Narrative:

Approached onp from the east in cavu conditions, receiving VFR flight following from ZSE. The airport is situated on a 200 ft bluff about 1/2 mi inland from the pacific and is in a class east surface area. I was monitoring the onp AWOS, which was indicating 800 ft scattered with visibility at least 10 mi. As I got closer, I could see areas of marine stratus, mostly from mid-field south, but could see the airport buildings clearly beneath the clouds. Center terminated radar service without any mention of the WX at onp, which confirmed my belief that the field was above VFR minimums. I made an attempt to contact unicom, but there was no reply. Since the wind was reported as northerly at 10 KTS, I decided to descend wbound about 3 mi south of the field, cross under the cloud layer, and make a straight-in approach to runway 34, staying slightly west of centerline. This would keep me away from higher terrain and mostly over the beach in the event I encountered lower clouds. To remain clear of clouds, I had to descend to about 600 ft MSL (which was 600 ft above the beach but about 400 ft above the airport). I made position reports on unicom and heard a plane report that he was departing runway 34 VFR. I briefly encountered reduced visibility (approximately 2 mi), but never lost ground contact, and the landing was uneventful. When I went to the FBO to arrange ground transportation, the person there was also the official WX observer and mentioned in passing that he had recently called in an observation of 800 ft broken, making the field below VFR minimums. It is quite possible that I made the approach to airport while it was below VFR minimums, though center did not advise me of that fact. Prior to departure, I contacted mmv FSS to determine the status of the airport, though it appeared to be beneath a scattered layer, the official observation was 700 ft broken, so I obtained a special VFR clearance. While I was on the radio, a cessna departed VFR. The situation of an airport with a class east surface area and no 'official' advisory service at the airport creates special problems in marginal WX conditions, which are common on the pacific coast. Obtaining the official observation from a remote FSS can be very time-consuming, especially given the workload at a typical AFSS. I would suggest adding a prominent message to the AWOS/ASOS when the field is below minimums. For example, I have seen other airports add the official observer WX to the recording. At one coastal airport (acv), they once had (and may still have) a flashing yellow light in the run-up area which was turned on when the WX was below VFR minimums, no help to arrs, but it did address the departure situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT CONCERNED THAT LNDG AT ONP WAS UNDER IFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: APCHED ONP FROM THE E IN CAVU CONDITIONS, RECEIVING VFR FLT FOLLOWING FROM ZSE. THE ARPT IS SITUATED ON A 200 FT BLUFF ABOUT 1/2 MI INLAND FROM THE PACIFIC AND IS IN A CLASS E SURFACE AREA. I WAS MONITORING THE ONP AWOS, WHICH WAS INDICATING 800 FT SCATTERED WITH VISIBILITY AT LEAST 10 MI. AS I GOT CLOSER, I COULD SEE AREAS OF MARINE STRATUS, MOSTLY FROM MID-FIELD S, BUT COULD SEE THE ARPT BUILDINGS CLRLY BENEATH THE CLOUDS. CTR TERMINATED RADAR SVC WITHOUT ANY MENTION OF THE WX AT ONP, WHICH CONFIRMED MY BELIEF THAT THE FIELD WAS ABOVE VFR MINIMUMS. I MADE AN ATTEMPT TO CONTACT UNICOM, BUT THERE WAS NO REPLY. SINCE THE WIND WAS RPTED AS NORTHERLY AT 10 KTS, I DECIDED TO DSND WBOUND ABOUT 3 MI S OF THE FIELD, CROSS UNDER THE CLOUD LAYER, AND MAKE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 34, STAYING SLIGHTLY W OF CTRLINE. THIS WOULD KEEP ME AWAY FROM HIGHER TERRAIN AND MOSTLY OVER THE BEACH IN THE EVENT I ENCOUNTERED LOWER CLOUDS. TO REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS, I HAD TO DSND TO ABOUT 600 FT MSL (WHICH WAS 600 FT ABOVE THE BEACH BUT ABOUT 400 FT ABOVE THE ARPT). I MADE POS RPTS ON UNICOM AND HEARD A PLANE RPT THAT HE WAS DEPARTING RWY 34 VFR. I BRIEFLY ENCOUNTERED REDUCED VISIBILITY (APPROX 2 MI), BUT NEVER LOST GND CONTACT, AND THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHEN I WENT TO THE FBO TO ARRANGE GND TRANSPORTATION, THE PERSON THERE WAS ALSO THE OFFICIAL WX OBSERVER AND MENTIONED IN PASSING THAT HE HAD RECENTLY CALLED IN AN OBSERVATION OF 800 FT BROKEN, MAKING THE FIELD BELOW VFR MINIMUMS. IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT I MADE THE APCH TO ARPT WHILE IT WAS BELOW VFR MINIMUMS, THOUGH CTR DID NOT ADVISE ME OF THAT FACT. PRIOR TO DEP, I CONTACTED MMV FSS TO DETERMINE THE STATUS OF THE ARPT, THOUGH IT APPEARED TO BE BENEATH A SCATTERED LAYER, THE OFFICIAL OBSERVATION WAS 700 FT BROKEN, SO I OBTAINED A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC. WHILE I WAS ON THE RADIO, A CESSNA DEPARTED VFR. THE SIT OF AN ARPT WITH A CLASS E SURFACE AREA AND NO 'OFFICIAL' ADVISORY SVC AT THE ARPT CREATES SPECIAL PROBS IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS, WHICH ARE COMMON ON THE PACIFIC COAST. OBTAINING THE OFFICIAL OBSERVATION FROM A REMOTE FSS CAN BE VERY TIME-CONSUMING, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE WORKLOAD AT A TYPICAL AFSS. I WOULD SUGGEST ADDING A PROMINENT MESSAGE TO THE AWOS/ASOS WHEN THE FIELD IS BELOW MINIMUMS. FOR EXAMPLE, I HAVE SEEN OTHER ARPTS ADD THE OFFICIAL OBSERVER WX TO THE RECORDING. AT ONE COASTAL ARPT (ACV), THEY ONCE HAD (AND MAY STILL HAVE) A FLASHING YELLOW LIGHT IN THE RUN-UP AREA WHICH WAS TURNED ON WHEN THE WX WAS BELOW VFR MINIMUMS, NO HELP TO ARRS, BUT IT DID ADDRESS THE DEP SIT.

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.