Narrative:

On nov/xa/98 I flew from ryy to pfn on a VFR flight. Just south of dothan, al, I picked up the ATIS for pfn which was reporting fog, 100 ft ceilings, and 3/4 mi visibility. This was about XA30 and because conditions can change rapidly with fog I contacted pfn tower to check the current conditions. I was still 35 mi from pfn. I was told that the fog was coming through in waves and at that time the airport had fog but the area out over the bay at the approach end of runway 14 had better visibility. I continued on to pfn based on the fact that I believed the fog was lifting based on the temperature and a PIREP I picked up stating that the fog was breaking up to the west of the airport on the beach area. While monitoring the tower frequency, I heard 2 airplanes make missed approachs. Based on this, I turned around and flew to tri-county airport to wait for the fog to lift at pfn. About XC00 I called the local FBO from my cellular phone and was told that the fog was breaking up and numerous airplanes were landing. I left tri-county and started to pfn at 2000 ft. As soon as I was in the air I got the ATIS report to pfn and contacted tindall approach and was given a code to squawk. The ATIS was still reporting 100 ft and 3/4 mi visibility. I also received a call on the cellular phone at this time and was told by one of my employees that the sky was clear at this location which was about 5 mi from the airport. About 20 mi out, I was asked by approach of my intentions. I had been given a squawk code of abcd. I requested an SVFR and was cleared at or below 2000 ft. At 12 mi out I was at 1500 ft and had broken fog below but ahead the fog was solid. To the west the fog was broken so I flew to the west and turned back to the airport on a 120 degree heading to the airport. At 6 mi out, I was told to contact the tower. I was given information from the tower such as wind, visibility and altimeter setting. Also, I dropped down to 600 ft to get below the fog in this area. I could see the ground below, the power plant to my east and the bay ahead. A few seconds later I saw the approach lights in the bay and at 2.1 mi out I saw the approach end of the runway. At no time did I fly through clouds or fog and never had less than 2 mi visibility. After I landed, I was instructed to contact the tower. I was first asked by the tower if I had an emergency, which I responded 'no.' I was then told by mr X, the tower controller, that he was filing a deviation against me with the FAA because the field was IFR. I explained that I had been given an SVFR by approach. He first stated that I had not been cleared to the airport by approach and later in the conversation changed that statement to 'the tower had not accepted the handoff from approach.' when I explained to him that I had talked to the tower during that last 6 mi and at no time did they tell me not to approach or that we had any problems, he stated that it was my responsibility because the visibility was at 3/4 mi and he stated that he had a PIREP and that there was no way I could have got to the airport without flying through clouds. I next called tindall approach and talked to the controller to make sure I had understood all instructions and to find out what had gone wrong. The controller did confirm that I had been given a clearance to the airport and the handoff was taken by the tower. I then contacted the FBO to find out what I should do. They gave me the NASA form and instructed me to fill this report out and submit to the FAA. They also suggested I call back tindall approach and talk to a supervisor to make sure the tapes of the event were kept. I then called approach and talked to the supervision chief. He stated that he had talked to his controller and mr X and did not believe there was a problem but he stated that he would listen to the tapes and talk to mr Y the FAA representative for the area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA24 PLT REQUESTED AND WAS GIVEN AN SVFR CLRNC TO PFN.

