Due to a low overcast, the pilot of a scheduled passenger small transport float plane had to step-ta...

Attributes
ACN	445992
Time
Date	199908
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : akn.airport
State Reference	AK
Altitude	agl single value : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	445992
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Before takeoff I determined I had 3 mi visibility. Ceiling was undeterminable in rain and mist. I step-taxied a mi or so until I could see what looked like a 500 ft ceiling and took off on the water. On climb I decided it would be better to turn a sharp corner slow, so I landed again, step-taxied around the corner, saw the same ceiling and took off again. I didn't know what was around the corner and I didn't want to be trapped with nothing but gray water and gray sky, no land reference. That landing was a safety precaution. Once I saw 3 mi visibility around the corner and the same (unknown) ceiling, I thought I could get 500 ft, so I started my climb. During my climb, I picked up a tailwind and the water below became too rough to land on without hazard. To land into the wind I would have had to turn out over a gray lake in misty rain without references to land -- a very unsafe situation. I got to 300 ft and continued my flight looking for a place to land, a safe place, with flaps partially down. I always had at least 3 mi visibility and my destination was reporting (ATIS) 2200 ft ceiling and 8 mi visibility. The safest thing for me to do was continue at 300 ft until the ceiling came up.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DUE TO A LOW OVCST, THE PLT OF A SCHEDULED PAX SMT FLOAT PLANE HAD TO STEP-TAXI AND LAND REPEATEDLY UNTIL ABLE TO FLY HIGHER THAN 300 FT ABOVE THE LAKE IN WHICH HE WAS DEPARTING.

Narrative: BEFORE TKOF I DETERMINED I HAD 3 MI VISIBILITY. CEILING WAS UNDETERMINABLE IN RAIN AND MIST. I STEP-TAXIED A MI OR SO UNTIL I COULD SEE WHAT LOOKED LIKE A 500 FT CEILING AND TOOK OFF ON THE WATER. ON CLB I DECIDED IT WOULD BE BETTER TO TURN A SHARP CORNER SLOW, SO I LANDED AGAIN, STEP-TAXIED AROUND THE CORNER, SAW THE SAME CEILING AND TOOK OFF AGAIN. I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS AROUND THE CORNER AND I DIDN'T WANT TO BE TRAPPED WITH NOTHING BUT GRAY WATER AND GRAY SKY, NO LAND REF. THAT LNDG WAS A SAFETY PRECAUTION. ONCE I SAW 3 MI VISIBILITY AROUND THE CORNER AND THE SAME (UNKNOWN) CEILING, I THOUGHT I COULD GET 500 FT, SO I STARTED MY CLB. DURING MY CLB, I PICKED UP A TAILWIND AND THE WATER BELOW BECAME TOO ROUGH TO LAND ON WITHOUT HAZARD. TO LAND INTO THE WIND I WOULD HAVE HAD TO TURN OUT OVER A GRAY LAKE IN MISTY RAIN WITHOUT REFS TO LAND -- A VERY UNSAFE SIT. I GOT TO 300 FT AND CONTINUED MY FLT LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LAND, A SAFE PLACE, WITH FLAPS PARTIALLY DOWN. I ALWAYS HAD AT LEAST 3 MI VISIBILITY AND MY DEST WAS RPTING (ATIS) 2200 FT CEILING AND 8 MI VISIBILITY. THE SAFEST THING FOR ME TO DO WAS CONTINUE AT 300 FT UNTIL THE CEILING CAME UP.

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.

Due to a low overcast, the pilot of a scheduled passenger small transport float plane had to step-taxi and land repeatedly until able to fly higher than 300 ft above the lake in which he was departing.