Narrative:

Upon arriving in the emporia area we were surprised to find a wide band of heavy ground fog covering the emporia area. I had tried unsuccessfully to reach wichita flight service before arriving, but was unable to get a response. I believe I might have some radio problems. In talking with emporia, I found they had 400 ft ceilings with the airport covered with fog. But it was VFR on top, no clouds and visibility unlimited. We were circling the area trying to figure out whether to return to bartlesville, or wait for the fog to lift. Since we were clear on top, it never crossed my mind that the control zone was effective. It's possible that I flew in the control zone without knowing it. Since we never saw the airport I am note sure if I actually was in the control zone. As far as safety was concerned, since it was clear VFR on top, I don't think I presented any threat to other traffic. After circling about 45 mins to the south and east of the airport where it was much clrer, we decided to try and have a look and see where the ceiling was. We found it to be about 1000 ft. A pilot departing emporia told us the frequency to use to get SVFR on 123.5. I called and got SVFR and went on into the airport. I was cleared to enter the control zone and was told to contact the local frequency. Upon landing, I tried to contact kansas city, was unable. After parking the plane, I noticed another plane on approach. I assumed that I didn't need to contact ZKC since another plane had been cleared for landing. As for flight planning it was probably not the best. I got my duat WX, and all stations were reporting clear, with emporia reporting patchy fog, 10 mi visibility and clear. Since I had been to emporia 3 other times since may, I thought I knew what to expect for WX. In bartlesville, it was clear and visibility was about a million mi. Since I only fly on nice clear days, and consider myself a very conservative pilot, when I encountered something beyond what I had expected, and try to avoid, I wasn't sure what to do. The things I am still not sure of: did I need to contact center and cancel SVFR clearance? Second was circling over the airport a violation, when I was in VFR on top of the fog? Third, I may not have maintained 1000 ft above the fog while circling in the airport area. I think more stress needs to be placed on what to do in unusual situations. Also the need to contact FSS directly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT ENCOUNTERS FOG AT DEST AT NON TWR ARPT. RECEIVES SVFR FROM CENTER.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING IN THE EMPORIA AREA WE WERE SURPRISED TO FIND A WIDE BAND OF HVY GND FOG COVERING THE EMPORIA AREA. I HAD TRIED UNSUCCESSFULLY TO REACH WICHITA FLT SVC BEFORE ARRIVING, BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET A RESPONSE. I BELIEVE I MIGHT HAVE SOME RADIO PROBLEMS. IN TALKING WITH EMPORIA, I FOUND THEY HAD 400 FT CEILINGS WITH THE ARPT COVERED WITH FOG. BUT IT WAS VFR ON TOP, NO CLOUDS AND VISIBILITY UNLIMITED. WE WERE CIRCLING THE AREA TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER TO RETURN TO BARTLESVILLE, OR WAIT FOR THE FOG TO LIFT. SINCE WE WERE CLR ON TOP, IT NEVER CROSSED MY MIND THAT THE CTL ZONE WAS EFFECTIVE. IT'S POSSIBLE THAT I FLEW IN THE CTL ZONE WITHOUT KNOWING IT. SINCE WE NEVER SAW THE ARPT I AM NOTE SURE IF I ACTUALLY WAS IN THE CTL ZONE. AS FAR AS SAFETY WAS CONCERNED, SINCE IT WAS CLR VFR ON TOP, I DON'T THINK I PRESENTED ANY THREAT TO OTHER TFC. AFTER CIRCLING ABOUT 45 MINS TO THE S AND E OF THE ARPT WHERE IT WAS MUCH CLRER, WE DECIDED TO TRY AND HAVE A LOOK AND SEE WHERE THE CEILING WAS. WE FOUND IT TO BE ABOUT 1000 FT. A PLT DEPARTING EMPORIA TOLD US THE FREQ TO USE TO GET SVFR ON 123.5. I CALLED AND GOT SVFR AND WENT ON INTO THE ARPT. I WAS CLRED TO ENTER THE CTL ZONE AND WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE LCL FREQ. UPON LNDG, I TRIED TO CONTACT KANSAS CITY, WAS UNABLE. AFTER PARKING THE PLANE, I NOTICED ANOTHER PLANE ON APCH. I ASSUMED THAT I DIDN'T NEED TO CONTACT ZKC SINCE ANOTHER PLANE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR LNDG. AS FOR FLT PLANNING IT WAS PROBABLY NOT THE BEST. I GOT MY DUAT WX, AND ALL STATIONS WERE RPTING CLR, WITH EMPORIA RPTING PATCHY FOG, 10 MI VISIBILITY AND CLR. SINCE I HAD BEEN TO EMPORIA 3 OTHER TIMES SINCE MAY, I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT FOR WX. IN BARTLESVILLE, IT WAS CLR AND VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT A MILLION MI. SINCE I ONLY FLY ON NICE CLR DAYS, AND CONSIDER MYSELF A VERY CONSERVATIVE PLT, WHEN I ENCOUNTERED SOMETHING BEYOND WHAT I HAD EXPECTED, AND TRY TO AVOID, I WASN'T SURE WHAT TO DO. THE THINGS I AM STILL NOT SURE OF: DID I NEED TO CONTACT CENTER AND CANCEL SVFR CLRNC? SECOND WAS CIRCLING OVER THE ARPT A VIOLATION, WHEN I WAS IN VFR ON TOP OF THE FOG? THIRD, I MAY NOT HAVE MAINTAINED 1000 FT ABOVE THE FOG WHILE CIRCLING IN THE ARPT AREA. I THINK MORE STRESS NEEDS TO BE PLACED ON WHAT TO DO IN UNUSUAL SITUATIONS. ALSO THE NEED TO CONTACT FSS DIRECTLY.

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.