I am #4 in a procession of 4 seaplanes inbound from the north (around spruce cape) to land -- seaplanes #2 and #3 in the city channel area and seaplanes #1 and #4 at the kodiak state airport. All airplanes are spaced an average of 5 mins apart, 20 mins time from first landing to last landing. Kodiak tower is calling, the WX VFR, 1 1200' ceiling and 6 mi visibility. 7 mi north of the airport I encounter low WX. The tower has not offered any WX updates. The WX is still officially '1200 and 6'. I continue inbound because it is not unusual to encounter lower WX in the spruce cape-woody island area when the state airport has VFR conditions. The tower has not offered any WX updates so obviously the WX will improve as I get closer to the airport area and the tower in the past has been quite helpful in keeping the pilots informed of any changes in the WX so I trusted them. I had to fly close to the shoreline of kodiak to maintain a visual reference. I could not turn around and head back the way I came because the WX was closing in behind me. I would have lost my horizon if I had turned away from my visual reference. (The surface of the water blended together with the sky setting up a dangerous situation. With darkness approaching I did not have time to deviate from my inbound route. To maintain a constant visual reference I had to fly down the channel along side the city of kodiak. I could not land in the water before I reached the channel area because the water was too rough. I could not land in the water when I reached the channel because there was a large swell running into the channel. I could not land in the water within the channel area because airplane #3 was sitting in the middle of the channel waiting to get to its floatplane dock. Tower still has not offered any WX updates even though it is quite obvious now that the WX is considerably less than that of 1200' and 6 mi. My route (my only option) takes my by the city floatplane dock where 2 FAA inspectors witness the 'fly-by'. 2 mi north of the state airport I pick up the airport lights, continue inbound and make an uneventful landing on runway 25. I had been lured into the airport by a misrepresentation of the present WX. I had only one option open to me. That option was to fly the pattern. I did, maintaining a visual reference the whole time with the shoreline and continue inbound to the state airport. To attempt to do anything else would have been foolish and would have put myself, my passenger and my airplane into a lot more jeopardy than we were already in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT CONTINUED VISUAL APCH TO KDK IN WX OBSERVED TO BE LESS THAN VFR MINIMUMS. TWO FAA INSPECTORS WITNESSED A LOW FLY BY TO LNDG AREA.

Narrative: I AM #4 IN A PROCESSION OF 4 SEAPLANES INBND FROM THE N (AROUND SPRUCE CAPE) TO LAND -- SEAPLANES #2 AND #3 IN THE CITY CHANNEL AREA AND SEAPLANES #1 AND #4 AT THE KODIAK STATE ARPT. ALL AIRPLANES ARE SPACED AN AVERAGE OF 5 MINS APART, 20 MINS TIME FROM FIRST LNDG TO LAST LNDG. KODIAK TWR IS CALLING, THE WX VFR, 1 1200' CEILING AND 6 MI VISIBILITY. 7 MI N OF THE ARPT I ENCOUNTER LOW WX. THE TWR HAS NOT OFFERED ANY WX UPDATES. THE WX IS STILL OFFICIALLY '1200 AND 6'. I CONTINUE INBND BECAUSE IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO ENCOUNTER LOWER WX IN THE SPRUCE CAPE-WOODY ISLAND AREA WHEN THE STATE ARPT HAS VFR CONDITIONS. THE TWR HAS NOT OFFERED ANY WX UPDATES SO OBVIOUSLY THE WX WILL IMPROVE AS I GET CLOSER TO THE ARPT AREA AND THE TWR IN THE PAST HAS BEEN QUITE HELPFUL IN KEEPING THE PLTS INFORMED OF ANY CHANGES IN THE WX SO I TRUSTED THEM. I HAD TO FLY CLOSE TO THE SHORELINE OF KODIAK TO MAINTAIN A VISUAL REFERENCE. I COULD NOT TURN AROUND AND HEAD BACK THE WAY I CAME BECAUSE THE WX WAS CLOSING IN BEHIND ME. I WOULD HAVE LOST MY HORIZON IF I HAD TURNED AWAY FROM MY VISUAL REFERENCE. (THE SURFACE OF THE WATER BLENDED TOGETHER WITH THE SKY SETTING UP A DANGEROUS SITUATION. WITH DARKNESS APCHING I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO DEVIATE FROM MY INBND ROUTE. TO MAINTAIN A CONSTANT VISUAL REFERENCE I HAD TO FLY DOWN THE CHANNEL ALONG SIDE THE CITY OF KODIAK. I COULD NOT LAND IN THE WATER BEFORE I REACHED THE CHANNEL AREA BECAUSE THE WATER WAS TOO ROUGH. I COULD NOT LAND IN THE WATER WHEN I REACHED THE CHANNEL BECAUSE THERE WAS A LARGE SWELL RUNNING INTO THE CHANNEL. I COULD NOT LAND IN THE WATER WITHIN THE CHANNEL AREA BECAUSE AIRPLANE #3 WAS SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CHANNEL WAITING TO GET TO ITS FLOATPLANE DOCK. TWR STILL HAS NOT OFFERED ANY WX UPDATES EVEN THOUGH IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS NOW THAT THE WX IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN THAT OF 1200' AND 6 MI. MY ROUTE (MY ONLY OPTION) TAKES MY BY THE CITY FLOATPLANE DOCK WHERE 2 FAA INSPECTORS WITNESS THE 'FLY-BY'. 2 MI N OF THE STATE ARPT I PICK UP THE ARPT LIGHTS, CONTINUE INBND AND MAKE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG ON RWY 25. I HAD BEEN LURED INTO THE ARPT BY A MISREPRESENTATION OF THE PRESENT WX. I HAD ONLY ONE OPTION OPEN TO ME. THAT OPTION WAS TO FLY THE PATTERN. I DID, MAINTAINING A VISUAL REFERENCE THE WHOLE TIME WITH THE SHORELINE AND CONTINUE INBND TO THE STATE ARPT. TO ATTEMPT TO DO ANYTHING ELSE WOULD HAVE BEEN FOOLISH AND WOULD HAVE PUT MYSELF, MY PAX AND MY AIRPLANE INTO A LOT MORE JEOPARDY THAN WE WERE ALREADY IN.

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.