C182 private pilot enters bfl D airspace without authority/authorized as it goes IMC with 2 pt 5 mi ...

Attributes
ACN	389780
Time
Date	199712
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : l45 airport : bfl
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bfl
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 240 flight time type : 4
ASRS Report	389780
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My aircraft was on the ground at L45 prior to a positioning flight to bfl. On the ground at L45 I listened to the current bfl ATIS information which was clear, 4 mi in haze. I taxied for takeoff on L45 runway 34. Immediately airborne I contacted the bfl tower stating my intentions for landing and the current ATIS information code. The tower responded with my call sign, but no further instruction. I continued towards bfl. The controller informed me (once inside the D airspace) that the field was IFR as visibility had dropped to 2 1/2 mi. He asked my intentions. I requested a special VFR clearance for landing. I continued towards the airport, but received no subsequent communication to a point within about 2 NM of airport. At this point I simultaneously turned west away from airport and asked the controller if I was cleared to approach the airport for landing. At this point he issued the special VFR clearance, but apparently saw my turn on his radar scope and queried whether I was landing at bfl. I said I was going to land at bfl and turned towards the airport, but I had become somewhat disoriented and flew past the airport. The controller provided a heading back to the airport and I landed uneventfully. I think this problem happened as the unlikely result of events: 1) WX changed over a short period (causing the issuance of a special observation), 2) an extremely short flight originating just outside of the D airspace. Had the controller responded on his first transmission that the field had just gone IFR, I would have turned to a westerly heading to avoid the D airspace and work out the approach clearance. Having established radio contact and operating with the recording I had heard mins earlier as 4 mi I assumed no particular problem. However I suspect the WX had just changed and the pop up plus the WX change caught the controller off guard. I think it unreasonable to expect a controller to perform differently. Perhaps requiring all contacts to go through approach control first, or adjusting airspace so that nearby satellite airports to D airspace are controled by the primary tower would help.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C182 PVT PLT ENTERS BFL D AIRSPACE WITHOUT AUTH AS IT GOES IMC WITH 2 PT 5 MI VISIBILITY RPTED. RPTR HAD LEFT L45 JUST S OF BFL WITH THE ATIS RPTING 4 MI VISIBILITY.

Narrative: MY ACFT WAS ON THE GND AT L45 PRIOR TO A POSITIONING FLT TO BFL. ON THE GND AT L45 I LISTENED TO THE CURRENT BFL ATIS INFO WHICH WAS CLR, 4 MI IN HAZE. I TAXIED FOR TKOF ON L45 RWY 34. IMMEDIATELY AIRBORNE I CONTACTED THE BFL TWR STATING MY INTENTIONS FOR LNDG AND THE CURRENT ATIS INFO CODE. THE TWR RESPONDED WITH MY CALL SIGN, BUT NO FURTHER INSTRUCTION. I CONTINUED TOWARDS BFL. THE CTLR INFORMED ME (ONCE INSIDE THE D AIRSPACE) THAT THE FIELD WAS IFR AS VISIBILITY HAD DROPPED TO 2 1/2 MI. HE ASKED MY INTENTIONS. I REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC FOR LNDG. I CONTINUED TOWARDS THE ARPT, BUT RECEIVED NO SUBSEQUENT COM TO A POINT WITHIN ABOUT 2 NM OF ARPT. AT THIS POINT I SIMULTANEOUSLY TURNED W AWAY FROM ARPT AND ASKED THE CTLR IF I WAS CLRED TO APCH THE ARPT FOR LNDG. AT THIS POINT HE ISSUED THE SPECIAL VFR CLRNC, BUT APPARENTLY SAW MY TURN ON HIS RADAR SCOPE AND QUERIED WHETHER I WAS LNDG AT BFL. I SAID I WAS GOING TO LAND AT BFL AND TURNED TOWARDS THE ARPT, BUT I HAD BECOME SOMEWHAT DISORIENTED AND FLEW PAST THE ARPT. THE CTLR PROVIDED A HEADING BACK TO THE ARPT AND I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I THINK THIS PROB HAPPENED AS THE UNLIKELY RESULT OF EVENTS: 1) WX CHANGED OVER A SHORT PERIOD (CAUSING THE ISSUANCE OF A SPECIAL OBSERVATION), 2) AN EXTREMELY SHORT FLT ORIGINATING JUST OUTSIDE OF THE D AIRSPACE. HAD THE CTLR RESPONDED ON HIS FIRST XMISSION THAT THE FIELD HAD JUST GONE IFR, I WOULD HAVE TURNED TO A WESTERLY HEADING TO AVOID THE D AIRSPACE AND WORK OUT THE APCH CLRNC. HAVING ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT AND OPERATING WITH THE RECORDING I HAD HEARD MINS EARLIER AS 4 MI I ASSUMED NO PARTICULAR PROB. HOWEVER I SUSPECT THE WX HAD JUST CHANGED AND THE POP UP PLUS THE WX CHANGE CAUGHT THE CTLR OFF GUARD. I THINK IT UNREASONABLE TO EXPECT A CTLR TO PERFORM DIFFERENTLY. PERHAPS REQUIRING ALL CONTACTS TO GO THROUGH APCH CTL FIRST, OR ADJUSTING AIRSPACE SO THAT NEARBY SATELLITE ARPTS TO D AIRSPACE ARE CTLED BY THE PRIMARY TWR WOULD HELP.

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.

C182 private pilot enters bfl D airspace without authority/authorized as it goes IMC with 2 pt 5 mi visibility reported. Reporter had left L45 just south of bfl with the ATIS reporting 4 mi visibility.