Narrative:

On a flight from lincoln (O51) to oakland, was a little pressed for time. Oakland was reporting 800 ft scattered. I was on a 6 mi right base for either runway 27L or runway 29 and doing close to 200 KTS. Noticed the 800 ft scattered report was optimistic if anything and asked oakland tower if it was still clear over runway 29. They basically said that it was going to broken, to paraphrase the tower controller. I could see by this time (5 mi right base) that I could slip under the marine stratus and make it to runway 27L at oakland without too much of a problem, but I would probably bust the '500 ft below' requirement for VFR distance to clouds. This was the go/no go point for VFR or choosing the ILS. Well, I just left my nose down and dipped under the stratus, at which altitude I don't know, probably 1000 ft. The stratus sloped down towards the airport and I had to keep descending (still 200 KIAS). About 3 or 4 mi out I saw runway 27L, but still wanted runway 29 as it was closer to the cargo terminal. So I kept going and had to get down very low to stay under the fog. Never in any danger of collision with buildings or towers. Made the landing and delivered the freight on time. The tower declared the field as 'IFR' soon after I landed -- nice of them I guess. It cleared up to 800 ft scattered 15-20 mins later. I should have taken my original idea to fly over runway 29L above the stratus to see if there was a legal hole, and if not, shoot the ILS from the marker. This would only have added 4 mins to my flight and I wouldn't have jeopardized my certificate by busting cloud clearance minimums. There is a lot of pressure on freight pilots to maintain schedule, especially for my run where I am the last plane in, to feed a B747 that flies to a central sorting center. And I try to balance this pressure with the FARS, but messed up this time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT BY AN ATX PLT IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM LINCOLN (O51) TO OAKLAND, WAS A LITTLE PRESSED FOR TIME. OAKLAND WAS RPTING 800 FT SCATTERED. I WAS ON A 6 MI R BASE FOR EITHER RWY 27L OR RWY 29 AND DOING CLOSE TO 200 KTS. NOTICED THE 800 FT SCATTERED RPT WAS OPTIMISTIC IF ANYTHING AND ASKED OAKLAND TWR IF IT WAS STILL CLR OVER RWY 29. THEY BASICALLY SAID THAT IT WAS GOING TO BROKEN, TO PARAPHRASE THE TWR CTLR. I COULD SEE BY THIS TIME (5 MI R BASE) THAT I COULD SLIP UNDER THE MARINE STRATUS AND MAKE IT TO RWY 27L AT OAKLAND WITHOUT TOO MUCH OF A PROB, BUT I WOULD PROBABLY BUST THE '500 FT BELOW' REQUIREMENT FOR VFR DISTANCE TO CLOUDS. THIS WAS THE GO/NO GO POINT FOR VFR OR CHOOSING THE ILS. WELL, I JUST LEFT MY NOSE DOWN AND DIPPED UNDER THE STRATUS, AT WHICH ALT I DON'T KNOW, PROBABLY 1000 FT. THE STRATUS SLOPED DOWN TOWARDS THE ARPT AND I HAD TO KEEP DSNDING (STILL 200 KIAS). ABOUT 3 OR 4 MI OUT I SAW RWY 27L, BUT STILL WANTED RWY 29 AS IT WAS CLOSER TO THE CARGO TERMINAL. SO I KEPT GOING AND HAD TO GET DOWN VERY LOW TO STAY UNDER THE FOG. NEVER IN ANY DANGER OF COLLISION WITH BUILDINGS OR TWRS. MADE THE LNDG AND DELIVERED THE FREIGHT ON TIME. THE TWR DECLARED THE FIELD AS 'IFR' SOON AFTER I LANDED -- NICE OF THEM I GUESS. IT CLRED UP TO 800 FT SCATTERED 15-20 MINS LATER. I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MY ORIGINAL IDEA TO FLY OVER RWY 29L ABOVE THE STRATUS TO SEE IF THERE WAS A LEGAL HOLE, AND IF NOT, SHOOT THE ILS FROM THE MARKER. THIS WOULD ONLY HAVE ADDED 4 MINS TO MY FLT AND I WOULDN'T HAVE JEOPARDIZED MY CERTIFICATE BY BUSTING CLOUD CLRNC MINIMUMS. THERE IS A LOT OF PRESSURE ON FREIGHT PLTS TO MAINTAIN SCHEDULE, ESPECIALLY FOR MY RUN WHERE I AM THE LAST PLANE IN, TO FEED A B747 THAT FLIES TO A CENTRAL SORTING CTR. AND I TRY TO BALANCE THIS PRESSURE WITH THE FARS, BUT MESSED UP THIS TIME.

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.