PA28-181 pilot with relatively low experience level and no instrument rating encounters fog on the c...

Narrative:

Planned a cross country flight from torrance airport (toa) to palomar airport (crq). Obtained WX briefing from FSS about XA00 am local for proposed XA00 departure. Briefer quoted ceiling as 10000-15000 ft all along proposed route, visibility 6 mi or better expected. I called palomar ATIS on the telephone after briefing, and ATIS reported ceiling 15000 ft, visibility 6 mi. All conditions seemed adequate for VFR flight. I had asked briefer if there was any possibility of low clouds/fog along the way or at either toa or crq, and was told that none was forecast. Around san onofre, I could see a layer of low clouds along the coast ahead of me. Got crq ATIS. ATIS was reporting 600 ft scattered clouds, ceiling 15000 ft broken. Dewpoint temperature spread was 1 degree C. Decided to attempt approach. Contacted crq tower and was told to report entering downwind. Descent through thin, foggy cloud layer to pattern altitude was nerve-wracking. Clouds weren't completely obscuring visibility -- it was more like a thin mist. Saw airport, entered downwind. Could not fly at pattern altitude (1300 ft) because I would have been in the clouds. Entered downwind approximately 800 ft altitude, reported downwind to tower. Tower replied that they showed me on radar as downwind for oceanside airport. I saw the word 'oceanside' painted on the ramp adjacent to the runway. Requested vectors from crq tower to airport. They gave me vectors, but I could not see the runway. Reported that I did not have runway in sight. Crq tower told me to prepare for go around. I was on short final (speed approximately 90 KTS). Saw runway about 400 yards ahead. Called for go around. Crq tower turned me on downwind mid-field. I began approach in pattern again, staying at about 700 ft MSL to stay out of clouds. Made successful approach and landing. The airport was 'going IFR now.' I was the last VFR flight in. Lots of bad things -- unable to maintain cloud clrncs or required minimal altitude per far's. The problem arose because I accepted the ATIS report of 600 ft scattered, rather than believing my own eyes, which showed me the cloud cover was broken/overcast 600 ft, not scattered. I didn't want to believe that the WX briefing I'd gotten from FSS could be so wrong. Contributing factors: when I made my call-up to crq, the tower didn't tell me how rapidly conditions were deteriorating or worn me away. When I made my call-up, I was clear of clouds. If crq had said at that point that they were 'going IFR,' I would have turned around. Human performance considerations: whatever crq told me, I recognize that as PIC it's my call as to whether to start the approach or not. I let others' judgements (FSS, crq tower) override my own, and that should not have occurred. When I saw how thick the clouds were, I should have stayed clear. Also, I should have been spring-loaded for fog/clouds when the ATIS gave the temperature as 14 degrees C and dewpoint as 13 degrees C. All in all, it was a major learning experience.