Narrative:

The problem: I flew into class east airspace when the airfield (kenai municipal airport, paen) was reporting 1 mi visibility, sky obscured to 300 ft. The situation: ground fog and haze often develops in the immediate vicinity of the airport, even when majority of class D (when the tower is open during the day) and class east airspace surrounding the airport is well above VFR minimums. This was the situation I flew into. Flight visibility was at least 30 mi and there was no ceiling. The ground was visible at least 10 mi away. I called kenai FSS when I was approximately 25 mi north of the airfield based on my GPS reading. They informed me that visibility was 3/4 mi with sky obscured. At the time kenai FSS informed me of this I could see the lights of kenai. I assumed that the visibility FSS quoted me was old, so decided to proceed to take a closer look so I could determine if I needed to divert. At approximately 15 mi out, I spotted traffic taking off from the airport, so I called a position report to kenai traffic on 121.3 (CTAF when the tower is closed). Kenai FSS then contacted me on that frequency and requested my intentions. I told them I was inbound for landing at kenai municipal. He informed me that visibility was 1 mi with sky obscured. At this point I could see all the field lights from the green threshold lights to the red threshold lights and city lights beyond the runway and everything in between. The FSS then asked me if I wanted an SVFR clearance into kenai. I unwisely did not request a clearance at that time since I know that an SVFR clearance at night requires the pilot to have an IFR rating. Several mins later, I flew under the aircraft that took off from kenai (going the opposite direction), since it had been visible since it took off. Shortly thereafter, the FSS told me a TCASII report had been made because of my proximity to the other aircraft. He also issued me an SVFR clearance into kenai. I landed uneventfully in kenai. It wasn't until I was on the ground that I experienced visibility lower than 30 mi. Under current rules I could not legally enter class east airspace, or land. The majority of the airspace was in VFR conditions, collision avoidance was easier than on a sunny day (I could have never seen the approaching aircraft so far away in daylight) and landing could be made completely safely. I had at least 3 hours of fuel on board, so I could have returned to my origin (pamr: merrill field, anchorage). It was late, I was tired and spending another 1/2 hour in the air would have only increased my level of fatigue. Also, merrill field and the other anchorage facilities could have been fogged in by that time. Thus, I believe the safest option was to make the landing while the current WX conditions prevailed, despite the fact that this was not a legal option.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA PLT ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED CLASS E AIRSPACE AT KENAI, AK.

Narrative: THE PROB: I FLEW INTO CLASS E AIRSPACE WHEN THE AIRFIELD (KENAI MUNICIPAL ARPT, PAEN) WAS RPTING 1 MI VISIBILITY, SKY OBSCURED TO 300 FT. THE SIT: GND FOG AND HAZE OFTEN DEVELOPS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ARPT, EVEN WHEN MAJORITY OF CLASS D (WHEN THE TWR IS OPEN DURING THE DAY) AND CLASS E AIRSPACE SURROUNDING THE ARPT IS WELL ABOVE VFR MINIMUMS. THIS WAS THE SIT I FLEW INTO. FLT VISIBILITY WAS AT LEAST 30 MI AND THERE WAS NO CEILING. THE GND WAS VISIBLE AT LEAST 10 MI AWAY. I CALLED KENAI FSS WHEN I WAS APPROX 25 MI N OF THE AIRFIELD BASED ON MY GPS READING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT VISIBILITY WAS 3/4 MI WITH SKY OBSCURED. AT THE TIME KENAI FSS INFORMED ME OF THIS I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF KENAI. I ASSUMED THAT THE VISIBILITY FSS QUOTED ME WAS OLD, SO DECIDED TO PROCEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK SO I COULD DETERMINE IF I NEEDED TO DIVERT. AT APPROX 15 MI OUT, I SPOTTED TFC TAKING OFF FROM THE ARPT, SO I CALLED A POS RPT TO KENAI TFC ON 121.3 (CTAF WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED). KENAI FSS THEN CONTACTED ME ON THAT FREQ AND REQUESTED MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD THEM I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG AT KENAI MUNICIPAL. HE INFORMED ME THAT VISIBILITY WAS 1 MI WITH SKY OBSCURED. AT THIS POINT I COULD SEE ALL THE FIELD LIGHTS FROM THE GREEN THRESHOLD LIGHTS TO THE RED THRESHOLD LIGHTS AND CITY LIGHTS BEYOND THE RWY AND EVERYTHING IN BTWN. THE FSS THEN ASKED ME IF I WANTED AN SVFR CLRNC INTO KENAI. I UNWISELY DID NOT REQUEST A CLRNC AT THAT TIME SINCE I KNOW THAT AN SVFR CLRNC AT NIGHT REQUIRES THE PLT TO HAVE AN IFR RATING. SEVERAL MINS LATER, I FLEW UNDER THE ACFT THAT TOOK OFF FROM KENAI (GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION), SINCE IT HAD BEEN VISIBLE SINCE IT TOOK OFF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE FSS TOLD ME A TCASII RPT HAD BEEN MADE BECAUSE OF MY PROX TO THE OTHER ACFT. HE ALSO ISSUED ME AN SVFR CLRNC INTO KENAI. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN KENAI. IT WASN'T UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND THAT I EXPERIENCED VISIBILITY LOWER THAN 30 MI. UNDER CURRENT RULES I COULD NOT LEGALLY ENTER CLASS E AIRSPACE, OR LAND. THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRSPACE WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS, COLLISION AVOIDANCE WAS EASIER THAN ON A SUNNY DAY (I COULD HAVE NEVER SEEN THE APCHING ACFT SO FAR AWAY IN DAYLIGHT) AND LNDG COULD BE MADE COMPLETELY SAFELY. I HAD AT LEAST 3 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD, SO I COULD HAVE RETURNED TO MY ORIGIN (PAMR: MERRILL FIELD, ANCHORAGE). IT WAS LATE, I WAS TIRED AND SPENDING ANOTHER 1/2 HR IN THE AIR WOULD HAVE ONLY INCREASED MY LEVEL OF FATIGUE. ALSO, MERRILL FIELD AND THE OTHER ANCHORAGE FACILITIES COULD HAVE BEEN FOGGED IN BY THAT TIME. THUS, I BELIEVE THE SAFEST OPTION WAS TO MAKE THE LNDG WHILE THE CURRENT WX CONDITIONS PREVAILED, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS WAS NOT A LEGAL OPTION.

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.