Narrative: ON NOV/XA/98 I FLEW FROM RYY TO PFN ON A VFR FLT. JUST S OF DOTHAN, AL, I PICKED UP THE ATIS FOR PFN WHICH WAS RPTING FOG, 100 FT CEILINGS, AND 3/4 MI VISIBILITY. THIS WAS ABOUT XA30 AND BECAUSE CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY WITH FOG I CONTACTED PFN TWR TO CHK THE CURRENT CONDITIONS. I WAS STILL 35 MI FROM PFN. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FOG WAS COMING THROUGH IN WAVES AND AT THAT TIME THE ARPT HAD FOG BUT THE AREA OUT OVER THE BAY AT THE APCH END OF RWY 14 HAD BETTER VISIBILITY. I CONTINUED ON TO PFN BASED ON THE FACT THAT I BELIEVED THE FOG WAS LIFTING BASED ON THE TEMP AND A PIREP I PICKED UP STATING THAT THE FOG WAS BREAKING UP TO THE W OF THE ARPT ON THE BEACH AREA. WHILE MONITORING THE TWR FREQ, I HEARD 2 AIRPLANES MAKE MISSED APCHS. BASED ON THIS, I TURNED AROUND AND FLEW TO TRI-COUNTY ARPT TO WAIT FOR THE FOG TO LIFT AT PFN. ABOUT XC00 I CALLED THE LCL FBO FROM MY CELLULAR PHONE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE FOG WAS BREAKING UP AND NUMEROUS AIRPLANES WERE LNDG. I LEFT TRI-COUNTY AND STARTED TO PFN AT 2000 FT. AS SOON AS I WAS IN THE AIR I GOT THE ATIS RPT TO PFN AND CONTACTED TINDALL APCH AND WAS GIVEN A CODE TO SQUAWK. THE ATIS WAS STILL RPTING 100 FT AND 3/4 MI VISIBILITY. I ALSO RECEIVED A CALL ON THE CELLULAR PHONE AT THIS TIME AND WAS TOLD BY ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES THAT THE SKY WAS CLR AT THIS LOCATION WHICH WAS ABOUT 5 MI FROM THE ARPT. ABOUT 20 MI OUT, I WAS ASKED BY APCH OF MY INTENTIONS. I HAD BEEN GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE OF ABCD. I REQUESTED AN SVFR AND WAS CLRED AT OR BELOW 2000 FT. AT 12 MI OUT I WAS AT 1500 FT AND HAD BROKEN FOG BELOW BUT AHEAD THE FOG WAS SOLID. TO THE W THE FOG WAS BROKEN SO I FLEW TO THE W AND TURNED BACK TO THE ARPT ON A 120 DEG HDG TO THE ARPT. AT 6 MI OUT, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. I WAS GIVEN INFO FROM THE TWR SUCH AS WIND, VISIBILITY AND ALTIMETER SETTING. ALSO, I DROPPED DOWN TO 600 FT TO GET BELOW THE FOG IN THIS AREA. I COULD SEE THE GND BELOW, THE PWR PLANT TO MY E AND THE BAY AHEAD. A FEW SECONDS LATER I SAW THE APCH LIGHTS IN THE BAY AND AT 2.1 MI OUT I SAW THE APCH END OF THE RWY. AT NO TIME DID I FLY THROUGH CLOUDS OR FOG AND NEVER HAD LESS THAN 2 MI VISIBILITY. AFTER I LANDED, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT THE TWR. I WAS FIRST ASKED BY THE TWR IF I HAD AN EMER, WHICH I RESPONDED 'NO.' I WAS THEN TOLD BY MR X, THE TWR CTLR, THAT HE WAS FILING A DEV AGAINST ME WITH THE FAA BECAUSE THE FIELD WAS IFR. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD BEEN GIVEN AN SVFR BY APCH. HE FIRST STATED THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO THE ARPT BY APCH AND LATER IN THE CONVERSATION CHANGED THAT STATEMENT TO 'THE TWR HAD NOT ACCEPTED THE HDOF FROM APCH.' WHEN I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I HAD TALKED TO THE TWR DURING THAT LAST 6 MI AND AT NO TIME DID THEY TELL ME NOT TO APCH OR THAT WE HAD ANY PROBS, HE STATED THAT IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THE VISIBILITY WAS AT 3/4 MI AND HE STATED THAT HE HAD A PIREP AND THAT THERE WAS NO WAY I COULD HAVE GOT TO THE ARPT WITHOUT FLYING THROUGH CLOUDS. I NEXT CALLED TINDALL APCH AND TALKED TO THE CTLR TO MAKE SURE I HAD UNDERSTOOD ALL INSTRUCTIONS AND TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD GONE WRONG. THE CTLR DID CONFIRM THAT I HAD BEEN GIVEN A CLRNC TO THE ARPT AND THE HDOF WAS TAKEN BY THE TWR. I THEN CONTACTED THE FBO TO FIND OUT WHAT I SHOULD DO. THEY GAVE ME THE NASA FORM AND INSTRUCTED ME TO FILL THIS RPT OUT AND SUBMIT TO THE FAA. THEY ALSO SUGGESTED I CALL BACK TINDALL APCH AND TALK TO A SUPVR TO MAKE SURE THE TAPES OF THE EVENT WERE KEPT. I THEN CALLED APCH AND TALKED TO THE SUPERVISION CHIEF. HE STATED THAT HE HAD TALKED TO HIS CTLR AND MR X AND DID NOT BELIEVE THERE WAS A PROB BUT HE STATED THAT HE WOULD LISTEN TO THE TAPES AND TALK TO MR Y THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE AREA.

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.