Narrative:

ATIS was reporting scattered clouds at 2000 ft, ceiling at 15000 ft broken clouds, visibility at 8 mi, wind calm. The clouds were grey, but no rain, although it had just stopped raining, I decided to stay in the pattern to do touch-and-go lndgs. Pattern altitude was 800 ft at hwo, which is at 10 ft MSL on the florida coast. I took off, climbed to 400 ft, turned crosswind leg, climbed to 600 ft, saw that the clouds were not at 2000 ft, but rather at 800 ft. I turned downwind, but had to stay at 700 ft to remain out of the clouds. I could not keep legal VFR clearance of 500 ft below the clouds on downwind, which would have put me at only 300 ft. I advised the tower I'd be making a full-stop landing. I flew a short approach, landed, then advised the tower of the clouds at 800 ft (PIREP). They said they knew the ATIS was old and that they were in the process of updating it. I had the aircraft under full control the whole time, I remained clear of clouds and below the bases. There was no way I could have known from the ground that the clouds were at 800 ft rather than 2000 ft because the lower scattered clouds blended in with the higher ceiling of dark grey clouds. I was flying because of the ATIS report, which I thought was correct. I made the safe decision to land once I learned the actual conditions and advised the FAA controllers so that they could inform pilots seeking to fly VFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL FAILED TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM CLOUD CLRNC DURING A FLT AROUND THE CTLED TFC PATTERN. ATIS INFO INACCURATE.

Narrative: ATIS WAS RPTING SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2000 FT, CEILING AT 15000 FT BROKEN CLOUDS, VISIBILITY AT 8 MI, WIND CALM. THE CLOUDS WERE GREY, BUT NO RAIN, ALTHOUGH IT HAD JUST STOPPED RAINING, I DECIDED TO STAY IN THE PATTERN TO DO TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS. PATTERN ALT WAS 800 FT AT HWO, WHICH IS AT 10 FT MSL ON THE FLORIDA COAST. I TOOK OFF, CLBED TO 400 FT, TURNED XWIND LEG, CLBED TO 600 FT, SAW THAT THE CLOUDS WERE NOT AT 2000 FT, BUT RATHER AT 800 FT. I TURNED DOWNWIND, BUT HAD TO STAY AT 700 FT TO REMAIN OUT OF THE CLOUDS. I COULD NOT KEEP LEGAL VFR CLRNC OF 500 FT BELOW THE CLOUDS ON DOWNWIND, WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT ME AT ONLY 300 FT. I ADVISED THE TWR I'D BE MAKING A FULL-STOP LNDG. I FLEW A SHORT APCH, LANDED, THEN ADVISED THE TWR OF THE CLOUDS AT 800 FT (PIREP). THEY SAID THEY KNEW THE ATIS WAS OLD AND THAT THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING IT. I HAD THE ACFT UNDER FULL CTL THE WHOLE TIME, I REMAINED CLR OF CLOUDS AND BELOW THE BASES. THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE KNOWN FROM THE GND THAT THE CLOUDS WERE AT 800 FT RATHER THAN 2000 FT BECAUSE THE LOWER SCATTERED CLOUDS BLENDED IN WITH THE HIGHER CEILING OF DARK GREY CLOUDS. I WAS FLYING BECAUSE OF THE ATIS RPT, WHICH I THOUGHT WAS CORRECT. I MADE THE SAFE DECISION TO LAND ONCE I LEARNED THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS AND ADVISED THE FAA CTLRS SO THAT THEY COULD INFORM PLTS SEEKING TO FLY VFR.

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.