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An atx small aircraft pilot reports that the unk rotating beacon, controled by ome FSS, is not turned on in IMC. He further states that this led him to believe that the field was in VMC. He took off into less than VMC.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 225827 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199211 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : unk |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zob |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 600 |
| ASRS Report | 225827 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
| Airport | other physical facility |
Narrative:
Company WX reported via computer said WX was estimated 700 scattered, 1000 overcast, 20 mi visibility. I departed 10 mins later. Between the time I read the report and departed, a new WX report came out calling for 700 broken, 20 mi visibility. I departed unaware control zone was below VFR mins and another aircraft was cleared into the zone via FSS on a special. The AWOS was turned off. When the control zone and WX observer is on duty, AWOS goes off and you have no VHF to him, you must call FSS via rco. They don't turn on the rotating beacon during WX lower than VFR condition and they should! This would prevent future conflicts. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states that 'rco' is 'remote communications outlet.' a VHF station communicating directly with nome FSS. Unk has a control zone with no tower controled by nome. Nome does not always turn on the rotating beacon when the control zone is IMC. Nome says that the aim does not require it to do so. Conventional wisdom and custom seem to require that the light be on in IMC. There was no traffic conflict on this day.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ATX SMA PLT RPTS THAT THE UNK ROTATING BEACON, CTLED BY OME FSS, IS NOT TURNED ON IN IMC. HE FURTHER STATES THAT THIS LED HIM TO BELIEVE THAT THE FIELD WAS IN VMC. HE TOOK OFF INTO LESS THAN VMC.
Narrative: COMPANY WX RPTED VIA COMPUTER SAID WX WAS ESTIMATED 700 SCATTERED, 1000 OVCST, 20 MI VISIBILITY. I DEPARTED 10 MINS LATER. BTWN THE TIME I READ THE RPT AND DEPARTED, A NEW WX RPT CAME OUT CALLING FOR 700 BROKEN, 20 MI VISIBILITY. I DEPARTED UNAWARE CTL ZONE WAS BELOW VFR MINS AND ANOTHER ACFT WAS CLRED INTO THE ZONE VIA FSS ON A SPECIAL. THE AWOS WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN THE CTL ZONE AND WX OBSERVER IS ON DUTY, AWOS GOES OFF AND YOU HAVE NO VHF TO HIM, YOU MUST CALL FSS VIA RCO. THEY DON'T TURN ON THE ROTATING BEACON DURING WX LOWER THAN VFR CONDITION AND THEY SHOULD! THIS WOULD PREVENT FUTURE CONFLICTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THAT 'RCO' IS 'REMOTE COMS OUTLET.' A VHF STATION COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH NOME FSS. UNK HAS A CTL ZONE WITH NO TWR CTLED BY NOME. NOME DOES NOT ALWAYS TURN ON THE ROTATING BEACON WHEN THE CTL ZONE IS IMC. NOME SAYS THAT THE AIM DOES NOT REQUIRE IT TO DO SO. CONVENTIONAL WISDOM AND CUSTOM SEEM TO REQUIRE THAT THE LIGHT BE ON IN IMC. THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT ON THIS DAY.
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.