Narrative:

The day started about xyam with a 2 hour drive to the new bedford, ma airport where the plane is kept. I flew to pvd and picked up 4 people and left for dca about midday. Arrived around xpm and was told they would be back around late evening. The WX had been bad (thunderstorms and fog) and was forecast to continue that way so I tried to get as much rest as possible at the FBO, I checked the WX several times during the day and night. I filed an IFR flight plan around ypm. At that time pvd was reporting 4500 broken and 6 mi. At about Z45 pm I called the pvd tower on the telephone to get the latest WX. I knew the tower closed at midnight and I was going to cancel the flight if the WX was bad. I was informed that there was a WX service on the field that reported the WX 24 hours a day. I then got the WX from duats which was 700 ft overcast and 2 mi. That was the last WX I could get before departure the passenger arrived about 1 hour later and we departed for pvd. When we were about 100 mi out of pvd and in contact with ZBW. I asked for the pvd WX. There was no ATIS since the tower had closed at midnight. I was given 200 and 1/2 mi. I then asked for the bos WX which was about the same. I then got the bdl WX which was much better. I told center that I would try the approach at pvd but would probably end up going to bdl. I started the approach at pvd but would probably end up going to bdl. I started the approach and broke out at minimums. I transitioned from instruments to visual and was over the runway threshold when I entered a bank of fog and lost all visual reference. I became disoriented and started to go around. At that time the wheels hit the ground and the visibility began to improve so I stayed on the ground and taxied to the FBO. The next morning I was informed that I had struck several runway lights. There was just minor damage to the plane. I was then told that the WX was visibility 0 X 1/2 l-f. I would not have started the approach if I had been given the correct WX by ZBW. Although I had been resting at the FBO it is not the same as sleeping. Another factor was I could see a lot of lighting in the direction of bdl and I would have to deal with it if I had to divert. I became complacent at decision ht when I broke out and saw the runway. I was prepared for the decrease in visibility as I got closer to the ground. I realize now that it was foolish of me to even start a flight at that late hour. I don't know why I did since I have canceled several for the same reason. Another factor is that the WX I received from center led me to believe it would be ok to make the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT ON IFR FLT PLAN HITS RWY LIGHTS AFTER LNDG.

Narrative: THE DAY STARTED ABOUT XYAM WITH A 2 HR DRIVE TO THE NEW BEDFORD, MA ARPT WHERE THE PLANE IS KEPT. I FLEW TO PVD AND PICKED UP 4 PEOPLE AND LEFT FOR DCA ABOUT MIDDAY. ARRIVED AROUND XPM AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD BE BACK AROUND LATE EVENING. THE WX HAD BEEN BAD (TSTMS AND FOG) AND WAS FORECAST TO CONTINUE THAT WAY SO I TRIED TO GET AS MUCH REST AS POSSIBLE AT THE FBO, I CHKED THE WX SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE DAY AND NIGHT. I FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN AROUND YPM. AT THAT TIME PVD WAS RPTING 4500 BROKEN AND 6 MI. AT ABOUT Z45 PM I CALLED THE PVD TWR ON THE TELEPHONE TO GET THE LATEST WX. I KNEW THE TWR CLOSED AT MIDNIGHT AND I WAS GOING TO CANCEL THE FLT IF THE WX WAS BAD. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A WX SVC ON THE FIELD THAT RPTED THE WX 24 HRS A DAY. I THEN GOT THE WX FROM DUATS WHICH WAS 700 FT OVCST AND 2 MI. THAT WAS THE LAST WX I COULD GET BEFORE DEP THE PAX ARRIVED ABOUT 1 HR LATER AND WE DEPARTED FOR PVD. WHEN WE WERE ABOUT 100 MI OUT OF PVD AND IN CONTACT WITH ZBW. I ASKED FOR THE PVD WX. THERE WAS NO ATIS SINCE THE TWR HAD CLOSED AT MIDNIGHT. I WAS GIVEN 200 AND 1/2 MI. I THEN ASKED FOR THE BOS WX WHICH WAS ABOUT THE SAME. I THEN GOT THE BDL WX WHICH WAS MUCH BETTER. I TOLD CTR THAT I WOULD TRY THE APCH AT PVD BUT WOULD PROBABLY END UP GOING TO BDL. I STARTED THE APCH AT PVD BUT WOULD PROBABLY END UP GOING TO BDL. I STARTED THE APCH AND BROKE OUT AT MINIMUMS. I TRANSITIONED FROM INSTS TO VISUAL AND WAS OVER THE RWY THRESHOLD WHEN I ENTERED A BANK OF FOG AND LOST ALL VISUAL REF. I BECAME DISORIENTED AND STARTED TO GAR. AT THAT TIME THE WHEELS HIT THE GND AND THE VISIBILITY BEGAN TO IMPROVE SO I STAYED ON THE GND AND TAXIED TO THE FBO. THE NEXT MORNING I WAS INFORMED THAT I HAD STRUCK SEVERAL RWY LIGHTS. THERE WAS JUST MINOR DAMAGE TO THE PLANE. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE WX WAS VISIBILITY 0 X 1/2 L-F. I WOULD NOT HAVE STARTED THE APCH IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN THE CORRECT WX BY ZBW. ALTHOUGH I HAD BEEN RESTING AT THE FBO IT IS NOT THE SAME AS SLEEPING. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS I COULD SEE A LOT OF LIGHTING IN THE DIRECTION OF BDL AND I WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT IF I HAD TO DIVERT. I BECAME COMPLACENT AT DECISION HT WHEN I BROKE OUT AND SAW THE RWY. I WAS PREPARED FOR THE DECREASE IN VISIBILITY AS I GOT CLOSER TO THE GND. I REALIZE NOW THAT IT WAS FOOLISH OF ME TO EVEN START A FLT AT THAT LATE HR. I DON'T KNOW WHY I DID SINCE I HAVE CANCELED SEVERAL FOR THE SAME REASON. ANOTHER FACTOR IS THAT THE WX I RECEIVED FROM CTR LED ME TO BELIEVE IT WOULD BE OK TO MAKE THE APCH.

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.