Narrative:

I departed nome, ak, under VFR conditions for unalakleet, ak. 15 mins out I encountered unsafe VFR conditions for me. I returned to nome which had rapidly come down to 5/8 mi and 200 ft, sky obscured. An air force mlt was on approach for runway 27. I was along the south edge of controled airspace at the time the mlt was on approach (see enclosed map). I was forced to declare an emergency to land after the mlt declared missed approach. The conditions that I turned back to nome from were fog and snow down to the ice, and blowing snow with a 500 ft ceiling and 1 mi forward visibility on shore. There are no trees or brush along this portion of the seaward peninsula for 70 mi. It's very easy to lose ground reference there. I tried to call nome FSS 15 mi out but was too low and 'behind' cape nome. I turned out from shore and made radio contact about 10 mi out. I was given the airport conditions and was asked my intentions. I requested a SVFR clearance and was denied it. The airport was below minimums and an air force mlt was inbound for runway 27. The snow and fog that had rapidly moved into nome, appeared to be coming from the southwest and moving east toward shore. I felt that holding out over open water (where good ground reference can be kept) was to be short lived. If I was caught out from shore, I would lose my horizon. If I went back to where I had previously turned around, the light was too flat to find a safe landing spot on skis. The road by safety had large snow drifts across it. So, I continued off shore in a westerly direction well out of the path of the approaching mlt. My primary concern was to keep contact with the nome environment, and stay south and below the path of the mlt. I knew if I circled away from town there was the possibility of losing ground contact. I was obviously in trouble and needed help! Visibility was very bad! FSS asked if I was declaring an emergency. It was very hard for me to do that. I balked and indicated again that I needed help and needed to land. Some positive help from FSS was badly needed here. At this point my instincts took over. I maintained a safe altitude (150-200 ft) given the circumstances and did what was best for safe operation. I turned toward town and saw the dredge. I stayed south of the road but kept visual contact until I heard the mlt declare missed approach. Somewhere during all this I accepted the declaration of an emergency. I then flew to the airport and was cleared to land. I should have declared an emergency sooner. This possibly would have given FSS more options.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLYING FROM OME TO UNC IS CAUGHT BY BAD WX AND HAS TO DECLARE AN EMER IN ORDER TO RETURN VFR TO OME WHICH WAS BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative: I DEPARTED NOME, AK, UNDER VFR CONDITIONS FOR UNALAKLEET, AK. 15 MINS OUT I ENCOUNTERED UNSAFE VFR CONDITIONS FOR ME. I RETURNED TO NOME WHICH HAD RAPIDLY COME DOWN TO 5/8 MI AND 200 FT, SKY OBSCURED. AN AIR FORCE MLT WAS ON APCH FOR RWY 27. I WAS ALONG THE S EDGE OF CTLED AIRSPACE AT THE TIME THE MLT WAS ON APCH (SEE ENCLOSED MAP). I WAS FORCED TO DECLARE AN EMER TO LAND AFTER THE MLT DECLARED MISSED APCH. THE CONDITIONS THAT I TURNED BACK TO NOME FROM WERE FOG AND SNOW DOWN TO THE ICE, AND BLOWING SNOW WITH A 500 FT CEILING AND 1 MI FORWARD VISIBILITY ON SHORE. THERE ARE NO TREES OR BRUSH ALONG THIS PORTION OF THE SEAWARD PENINSULA FOR 70 MI. IT'S VERY EASY TO LOSE GND REF THERE. I TRIED TO CALL NOME FSS 15 MI OUT BUT WAS TOO LOW AND 'BEHIND' CAPE NOME. I TURNED OUT FROM SHORE AND MADE RADIO CONTACT ABOUT 10 MI OUT. I WAS GIVEN THE ARPT CONDITIONS AND WAS ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I REQUESTED A SVFR CLRNC AND WAS DENIED IT. THE ARPT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS AND AN AIR FORCE MLT WAS INBOUND FOR RWY 27. THE SNOW AND FOG THAT HAD RAPIDLY MOVED INTO NOME, APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE SW AND MOVING E TOWARD SHORE. I FELT THAT HOLDING OUT OVER OPEN WATER (WHERE GOOD GND REF CAN BE KEPT) WAS TO BE SHORT LIVED. IF I WAS CAUGHT OUT FROM SHORE, I WOULD LOSE MY HORIZON. IF I WENT BACK TO WHERE I HAD PREVIOUSLY TURNED AROUND, THE LIGHT WAS TOO FLAT TO FIND A SAFE LNDG SPOT ON SKIS. THE ROAD BY SAFETY HAD LARGE SNOW DRIFTS ACROSS IT. SO, I CONTINUED OFF SHORE IN A WESTERLY DIRECTION WELL OUT OF THE PATH OF THE APCHING MLT. MY PRIMARY CONCERN WAS TO KEEP CONTACT WITH THE NOME ENVIRONMENT, AND STAY S AND BELOW THE PATH OF THE MLT. I KNEW IF I CIRCLED AWAY FROM TOWN THERE WAS THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING GND CONTACT. I WAS OBVIOUSLY IN TROUBLE AND NEEDED HELP! VISIBILITY WAS VERY BAD! FSS ASKED IF I WAS DECLARING AN EMER. IT WAS VERY HARD FOR ME TO DO THAT. I BALKED AND INDICATED AGAIN THAT I NEEDED HELP AND NEEDED TO LAND. SOME POSITIVE HELP FROM FSS WAS BADLY NEEDED HERE. AT THIS POINT MY INSTINCTS TOOK OVER. I MAINTAINED A SAFE ALT (150-200 FT) GIVEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND DID WHAT WAS BEST FOR SAFE OP. I TURNED TOWARD TOWN AND SAW THE DREDGE. I STAYED S OF THE ROAD BUT KEPT VISUAL CONTACT UNTIL I HEARD THE MLT DECLARE MISSED APCH. SOMEWHERE DURING ALL THIS I ACCEPTED THE DECLARATION OF AN EMER. I THEN FLEW TO THE ARPT AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER SOONER. THIS POSSIBLY WOULD HAVE GIVEN FSS MORE OPTIONS.

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.