Narrative:

I was scheduled to departure haines, ak, at XA30. Due to my passenger meeting running late, we did not departure haines, ak, until approximately XA55. The WX had been ok with a few snow showers moving through the area between haines, ak, and juneau, ak. The forecast for the area was relatively good and calling for improvement. Official twilight was at XB07 that evening and I did not feel any apprehension due to the fact that I had just finished my night currency. I took off from haines, ak, and my destination was juneau international airport. The flight usually takes approximately 35 mins. As I approached juneau international I listened to ATIS. The information was calling the ceilings 1000 ft obscured and 2 mi visibility. Well, I called up the juneau tower and reported my position. I was then instructed that the control zone was in effect and that I was to remain outside the control zone due to a medium large transport which was approximately 16 mi out. I started to circle outside the control zone waiting for the medium large transport to land. Visibility was approximately 20 mi because I could see the jet as I was listening to the ATIS information. I continued to circle, able to see the jet all the way up to what is known as coughlan island, which is used for the missed approach point on the approach. The jet continued and landed and I was cleared to enter the control zone from the northwest and to remain at or below 4200 ft and to report 1 mi final. I was cleared to enter the control zone with another company plane and to remain visually separated. I followed the other plane approximately 1-1/2 mi behind him. He landed and taxied off and I was cleared to land. I came in, landed and taxied in to the main ramp area. Upon review of the FARS, I was in violation due to the fact that it was night and I needed a SVFR clearance to get in. This usually doesn't happen because most of the time we fly all day flts, and being in ak, the IFR is not useful for most atx operators because of the limitations, MEA, etc. Therefore, I now know and will remember in the future about SVFR at night, but I know this does not excuse my action and lack of knowledge. I feel that the circumstances were somewhat out of my control, but I know I am responsible for this oversight. Supplemental information from acn 203240: as we are a VFR day night operation, I feel we should have covered this area better in training. I have modified our training manual to reflect this. I believe this may be a problem unique to ak operators as there is very little IFR, so not many pilots are IFR current, yet we do fly night VFR in good conditions, but due to poor forecasting, we can get caught out.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX MAKES APCH INTO CTL ZONE UNDER SVFR AT NIGHT WHEN NOT IFR CURRENT.

Narrative: I WAS SCHEDULED TO DEP HAINES, AK, AT XA30. DUE TO MY PAX MEETING RUNNING LATE, WE DID NOT DEP HAINES, AK, UNTIL APPROX XA55. THE WX HAD BEEN OK WITH A FEW SNOW SHOWERS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA BTWN HAINES, AK, AND JUNEAU, AK. THE FORECAST FOR THE AREA WAS RELATIVELY GOOD AND CALLING FOR IMPROVEMENT. OFFICIAL TWILIGHT WAS AT XB07 THAT EVENING AND I DID NOT FEEL ANY APPREHENSION DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAD JUST FINISHED MY NIGHT CURRENCY. I TOOK OFF FROM HAINES, AK, AND MY DEST WAS JUNEAU INTL ARPT. THE FLT USUALLY TAKES APPROX 35 MINS. AS I APCHED JUNEAU INTL I LISTENED TO ATIS. THE INFO WAS CALLING THE CEILINGS 1000 FT OBSCURED AND 2 MI VISIBILITY. WELL, I CALLED UP THE JUNEAU TWR AND RPTED MY POS. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED THAT THE CTL ZONE WAS IN EFFECT AND THAT I WAS TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE CTL ZONE DUE TO A MLG WHICH WAS APPROX 16 MI OUT. I STARTED TO CIRCLE OUTSIDE THE CTL ZONE WAITING FOR THE MLG TO LAND. VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 20 MI BECAUSE I COULD SEE THE JET AS I WAS LISTENING TO THE ATIS INFO. I CONTINUED TO CIRCLE, ABLE TO SEE THE JET ALL THE WAY UP TO WHAT IS KNOWN AS COUGHLAN ISLAND, WHICH IS USED FOR THE MISSED APCH POINT ON THE APCH. THE JET CONTINUED AND LANDED AND I WAS CLRED TO ENTER THE CTL ZONE FROM THE NW AND TO REMAIN AT OR BELOW 4200 FT AND TO RPT 1 MI FINAL. I WAS CLRED TO ENTER THE CTL ZONE WITH ANOTHER COMPANY PLANE AND TO REMAIN VISUALLY SEPARATED. I FOLLOWED THE OTHER PLANE APPROX 1-1/2 MI BEHIND HIM. HE LANDED AND TAXIED OFF AND I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I CAME IN, LANDED AND TAXIED IN TO THE MAIN RAMP AREA. UPON REVIEW OF THE FARS, I WAS IN VIOLATION DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT WAS NIGHT AND I NEEDED A SVFR CLRNC TO GET IN. THIS USUALLY DOESN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME WE FLY ALL DAY FLTS, AND BEING IN AK, THE IFR IS NOT USEFUL FOR MOST ATX OPERATORS BECAUSE OF THE LIMITATIONS, MEA, ETC. THEREFORE, I NOW KNOW AND WILL REMEMBER IN THE FUTURE ABOUT SVFR AT NIGHT, BUT I KNOW THIS DOES NOT EXCUSE MY ACTION AND LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. I FEEL THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE SOMEWHAT OUT OF MY CTL, BUT I KNOW I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS OVERSIGHT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 203240: AS WE ARE A VFR DAY NIGHT OP, I FEEL WE SHOULD HAVE COVERED THIS AREA BETTER IN TRAINING. I HAVE MODIFIED OUR TRAINING MANUAL TO REFLECT THIS. I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE A PROBLEM UNIQUE TO AK OPERATORS AS THERE IS VERY LITTLE IFR, SO NOT MANY PLTS ARE IFR CURRENT, YET WE DO FLY NIGHT VFR IN GOOD CONDITIONS, BUT DUE TO POOR FORECASTING, WE CAN GET CAUGHT OUT.

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.