Narrative:

After arising early I decided to get in an hour's flight. I was able to see mt ranier (about 30 NM away) and quite a bit of blue sky, and although a little hazy near the ground, the WX looked fine. By the time I reached the airport, the sky had begun to gray over and when I finished my preflight I had begun to think about checking the WX. Just then, a helicopter took off and departed to the east. I watched the helicopter depart and decided to skip the briefing since I intended to stay in the pattern working on soft field lndgs. On climb out, I realized that I had misjudged the rapidity with which the WX was changing. In front and to my right the haze was rapidly getting thicker. When I turned crosswind, I could see a low lying layer of fog blowing in from the west. It was apparent that by the time I flew the pattern, the visibility at pierce county airport would be extremely marginal. At 1500 ft I was VFR but the fog under me was rapidly becoming solid. I flew south and found kapowsin clear. I landed at kapowsin and waited until the fog cleared (about 4 hours). When I noticed that the haze had gotten thicker as I preflted, I should have been alerted to the possibility of the rapid development of fog. Had I gotten a WX briefing (even though I intended to stay in the pattern) I would probably have realized what was happening. The only things I did right were realizing that a return to pierce county was chancy and that I could probably find an airport still VFR if I acted quickly. I was carrying my IFR charts and approach plates, so could have filed and gone to an report which was still above minimums. I had 5 hours fuel on board.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT ACTS AS OWN WX FORECASTER AND PERFORMS TKOF AT NON TWR ARPT. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT AS FOG BLOWS IN AND CLOSES ARPT.

Narrative: AFTER ARISING EARLY I DECIDED TO GET IN AN HR'S FLT. I WAS ABLE TO SEE MT RANIER (ABOUT 30 NM AWAY) AND QUITE A BIT OF BLUE SKY, AND ALTHOUGH A LITTLE HAZY NEAR THE GND, THE WX LOOKED FINE. BY THE TIME I REACHED THE ARPT, THE SKY HAD BEGUN TO GRAY OVER AND WHEN I FINISHED MY PREFLT I HAD BEGUN TO THINK ABOUT CHKING THE WX. JUST THEN, A HELI TOOK OFF AND DEPARTED TO THE E. I WATCHED THE HELI DEPART AND DECIDED TO SKIP THE BRIEFING SINCE I INTENDED TO STAY IN THE PATTERN WORKING ON SOFT FIELD LNDGS. ON CLBOUT, I REALIZED THAT I HAD MISJUDGED THE RAPIDITY WITH WHICH THE WX WAS CHANGING. IN FRONT AND TO MY R THE HAZE WAS RAPIDLY GETTING THICKER. WHEN I TURNED XWIND, I COULD SEE A LOW LYING LAYER OF FOG BLOWING IN FROM THE W. IT WAS APPARENT THAT BY THE TIME I FLEW THE PATTERN, THE VISIBILITY AT PIERCE COUNTY ARPT WOULD BE EXTREMELY MARGINAL. AT 1500 FT I WAS VFR BUT THE FOG UNDER ME WAS RAPIDLY BECOMING SOLID. I FLEW S AND FOUND KAPOWSIN CLR. I LANDED AT KAPOWSIN AND WAITED UNTIL THE FOG CLRED (ABOUT 4 HRS). WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE HAZE HAD GOTTEN THICKER AS I PREFLTED, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN ALERTED TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THE RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF FOG. HAD I GOTTEN A WX BRIEFING (EVEN THOUGH I INTENDED TO STAY IN THE PATTERN) I WOULD PROBABLY HAVE REALIZED WHAT WAS HAPPENING. THE ONLY THINGS I DID RIGHT WERE REALIZING THAT A RETURN TO PIERCE COUNTY WAS CHANCY AND THAT I COULD PROBABLY FIND AN ARPT STILL VFR IF I ACTED QUICKLY. I WAS CARRYING MY IFR CHARTS AND APCH PLATES, SO COULD HAVE FILED AND GONE TO AN RPT WHICH WAS STILL ABOVE MINIMUMS. I HAD 5 HRS FUEL ON BOARD.

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.