Narrative:

I was repositioning a single engine aircraft to a destination that was about 85 NM away, straight-line distance. However, the aircraft did not have any navigation or communication radios. Therefore, it was necessary to fly a course that avoided several controled airports and do this by pilotage. This made the course somewhat longer, about 115 NM. All airports that had WX reports, and there were several including my destination, were reporting VFR. All forecasts for these airports, including my destination, called for VFR conditions during my flight and for several hours after my estimated time of arrival, which was XA50. The only WX that posed a problem was an area of rain showers that covered an area that I had to fly through in order to avoid the controled airports. This was at about the 1/2 waypoint of my flight. As it turned out, this area of rain showers had ceilings that were 800-1000 ft, but the visibility was very good. However, as I left the area of rain showers, the ceilings improved some but the visibility started to decrease to about 6 mi. This was in line with the forecasts for my destination but lower than the reports I had received about 1 hour before. As I neared my destination (about 20 mi out), the visibility dropped further. I as concerned that the visibility would decrease to less than 3 mi. (My destination has a control zone. I did not have a lot of fuel to play around with, no electronic navigation, and no ability to talk to anyone. Therefore, I determined that the best action would be to continue to my destination, which was the closest airport and an area that was very familiar to me. I believe that I maintained at least 3 mi visibility. However, shortly after I landed at XA55, I went to the pilot lounge and checked the automatic WX. It was reporting a special observation of 2 1/2 mi visibility. However, the conditions seemed to be improving. In a few mins, I checked the WX again and at XB08 there was a special observation that reported 3 mi visibility. The forecasts still showed conditions to be VFR with visibilities to be better than 6 mi. I appreciate that WX can sometimes defy the best efforts at forecasting. Based upon observations and forecasts, it was safe for me to start the flight. I do not know what I could have done differently when confronted by the conditions so far into my flight. Considering that I did not have any radio capability and fuel was not a luxury, the best action was to get the airplane on the ground as soon as possible. I would not have attempted this flight at night no matter how good the forecasts. Likewise, if the metars and taf's had not been as good as they were, I would not have attempted the flight. The one poor condition that I was aware of before I started the flight, the area of rain showers about midway in my course, did not give me any problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 ATP PLT ENTERS A CLASS D CTL ZONE WITH LESS THAN 3 MI VISIBILITY AND NO RADIOS WITH WHICH TO CALL ZOB CTLR FOR CLRNC NEAR DUJ, PA.

Narrative: I WAS REPOSITIONING A SINGLE ENG ACFT TO A DEST THAT WAS ABOUT 85 NM AWAY, STRAIGHT-LINE DISTANCE. HOWEVER, THE ACFT DID NOT HAVE ANY NAV OR COM RADIOS. THEREFORE, IT WAS NECESSARY TO FLY A COURSE THAT AVOIDED SEVERAL CTLED ARPTS AND DO THIS BY PILOTAGE. THIS MADE THE COURSE SOMEWHAT LONGER, ABOUT 115 NM. ALL ARPTS THAT HAD WX RPTS, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL INCLUDING MY DEST, WERE RPTING VFR. ALL FORECASTS FOR THESE ARPTS, INCLUDING MY DEST, CALLED FOR VFR CONDITIONS DURING MY FLT AND FOR SEVERAL HRS AFTER MY ESTIMATED TIME OF ARR, WHICH WAS XA50. THE ONLY WX THAT POSED A PROB WAS AN AREA OF RAIN SHOWERS THAT COVERED AN AREA THAT I HAD TO FLY THROUGH IN ORDER TO AVOID THE CTLED ARPTS. THIS WAS AT ABOUT THE 1/2 WAYPOINT OF MY FLT. AS IT TURNED OUT, THIS AREA OF RAIN SHOWERS HAD CEILINGS THAT WERE 800-1000 FT, BUT THE VISIBILITY WAS VERY GOOD. HOWEVER, AS I LEFT THE AREA OF RAIN SHOWERS, THE CEILINGS IMPROVED SOME BUT THE VISIBILITY STARTED TO DECREASE TO ABOUT 6 MI. THIS WAS IN LINE WITH THE FORECASTS FOR MY DEST BUT LOWER THAN THE RPTS I HAD RECEIVED ABOUT 1 HR BEFORE. AS I NEARED MY DEST (ABOUT 20 MI OUT), THE VISIBILITY DROPPED FURTHER. I AS CONCERNED THAT THE VISIBILITY WOULD DECREASE TO LESS THAN 3 MI. (MY DEST HAS A CTL ZONE. I DID NOT HAVE A LOT OF FUEL TO PLAY AROUND WITH, NO ELECTRONIC NAV, AND NO ABILITY TO TALK TO ANYONE. THEREFORE, I DETERMINED THAT THE BEST ACTION WOULD BE TO CONTINUE TO MY DEST, WHICH WAS THE CLOSEST ARPT AND AN AREA THAT WAS VERY FAMILIAR TO ME. I BELIEVE THAT I MAINTAINED AT LEAST 3 MI VISIBILITY. HOWEVER, SHORTLY AFTER I LANDED AT XA55, I WENT TO THE PLT LOUNGE AND CHKED THE AUTOMATIC WX. IT WAS RPTING A SPECIAL OBSERVATION OF 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. HOWEVER, THE CONDITIONS SEEMED TO BE IMPROVING. IN A FEW MINS, I CHKED THE WX AGAIN AND AT XB08 THERE WAS A SPECIAL OBSERVATION THAT RPTED 3 MI VISIBILITY. THE FORECASTS STILL SHOWED CONDITIONS TO BE VFR WITH VISIBILITIES TO BE BETTER THAN 6 MI. I APPRECIATE THAT WX CAN SOMETIMES DEFY THE BEST EFFORTS AT FORECASTING. BASED UPON OBSERVATIONS AND FORECASTS, IT WAS SAFE FOR ME TO START THE FLT. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY WHEN CONFRONTED BY THE CONDITIONS SO FAR INTO MY FLT. CONSIDERING THAT I DID NOT HAVE ANY RADIO CAPABILITY AND FUEL WAS NOT A LUXURY, THE BEST ACTION WAS TO GET THE AIRPLANE ON THE GND ASAP. I WOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED THIS FLT AT NIGHT NO MATTER HOW GOOD THE FORECASTS. LIKEWISE, IF THE METARS AND TAF'S HAD NOT BEEN AS GOOD AS THEY WERE, I WOULD NOT HAVE ATTEMPTED THE FLT. THE ONE POOR CONDITION THAT I WAS AWARE OF BEFORE I STARTED THE FLT, THE AREA OF RAIN SHOWERS ABOUT MIDWAY IN MY COURSE, DID NOT GIVE ME ANY PROBS.

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.