Narrative:

VFR flight was planned from akh to upstate new york for the morning of jun/xa/99. WX gathered via duats 2 hours prior to departure indicated low pressure system to the west moving slowly eastward. Conditions along route of flight were predicted to be MVFR with chance of IFR periods in the area of gastonia and VFR north of the area, with light winds from the south, visibility 3-6 mi and ceilings mostly 3000-5000 ft the whole way. Local ASOS was checked 1 hour before departure, 1/2 hour before departure, and just prior to departure, with consistent readings of 3 mi visibility, mist, and clouds few 800 ft broken 8000 ft. On the final check, the reported cloud cover was few 800 ft, broken 5000 ft. Visual observation revealed overcast skies with visible mist near the surface and light wind. Upon takeoff it became immediately obvious that the ASOS report was drastically inaccurate, as the airplane entered a broken cloud layer before reaching pattern altitude. After a short but unfruitful visual search for the airport, clt approach control was contacted and with their aid, visual contact with akh was established long enough to make an approach and land. A postflt check of the ASOS now accurately revealed the IFR cloud conditions. Estimated time in-flight was approximately 15 mins. In retrospect, it is obvious that the change in the third ASOS report from the first 2 was the beginning of a tempered and characteristically delayed response to rapidly changing WX conditions. At the time, however, the change seemed consistent with predicted conditions and reasonably consistent with the previous reports, and it was given no further thought. Perhaps crossverifying conditions with other automated WX system, consulting another pilot or WX briefer, or updating the duats report just prior to departure would have presented a more accurate WX picture. Better timing surely would have helped. Because of the marginal visibility of 3 mi due to light rain and mist and the inherent inability of WX data to entirely represent actual conditions, the backup plan was to fly the pattern and return to akh if things didn't look good in the air. Not being able to fly a safe VFR traffic pattern because of a low ceiling was not anticipated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PVT PLT ENCOUNTERS IFR CONDITIONS AFTER TKOF AT AKH.

Narrative: VFR FLT WAS PLANNED FROM AKH TO UPSTATE NEW YORK FOR THE MORNING OF JUN/XA/99. WX GATHERED VIA DUATS 2 HRS PRIOR TO DEP INDICATED LOW PRESSURE SYS TO THE W MOVING SLOWLY EASTWARD. CONDITIONS ALONG RTE OF FLT WERE PREDICTED TO BE MVFR WITH CHANCE OF IFR PERIODS IN THE AREA OF GASTONIA AND VFR N OF THE AREA, WITH LIGHT WINDS FROM THE S, VISIBILITY 3-6 MI AND CEILINGS MOSTLY 3000-5000 FT THE WHOLE WAY. LCL ASOS WAS CHKED 1 HR BEFORE DEP, 1/2 HR BEFORE DEP, AND JUST PRIOR TO DEP, WITH CONSISTENT READINGS OF 3 MI VISIBILITY, MIST, AND CLOUDS FEW 800 FT BROKEN 8000 FT. ON THE FINAL CHK, THE RPTED CLOUD COVER WAS FEW 800 FT, BROKEN 5000 FT. VISUAL OBSERVATION REVEALED OVCST SKIES WITH VISIBLE MIST NEAR THE SURFACE AND LIGHT WIND. UPON TKOF IT BECAME IMMEDIATELY OBVIOUS THAT THE ASOS RPT WAS DRASTICALLY INACCURATE, AS THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A BROKEN CLOUD LAYER BEFORE REACHING PATTERN ALT. AFTER A SHORT BUT UNFRUITFUL VISUAL SEARCH FOR THE ARPT, CLT APCH CTL WAS CONTACTED AND WITH THEIR AID, VISUAL CONTACT WITH AKH WAS ESTABLISHED LONG ENOUGH TO MAKE AN APCH AND LAND. A POSTFLT CHK OF THE ASOS NOW ACCURATELY REVEALED THE IFR CLOUD CONDITIONS. ESTIMATED TIME INFLT WAS APPROX 15 MINS. IN RETROSPECT, IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THE CHANGE IN THE THIRD ASOS RPT FROM THE FIRST 2 WAS THE BEGINNING OF A TEMPERED AND CHARACTERISTICALLY DELAYED RESPONSE TO RAPIDLY CHANGING WX CONDITIONS. AT THE TIME, HOWEVER, THE CHANGE SEEMED CONSISTENT WITH PREDICTED CONDITIONS AND REASONABLY CONSISTENT WITH THE PREVIOUS RPTS, AND IT WAS GIVEN NO FURTHER THOUGHT. PERHAPS CROSSVERIFYING CONDITIONS WITH OTHER AUTOMATED WX SYS, CONSULTING ANOTHER PLT OR WX BRIEFER, OR UPDATING THE DUATS RPT JUST PRIOR TO DEP WOULD HAVE PRESENTED A MORE ACCURATE WX PICTURE. BETTER TIMING SURELY WOULD HAVE HELPED. BECAUSE OF THE MARGINAL VISIBILITY OF 3 MI DUE TO LIGHT RAIN AND MIST AND THE INHERENT INABILITY OF WX DATA TO ENTIRELY REPRESENT ACTUAL CONDITIONS, THE BACKUP PLAN WAS TO FLY THE PATTERN AND RETURN TO AKH IF THINGS DIDN'T LOOK GOOD IN THE AIR. NOT BEING ABLE TO FLY A SAFE VFR TFC PATTERN BECAUSE OF A LOW CEILING WAS NOT ANTICIPATED.

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.