Narrative:

I flew to guntley memorial from waukesha, my home base, about 15 NM, for maintenance. Automated WX forecast was low ceilings and 4 or 5 mi for the rest of the afternoon. About local time I departed guntley because of increasing haze. En route to waukesha I had 1700 or about 900' AGL ceiling and 4 mi. I called waukesha about the time that I entered the control zone, as indicated on the chart. First error was the I should have called about the double highway near the towers marked 1463. After a more than brief delay, controller #1 responded with detailed field conditions. I called back and asked for runway assignment, as I did not recognize that the controller was telling me the field was IFR. After about a 30 second delay, controller advised that the field was IFR. The time delay was significant because by that time I had progressed to about 1 1/2 mi from the field. Visibility was 3 mi which I reported, and I reported field in sight. Tower operator #1 requested immediate right turn to south as shown on the chart, as they had traffic on instrument approach to runway 28 at 1900' MSL. I was in the clear at 1700'. I circled to the southwest and requested SVFR clearance, which was given and I landed on runway 10 as shown. Visibility was generally about 3 mi. Controller #2, not the one with whom I had been working, gave me a severe advisory when I cleared the runway. After parking I called to ask for a postmortem, which we did when I went up to the tower. Controller #1 had left by this time. Controller #2 agreed with my contention that they could have been more explicit on the first radio contact that the field was IFR. #2 also stated that #1 was still in training and that his technique was developing, and that they would review their handling of the situation to avoid problems in the future. #2 went on to explain that only the pilot could initiate request for SVFR clearance, a fact that had escaped me during my training (see addendum). The meeting with #2 was quite cordial. I left with a better understanding of the episode. Total time of the flight was just 20 mins from departure to tie-down.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT ENTERS CTL ZONE PRIOR TO RECEIVING SVFR CLRNC.

Narrative: I FLEW TO GUNTLEY MEMORIAL FROM WAUKESHA, MY HOME BASE, ABOUT 15 NM, FOR MAINT. AUTOMATED WX FORECAST WAS LOW CEILINGS AND 4 OR 5 MI FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON. ABOUT LCL TIME I DEPARTED GUNTLEY BECAUSE OF INCREASING HAZE. ENRTE TO WAUKESHA I HAD 1700 OR ABOUT 900' AGL CEILING AND 4 MI. I CALLED WAUKESHA ABOUT THE TIME THAT I ENTERED THE CTL ZONE, AS INDICATED ON THE CHART. FIRST ERROR WAS THE I SHOULD HAVE CALLED ABOUT THE DOUBLE HWY NEAR THE TWRS MARKED 1463. AFTER A MORE THAN BRIEF DELAY, CTLR #1 RESPONDED WITH DETAILED FIELD CONDITIONS. I CALLED BACK AND ASKED FOR RWY ASSIGNMENT, AS I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT THE CTLR WAS TELLING ME THE FIELD WAS IFR. AFTER ABOUT A 30 SEC DELAY, CTLR ADVISED THAT THE FIELD WAS IFR. THE TIME DELAY WAS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE BY THAT TIME I HAD PROGRESSED TO ABOUT 1 1/2 MI FROM THE FIELD. VISIBILITY WAS 3 MI WHICH I RPTED, AND I RPTED FIELD IN SIGHT. TWR OPERATOR #1 REQUESTED IMMEDIATE RIGHT TURN TO S AS SHOWN ON THE CHART, AS THEY HAD TFC ON INSTRUMENT APCH TO RWY 28 AT 1900' MSL. I WAS IN THE CLR AT 1700'. I CIRCLED TO THE SW AND REQUESTED SVFR CLRNC, WHICH WAS GIVEN AND I LANDED ON RWY 10 AS SHOWN. VISIBILITY WAS GENERALLY ABOUT 3 MI. CTLR #2, NOT THE ONE WITH WHOM I HAD BEEN WORKING, GAVE ME A SEVERE ADVISORY WHEN I CLRED THE RWY. AFTER PARKING I CALLED TO ASK FOR A POSTMORTEM, WHICH WE DID WHEN I WENT UP TO THE TWR. CTLR #1 HAD LEFT BY THIS TIME. CTLR #2 AGREED WITH MY CONTENTION THAT THEY COULD HAVE BEEN MORE EXPLICIT ON THE FIRST RADIO CONTACT THAT THE FIELD WAS IFR. #2 ALSO STATED THAT #1 WAS STILL IN TRNING AND THAT HIS TECHNIQUE WAS DEVELOPING, AND THAT THEY WOULD REVIEW THEIR HANDLING OF THE SITUATION TO AVOID PROBS IN THE FUTURE. #2 WENT ON TO EXPLAIN THAT ONLY THE PLT COULD INITIATE REQUEST FOR SVFR CLRNC, A FACT THAT HAD ESCAPED ME DURING MY TRNING (SEE ADDENDUM). THE MEETING WITH #2 WAS QUITE CORDIAL. I LEFT WITH A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE EPISODE. TOTAL TIME OF THE FLT WAS JUST 20 MINS FROM DEP TO TIE-DOWN.

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.