C210 VFR along mry coast was cleared to fly around point and contact tower. Point area was obscured ...

Attributes
ACN	368220
Time
Date	199705
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mry
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mry tower : mry tower : tus
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	368220
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Was following coast line VFR (northbound) with ZOA giving TA's, handed off to mry approach control for landing at mry airport. Approach control instructed me to 'go around the point' and contact tower now (I'm about 10 mi out per GPS). I misidented the point location due to fog in the area of the point and flew through this area rather than around it. Upon switching over to tower, he asked if I was told to fly around the point. I said affirmative, but due to low stratus cloud cover, I might have missed seeing it. He said next time inform them if I couldn't identify the point and said 'now fly around the point, make right traffic runway 28R.' (I was about in the middle of this area that sticks out.) I said 'ok, around the point, I see it now, right traffic runway 28R...' rest of flight went normal, though I asked on short final to confirm we were cleared to land runway 28R (large military cargo plane parked at what seemed the very end of the runway -- and was!). While the fog covered the actual point area I was supposed to fly around, I guessed at its location and was off. Next time I will either inform ATC I'm not familiar with such local points and ask for radar advisories or be sure of position of such locations. I was using a sectional chart and this is not a reporting point. Also, had he said to continue to follow the coast line, it would make more sense.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 VFR ALONG MRY COAST WAS CLRED TO FLY AROUND POINT AND CONTACT TWR. POINT AREA WAS OBSCURED BY FOG AND TWR ADVISED HE DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE REQUEST. TWR ADVISED IN THE FUTURE LET THEM KNOW IF YOU CAN'T COMPLY. WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 28R AFTER FLYING AROUND THE POINT.

Narrative: WAS FOLLOWING COAST LINE VFR (NBOUND) WITH ZOA GIVING TA'S, HANDED OFF TO MRY APCH CTL FOR LNDG AT MRY ARPT. APCH CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO 'GO AROUND THE POINT' AND CONTACT TWR NOW (I'M ABOUT 10 MI OUT PER GPS). I MISIDENTED THE POINT LOCATION DUE TO FOG IN THE AREA OF THE POINT AND FLEW THROUGH THIS AREA RATHER THAN AROUND IT. UPON SWITCHING OVER TO TWR, HE ASKED IF I WAS TOLD TO FLY AROUND THE POINT. I SAID AFFIRMATIVE, BUT DUE TO LOW STRATUS CLOUD COVER, I MIGHT HAVE MISSED SEEING IT. HE SAID NEXT TIME INFORM THEM IF I COULDN'T IDENT THE POINT AND SAID 'NOW FLY AROUND THE POINT, MAKE R TFC RWY 28R.' (I WAS ABOUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS AREA THAT STICKS OUT.) I SAID 'OK, AROUND THE POINT, I SEE IT NOW, R TFC RWY 28R...' REST OF FLT WENT NORMAL, THOUGH I ASKED ON SHORT FINAL TO CONFIRM WE WERE CLRED TO LAND RWY 28R (LARGE MIL CARGO PLANE PARKED AT WHAT SEEMED THE VERY END OF THE RWY -- AND WAS!). WHILE THE FOG COVERED THE ACTUAL POINT AREA I WAS SUPPOSED TO FLY AROUND, I GUESSED AT ITS LOCATION AND WAS OFF. NEXT TIME I WILL EITHER INFORM ATC I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH SUCH LCL POINTS AND ASK FOR RADAR ADVISORIES OR BE SURE OF POS OF SUCH LOCATIONS. I WAS USING A SECTIONAL CHART AND THIS IS NOT A RPTING POINT. ALSO, HAD HE SAID TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE COAST LINE, IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE.

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.

C210 VFR along mry coast was cleared to fly around point and contact tower. Point area was obscured by fog and tower advised he did not comply with the request. Tower advised in the future let them know if you can't comply. Was cleared to land runway 28R after flying around the point.