A cessna T210 pilot landed below VFR minimums when he had oil on his windscreen.

Attributes
ACN	359358
Time
Date	199701
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lvr
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lvr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other other other
Route In Use	approach : contact arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	359358
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical inflight encounter : vfr in imc other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Entire bay area clear except patch of clouds over airport. Reported WX (ATIS) at lvk 100 ft, 1/4 mi. Held over lvk for 30 mins at 3500 ft in VFR conditions. WX improving at lvk, runway partially visible from 3500 ft. Sudden appearance of oil on cowling and windows of aircraft made immediate landing necessary. Requested immediate landing from tower and received landing clearance even though the airport was below VFR minimums. Made rapid descent and landed, had runway in sight at all times, always clear of clouds. Reported to tower after landing. Tower said no further action required. Cause of problem: oil cap came off. Contributing factors: inadequate preflight, improper check of oil cap. 1 quart of oil had been added days before by maintenance personnel. Responsibility: PIC inadequate preflight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA T210 PLT LANDED BELOW VFR MINIMUMS WHEN HE HAD OIL ON HIS WINDSCREEN.

Narrative: ENTIRE BAY AREA CLR EXCEPT PATCH OF CLOUDS OVER ARPT. RPTED WX (ATIS) AT LVK 100 FT, 1/4 MI. HELD OVER LVK FOR 30 MINS AT 3500 FT IN VFR CONDITIONS. WX IMPROVING AT LVK, RWY PARTIALLY VISIBLE FROM 3500 FT. SUDDEN APPEARANCE OF OIL ON COWLING AND WINDOWS OF ACFT MADE IMMEDIATE LNDG NECESSARY. REQUESTED IMMEDIATE LNDG FROM TWR AND RECEIVED LNDG CLRNC EVEN THOUGH THE ARPT WAS BELOW VFR MINIMUMS. MADE RAPID DSCNT AND LANDED, HAD RWY IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES, ALWAYS CLR OF CLOUDS. RPTED TO TWR AFTER LNDG. TWR SAID NO FURTHER ACTION REQUIRED. CAUSE OF PROB: OIL CAP CAME OFF. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: INADEQUATE PREFLT, IMPROPER CHK OF OIL CAP. 1 QUART OF OIL HAD BEEN ADDED DAYS BEFORE BY MAINT PERSONNEL. RESPONSIBILITY: PIC INADEQUATE PREFLT.

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.