Narrative:

I was landing at my home airport (hawthorne, ca) where visibility was quoted as 7 mi (ATIS). In-flight visibility was less than 2 mi due to haze and low stratus off the west end of the runway with sun reflecting off the clouds. I reported over compton airport (a normal reporting point). The normal guidance is 'make straight in, report crossing the harbor freeway at or above 1500 ft'. In this case I was told to make a left base at 'the' freeway. This direction would potentially put me in conflict with any traffic on a downwind departure. From my position in a low wing aircraft I would be making a blind right turn across downwind departing traffic. I have been flying out of hhr since 1974 and never received this direction before. As I feared, just as I began a right turn to a left base, I had to make an abrupt descent and hard turn to avoid a conflict with another aircraft on a downwind departure. I landed uneventfully but subsequently spoke to the controller on the telephone. The conversation was cordial and safety oriented, but I was unable to convince him of what I perceived as a dangerous situation. The conversation ended with my offer to fly him over the route to show him the potential danger, especially when one is flying into the sun in reduced in-flight visibility, and flying straight at airline traffic approaching lax. It probably would not have been a problem had the visibility actually been 7 mi. P.south. A valuable lesson for me was to avoid the 'mindset trap'. I had heard the same direction hundreds of times, and when I received something different it took several seconds to blank out my expectation and rethink the new guidance -- time I should have been looking for traffic.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC IN TFC PATTERN PROC. FLT VISIBILITY WAS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN RPTED GND VISIBILITY, ALMOST A POSITIVE QUALIFICATION FOR IMC IN VFR FLT.

Narrative: I WAS LNDG AT MY HOME ARPT (HAWTHORNE, CA) WHERE VISIBILITY WAS QUOTED AS 7 MI (ATIS). INFLT VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN 2 MI DUE TO HAZE AND LOW STRATUS OFF THE W END OF THE RWY WITH SUN REFLECTING OFF THE CLOUDS. I RPTED OVER COMPTON ARPT (A NORMAL RPTING POINT). THE NORMAL GUIDANCE IS 'MAKE STRAIGHT IN, RPT XING THE HARBOR FREEWAY AT OR ABOVE 1500 FT'. IN THIS CASE I WAS TOLD TO MAKE A L BASE AT 'THE' FREEWAY. THIS DIRECTION WOULD POTENTIALLY PUT ME IN CONFLICT WITH ANY TFC ON A DOWNWIND DEP. FROM MY POS IN A LOW WING ACFT I WOULD BE MAKING A BLIND R TURN ACROSS DOWNWIND DEPARTING TFC. I HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT OF HHR SINCE 1974 AND NEVER RECEIVED THIS DIRECTION BEFORE. AS I FEARED, JUST AS I BEGAN A R TURN TO A L BASE, I HAD TO MAKE AN ABRUPT DSCNT AND HARD TURN TO AVOID A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON A DOWNWIND DEP. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY BUT SUBSEQUENTLY SPOKE TO THE CTLR ON THE TELEPHONE. THE CONVERSATION WAS CORDIAL AND SAFETY ORIENTED, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO CONVINCE HIM OF WHAT I PERCEIVED AS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE CONVERSATION ENDED WITH MY OFFER TO FLY HIM OVER THE RTE TO SHOW HIM THE POTENTIAL DANGER, ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE IS FLYING INTO THE SUN IN REDUCED INFLT VISIBILITY, AND FLYING STRAIGHT AT AIRLINE TFC APCHING LAX. IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM HAD THE VISIBILITY ACTUALLY BEEN 7 MI. P.S. A VALUABLE LESSON FOR ME WAS TO AVOID THE 'MINDSET TRAP'. I HAD HEARD THE SAME DIRECTION HUNDREDS OF TIMES, AND WHEN I RECEIVED SOMETHING DIFFERENT IT TOOK SEVERAL SECONDS TO BLANK OUT MY EXPECTATION AND RETHINK THE NEW GUIDANCE -- TIME I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR TFC.

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.