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28-181 PLT WITH RELATIVELY LOW EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND NO INST RATING ENCOUNTERS FOG ON THE CALIFORNIA COAST, MAKES APCH TO WRONG ARPT BUT IS AIDED RADAR VECTORING BY CRQ TWR TO HIS DEST ARPT IN LESS THAN VFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: PLANNED A XCOUNTRY FLT FROM TORRANCE ARPT (TOA) TO PALOMAR ARPT (CRQ). OBTAINED WX BRIEFING FROM FSS ABOUT XA00 AM LCL FOR PROPOSED XA00 DEP. BRIEFER QUOTED CEILING AS 10000-15000 FT ALL ALONG PROPOSED RTE, VISIBILITY 6 MI OR BETTER EXPECTED. I CALLED PALOMAR ATIS ON THE TELEPHONE AFTER BRIEFING, AND ATIS RPTED CEILING 15000 FT, VISIBILITY 6 MI. ALL CONDITIONS SEEMED ADEQUATE FOR VFR FLT. I HAD ASKED BRIEFER IF THERE WAS ANY POSSIBILITY OF LOW CLOUDS/FOG ALONG THE WAY OR AT EITHER TOA OR CRQ, AND WAS TOLD THAT NONE WAS FORECAST. AROUND SAN ONOFRE, I COULD SEE A LAYER OF LOW CLOUDS ALONG THE COAST AHEAD OF ME. GOT CRQ ATIS. ATIS WAS RPTING 600 FT SCATTERED CLOUDS, CEILING 15000 FT BROKEN. DEWPOINT TEMP SPREAD WAS 1 DEG C. DECIDED TO ATTEMPT APCH. CONTACTED CRQ TWR AND WAS TOLD TO RPT ENTERING DOWNWIND. DSCNT THROUGH THIN, FOGGY CLOUD LAYER TO PATTERN ALT WAS NERVE-WRACKING. CLOUDS WEREN'T COMPLETELY OBSCURING VISIBILITY -- IT WAS MORE LIKE A THIN MIST. SAW ARPT, ENTERED DOWNWIND. COULD NOT FLY AT PATTERN ALT (1300 FT) BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CLOUDS. ENTERED DOWNWIND APPROX 800 FT ALT, RPTED DOWNWIND TO TWR. TWR REPLIED THAT THEY SHOWED ME ON RADAR AS DOWNWIND FOR OCEANSIDE ARPT. I SAW THE WORD 'OCEANSIDE' PAINTED ON THE RAMP ADJACENT TO THE RWY. REQUESTED VECTORS FROM CRQ TWR TO ARPT. THEY GAVE ME VECTORS, BUT I COULD NOT SEE THE RWY. RPTED THAT I DID NOT HAVE RWY IN SIGHT. CRQ TWR TOLD ME TO PREPARE FOR GAR. I WAS ON SHORT FINAL (SPD APPROX 90 KTS). SAW RWY ABOUT 400 YARDS AHEAD. CALLED FOR GAR. CRQ TWR TURNED ME ON DOWNWIND MID-FIELD. I BEGAN APCH IN PATTERN AGAIN, STAYING AT ABOUT 700 FT MSL TO STAY OUT OF CLOUDS. MADE SUCCESSFUL APCH AND LNDG. THE ARPT WAS 'GOING IFR NOW.' I WAS THE LAST VFR FLT IN. LOTS OF BAD THINGS -- UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CLOUD CLRNCS OR REQUIRED MINIMAL ALT PER FAR'S. THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE I ACCEPTED THE ATIS RPT OF 600 FT SCATTERED, RATHER THAN BELIEVING MY OWN EYES, WHICH SHOWED ME THE CLOUD COVER WAS BROKEN/OVCST 600 FT, NOT SCATTERED. I DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE THAT THE WX BRIEFING I'D GOTTEN FROM FSS COULD BE SO WRONG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WHEN I MADE MY CALL-UP TO CRQ, THE TWR DIDN'T TELL ME HOW RAPIDLY CONDITIONS WERE DETERIORATING OR WORN ME AWAY. WHEN I MADE MY CALL-UP, I WAS CLR OF CLOUDS. IF CRQ HAD SAID AT THAT POINT THAT THEY WERE 'GOING IFR,' I WOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: WHATEVER CRQ TOLD ME, I RECOGNIZE THAT AS PIC IT'S MY CALL AS TO WHETHER TO START THE APCH OR NOT. I LET OTHERS' JUDGEMENTS (FSS, CRQ TWR) OVERRIDE MY OWN, AND THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. WHEN I SAW HOW THICK THE CLOUDS WERE, I SHOULD HAVE STAYED CLR. ALSO, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN SPRING-LOADED FOR FOG/CLOUDS WHEN THE ATIS GAVE THE TEMP AS 14 DEGS C AND DEWPOINT AS 13 DEGS C. ALL IN ALL, IT WAS A MAJOR LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

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.

Attributes
ACN	456383
Time
Date	199911
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : crq.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 328 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Weather Elements	Fog
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sct.tracon tower : crq.tower tower : jfk.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 120 flight time type : 120
ASRS Report	456383
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

PA28-181 pilot with relatively low experience level and no instrument rating encounters fog on the california coast, makes approach to wrong airport but is aided radar vectoring by crq tower to his destination airport in less than VFR conditions.