Narrative:

I fly for a VFR only company whose fltline is composed mainly of small aircraft X and small aircraft Y on floats. I fly the only mutli-engine, wheel plane they own. This aircraft flys 1 route, ketchikan, ak, to klawock, ak, and return. The terrain is mountainous to the salt water. There is 1 primary route with isol rw and 3-5 visibility forecast. When we arrived at our primary route the pass was closed by a heavy rain squall. We did then make the decision to use the other route as it was what we call 'workable', meaning adequate terrain clearance and visibility of 3-10 mi. We used this route to cross the island but found that these isolated squalls were consolidating rapidly and we could not make our destination (klw). When we tried to return to ktn, we found the way we came blocked by heavy rain showers and fog. We circled and tried other ways to get back. By now ceilings and visibilities were deteriorating so I began a VFR climb to the west (low terrain, open water). After reaching a safe altitude, I turned back to the east (back to ktn) and could not maintain VFR. By the time my copilot and I decided our course of action, established a heading, and tuned our radios, we were VFR again. In closing I will add radio contact can be marginal and there is no official WX reporting at the destination airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX ACFT COMPANY AUTHORIZED VFR FLT ONLY. FLC ENCOUNTERED WX, SEVERAL HDGS, ALTS, ALTERNATE RTE TRY. FINALLY BROKE OUT VFR AGAIN.

Narrative: I FLY FOR A VFR ONLY COMPANY WHOSE FLTLINE IS COMPOSED MAINLY OF SMA X AND SMA Y ON FLOATS. I FLY THE ONLY MUTLI-ENG, WHEEL PLANE THEY OWN. THIS ACFT FLYS 1 RTE, KETCHIKAN, AK, TO KLAWOCK, AK, AND RETURN. THE TERRAIN IS MOUNTAINOUS TO THE SALT WATER. THERE IS 1 PRIMARY RTE WITH ISOL RW AND 3-5 VISIBILITY FORECAST. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT OUR PRIMARY RTE THE PASS WAS CLOSED BY A HVY RAIN SQUALL. WE DID THEN MAKE THE DECISION TO USE THE OTHER RTE AS IT WAS WHAT WE CALL 'WORKABLE', MEANING ADEQUATE TERRAIN CLRNC AND VISIBILITY OF 3-10 MI. WE USED THIS RTE TO CROSS THE ISLAND BUT FOUND THAT THESE ISOLATED SQUALLS WERE CONSOLIDATING RAPIDLY AND WE COULD NOT MAKE OUR DEST (KLW). WHEN WE TRIED TO RETURN TO KTN, WE FOUND THE WAY WE CAME BLOCKED BY HVY RAIN SHOWERS AND FOG. WE CIRCLED AND TRIED OTHER WAYS TO GET BACK. BY NOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WERE DETERIORATING SO I BEGAN A VFR CLB TO THE W (LOW TERRAIN, OPEN WATER). AFTER REACHING A SAFE ALT, I TURNED BACK TO THE E (BACK TO KTN) AND COULD NOT MAINTAIN VFR. BY THE TIME MY COPLT AND I DECIDED OUR COURSE OF ACTION, ESTABLISHED A HDG, AND TUNED OUR RADIOS, WE WERE VFR AGAIN. IN CLOSING I WILL ADD RADIO CONTACT CAN BE MARGINAL AND THERE IS NO OFFICIAL WX RPTING AT THE DEST ARPT.

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.