Narrative:

On sep/xa/99, I flew from sba to castle AFB stopping at prb to pick up a passenger/pilot. Upon arriving overhead prb about XA00, I was told by my friend on the ground, on 122.75, that the field was under an overcast and might not clear for 1/2 hour or more. Flying over prb (the VOR is on the field), I determined with VOR and LORAN that the 'ragged edge' of the cover was about 1.3 mi from the center of the field, clearing to the north and east. I held about 8 mi northeast of prb for about 20 mins, getting updates from my friend on 122.75, as the field is uncontrolled. About XA25 he told me that it was blue overhead and that a C206 had landed on runway 19, visual approach all the way in. He advised caution, but suggested that it was clearing. About XA30, I began an approach on base on a heading of about 250 degrees 75 KTS. I saw runway 19 about 2 1/2 mi out, in the sun under a ragged, thinning layer. The cloud/haze was 'on edge' to me so I couldn't estimate how dense or how far away it was. It was still over the field but with the approach end clear. I began a gentle 25 degree left bank toward the threshold end of runway 19 and about 1/2 mi out, my pilot/passenger on board said 'we've got someone out here.' I saw an RV4 passing from right to left on a heading of 19 degrees (I was about 220 degrees) descending, estimated 90 KTS, about 200-250 ft away, passing from higher to lower. I increased my left bank to about 35-40 degrees to parallel the RV4's course, saw him land and taxi to the farthest turnoff to the right. I climbed to about 500 ft AGL and made a crosswind, downwind, base to final. When turning on the taxiway to pick up my friend, I saw that the beacon was on and the field was IMC. I was monitoring 122.75 and 123.0 (unicom) for traffic reports but did not hear any. I thought that I had made position reports but may have done so on 122.75 rather than 123.0. Although, since our courses were almost parallel and the visibility was good which gave me a timely sighting, 5 or 10 seconds either way could have been very serious. The RV4 was probably on an instrument approach, although I didn't hear any position reports. Since I was out to his left, toward the sun, he may not have seen me. I realized that I had exercised very poor judgement and poor radio procedures. I assumed that the field had gone VMC but it had not. If I had waited 10-15 mins longer, it would have been safe, standard, and legal. Needless to say, it won't happen again. I am due for my BFR and plan to go over some remaining questions with my instructor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PLT HAD NMAC WHILE ATTEMPTING AN APCH TO A FIELD IN IMC.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/99, I FLEW FROM SBA TO CASTLE AFB STOPPING AT PRB TO PICK UP A PAX/PLT. UPON ARRIVING OVERHEAD PRB ABOUT XA00, I WAS TOLD BY MY FRIEND ON THE GND, ON 122.75, THAT THE FIELD WAS UNDER AN OVCST AND MIGHT NOT CLR FOR 1/2 HR OR MORE. FLYING OVER PRB (THE VOR IS ON THE FIELD), I DETERMINED WITH VOR AND LORAN THAT THE 'RAGGED EDGE' OF THE COVER WAS ABOUT 1.3 MI FROM THE CTR OF THE FIELD, CLRING TO THE N AND E. I HELD ABOUT 8 MI NE OF PRB FOR ABOUT 20 MINS, GETTING UPDATES FROM MY FRIEND ON 122.75, AS THE FIELD IS UNCTLED. ABOUT XA25 HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS BLUE OVERHEAD AND THAT A C206 HAD LANDED ON RWY 19, VISUAL APCH ALL THE WAY IN. HE ADVISED CAUTION, BUT SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS CLRING. ABOUT XA30, I BEGAN AN APCH ON BASE ON A HDG OF ABOUT 250 DEGS 75 KTS. I SAW RWY 19 ABOUT 2 1/2 MI OUT, IN THE SUN UNDER A RAGGED, THINNING LAYER. THE CLOUD/HAZE WAS 'ON EDGE' TO ME SO I COULDN'T ESTIMATE HOW DENSE OR HOW FAR AWAY IT WAS. IT WAS STILL OVER THE FIELD BUT WITH THE APCH END CLR. I BEGAN A GENTLE 25 DEG L BANK TOWARD THE THRESHOLD END OF RWY 19 AND ABOUT 1/2 MI OUT, MY PLT/PAX ON BOARD SAID 'WE'VE GOT SOMEONE OUT HERE.' I SAW AN RV4 PASSING FROM R TO L ON A HDG OF 19 DEGS (I WAS ABOUT 220 DEGS) DSNDING, ESTIMATED 90 KTS, ABOUT 200-250 FT AWAY, PASSING FROM HIGHER TO LOWER. I INCREASED MY L BANK TO ABOUT 35-40 DEGS TO PARALLEL THE RV4'S COURSE, SAW HIM LAND AND TAXI TO THE FARTHEST TURNOFF TO THE R. I CLBED TO ABOUT 500 FT AGL AND MADE A XWIND, DOWNWIND, BASE TO FINAL. WHEN TURNING ON THE TXWY TO PICK UP MY FRIEND, I SAW THAT THE BEACON WAS ON AND THE FIELD WAS IMC. I WAS MONITORING 122.75 AND 123.0 (UNICOM) FOR TFC RPTS BUT DID NOT HEAR ANY. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD MADE POS RPTS BUT MAY HAVE DONE SO ON 122.75 RATHER THAN 123.0. ALTHOUGH, SINCE OUR COURSES WERE ALMOST PARALLEL AND THE VISIBILITY WAS GOOD WHICH GAVE ME A TIMELY SIGHTING, 5 OR 10 SECONDS EITHER WAY COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS. THE RV4 WAS PROBABLY ON AN INST APCH, ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T HEAR ANY POS RPTS. SINCE I WAS OUT TO HIS L, TOWARD THE SUN, HE MAY NOT HAVE SEEN ME. I REALIZED THAT I HAD EXERCISED VERY POOR JUDGEMENT AND POOR RADIO PROCS. I ASSUMED THAT THE FIELD HAD GONE VMC BUT IT HAD NOT. IF I HAD WAITED 10-15 MINS LONGER, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFE, STANDARD, AND LEGAL. NEEDLESS TO SAY, IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. I AM DUE FOR MY BFR AND PLAN TO GO OVER SOME REMAINING QUESTIONS WITH MY INSTRUCTOR.

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.