Pilot of a sightseeing flight departs the airport and upon turning toward the beach encounters fog. ...

Attributes
ACN	413634
Time
Date	199809
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pvc
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : initial landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	413634
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Problem occurred while conducting sightseeing operation out of provincetown municipal airport in the morning. After liftoff from runway 25 I entered a shallow right turn designed to take me out over the beach. As I rolled out of the turn I encountered a fog bank extending east and west. The west end was over the water and to the east extended diagonally over the beach in front of me. I could not get on top and turning left would have taken me into the fog bank. To avoid buildings and structures to my right and maintain visual contact with the ground, I descended straight ahead over the beach until clear of the structures. I then executed a right turn sbound keeping visual contact with the ground. I broke out into the clear over the southeast corner of the airport. The airport was still clear so I entered a right downwind for runway 7 and made a normal landing. Problem was caused by a rapidly changing, unpredicted WX system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SIGHTSEEING FLT DEPARTS THE ARPT AND UPON TURNING TOWARD THE BEACH ENCOUNTERS FOG. HE MANAGES TO MAINTAIN GND CONTACT AND RETURNS TO ARPT.

Narrative: PROB OCCURRED WHILE CONDUCTING SIGHTSEEING OP OUT OF PROVINCETOWN MUNICIPAL ARPT IN THE MORNING. AFTER LIFTOFF FROM RWY 25 I ENTERED A SHALLOW R TURN DESIGNED TO TAKE ME OUT OVER THE BEACH. AS I ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN I ENCOUNTERED A FOG BANK EXTENDING E AND W. THE W END WAS OVER THE WATER AND TO THE E EXTENDED DIAGONALLY OVER THE BEACH IN FRONT OF ME. I COULD NOT GET ON TOP AND TURNING L WOULD HAVE TAKEN ME INTO THE FOG BANK. TO AVOID BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES TO MY R AND MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND, I DSNDED STRAIGHT AHEAD OVER THE BEACH UNTIL CLR OF THE STRUCTURES. I THEN EXECUTED A R TURN SBOUND KEEPING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND. I BROKE OUT INTO THE CLR OVER THE SE CORNER OF THE ARPT. THE ARPT WAS STILL CLR SO I ENTERED A R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 7 AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. PROB WAS CAUSED BY A RAPIDLY CHANGING, UNPREDICTED WX SYS.

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.

Pilot of a sightseeing flight departs the airport and upon turning toward the beach encounters fog. He manages to maintain ground contact and returns to airport.