Narrative:

I was the pilot of an small aircraft flying from bur to mry. I had obtained a WX briefing. The WX conditions were reported to be clear. Visibility 10 mi, wind out of the south at about 15 KTS. Forecast for the airport at the time of my arrival was clear, 10 mi visibility. I filed a VFR flight plan with bur and departed. Primary navigation was by VORTAC with LORAN backup and visibility references. I remembered that I had not opened my flight plan so I called sba radio and opened it. The coastal highway was obscured by low clouds. These for the most part cleared by the time we reached big sur. My altitude was about 3000' MSL, and I contacted approach control. ATIS was not receivable. At about 270 degrees west of the expected location of the field, I encountered a bank of broken low clouds and estimated that I needed to descend to pattern altitude to make sure I could land and not violate visibility requirements. I had been handed off to the tower and I asked to do a 360 degree turn to the left to lose altitude. When I descended over the water to what I believed to be an appropriate altitude I proceeded inbound and picked up an appropriate heading for a left downwind for 28L. As I got closer to the ground (really close) the clouds were between me and the expected location of the airport. I then turned southwest to go to a clear area over the ocean to gain altitude and to regroup. This move, for which I did not have the permission of the tower, apparently conflicted with departing traffic, although this traffic was well clear of me and no close encounter took place. I was in contact with the tower at all times but probably did not communicate my intentions or my visibility problems as clearly as they might have desired. I felt that it was absolutely imperative that I maintain VFR and feel that the safe thing was to go away from the hills and clouds and ask permission later. After landing the tower supervisor called and discussed the matter with me. I tried to be conciliatory, since certainly I was not particularly proud of my pilotage, and she was civil but insisted that there was no visibility or cloud problem. While it is true that all of this could have been avoided by careful consideration of available maps and information, many 'flatlanders' are flying into this scenic area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT DEVIATES FROM TRAFFIC PATTERN TO AVOID LOW CLOUDS BETWEEN THE ACFT AND THE ARPT AND CAUSES A MINOR TRAFFIC CONFLICT WITH AN ACFT ON DEP.

Narrative: I WAS THE PLT OF AN SMA FLYING FROM BUR TO MRY. I HAD OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING. THE WX CONDITIONS WERE RPTED TO BE CLR. VISIBILITY 10 MI, WIND OUT OF THE S AT ABOUT 15 KTS. FORECAST FOR THE ARPT AT THE TIME OF MY ARR WAS CLR, 10 MI VISIBILITY. I FILED A VFR FLT PLAN WITH BUR AND DEPARTED. PRIMARY NAV WAS BY VORTAC WITH LORAN BACKUP AND VIS REFS. I REMEMBERED THAT I HAD NOT OPENED MY FLT PLAN SO I CALLED SBA RADIO AND OPENED IT. THE COASTAL HWY WAS OBSCURED BY LOW CLOUDS. THESE FOR THE MOST PART CLRED BY THE TIME WE REACHED BIG SUR. MY ALT WAS ABOUT 3000' MSL, AND I CONTACTED APCH CTL. ATIS WAS NOT RECEIVABLE. AT ABOUT 270 DEGS W OF THE EXPECTED LOCATION OF THE FIELD, I ENCOUNTERED A BANK OF BROKEN LOW CLOUDS AND ESTIMATED THAT I NEEDED TO DSND TO PATTERN ALT TO MAKE SURE I COULD LAND AND NOT VIOLATE VISIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. I HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO THE TWR AND I ASKED TO DO A 360 DEG TURN TO THE LEFT TO LOSE ALT. WHEN I DSNDED OVER THE WATER TO WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE AN APPROPRIATE ALT I PROCEEDED INBND AND PICKED UP AN APPROPRIATE HDG FOR A LEFT DOWNWIND FOR 28L. AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE GND (REALLY CLOSE) THE CLOUDS WERE BTWN ME AND THE EXPECTED LOCATION OF THE ARPT. I THEN TURNED SW TO GO TO A CLR AREA OVER THE OCEAN TO GAIN ALT AND TO REGROUP. THIS MOVE, FOR WHICH I DID NOT HAVE THE PERMISSION OF THE TWR, APPARENTLY CONFLICTED WITH DEPARTING TFC, ALTHOUGH THIS TFC WAS WELL CLR OF ME AND NO CLOSE ENCOUNTER TOOK PLACE. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR AT ALL TIMES BUT PROBABLY DID NOT COMMUNICATE MY INTENTIONS OR MY VISIBILITY PROBS AS CLEARLY AS THEY MIGHT HAVE DESIRED. I FELT THAT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY IMPERATIVE THAT I MAINTAIN VFR AND FEEL THAT THE SAFE THING WAS TO GO AWAY FROM THE HILLS AND CLOUDS AND ASK PERMISSION LATER. AFTER LNDG THE TWR SUPVR CALLED AND DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH ME. I TRIED TO BE CONCILIATORY, SINCE CERTAINLY I WAS NOT PARTICULARLY PROUD OF MY PILOTAGE, AND SHE WAS CIVIL BUT INSISTED THAT THERE WAS NO VISIBILITY OR CLOUD PROB. WHILE IT IS TRUE THAT ALL OF THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF AVAILABLE MAPS AND INFO, MANY 'FLATLANDERS' ARE FLYING INTO THIS SCENIC AREA.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.