Narrative:

My husband and I made the localizer runway 2 approach into wvi (watsonville) in our BE36. My husband was at the controls and he holds a commercial multi-engine, instrument license. I have a private, single engine instrument license. According to ASOS, conditions were 700-900 ft overcast and 8 mi visibility. The approach minimums at that airport are 680 ft MSL with an airport elevation of 160 ft. We were at minimums and had seconds to go (1 mi from missed approach point) when we finally sighted the runway and descended. We had been either skimming the bottom or going in and out of clouds. We were listening to both CTAF on 122.80 and approach control (norcal TRACON). We cleared the runway and cancelled IFR, only to hear a cessna, aircraft Y, announce on CTAF he was taking a turn around the pattern for runway 20. My husband called and advised against this as the ceiling was barely 700 ft. The pilot responded that he knew that, he had just come in on the localizer ahead of us. A second plane received an instrument release, but a 3RD, aircraft Z, followed the cessna up into the pattern! Wvi is class G airspace from ground to 700 ft AGL, but by my calculations, there is only about 40 ft of legal airspace to fly a pattern in, and on this day, it was truly doubtful that they could have remained clear of clouds. They were still flying patterns on runway 20 when we returned to the airport 2 hours later. By this time the ASOS was reporting 1000 ft overcast and 10 mi, which is technically VFR, but they were also still doing it on runway 20. As I was receiving my release, a seneca came in and firmly announced that he hoped he hadn't cut anyone off, as he hadn't anticipated people flying patterns in IMC. As I departed, I hit clouds at 890 ft, with a current altimeter setting. From what I said above, I will not state that any laws were broken. But the situation was far from safe. I truly would not want to have broken out of the clouds, just at the missed approach point, only to find a plane headed straight towards me, and possibly no way of him seeing me, and any evasive action putting me in danger. Watsonville's noise abatement procedure further exacerbates this situation by stating that runway 20 is to be used on calm days, while the only instrument procedures are to runway 2. I don't think a circle to land would have been possible when we came in. Either the noise abatement procedures need to be altered if IMC exists, or preferably, class east needs to extend to the surface for this airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE36 HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DECISIONS PLTS ARE MAKING TO FLY AT WVI DURING INCLEMENT CONDITIONS.

Narrative: MY HUSBAND AND I MADE THE LOC RWY 2 APCH INTO WVI (WATSONVILLE) IN OUR BE36. MY HUSBAND WAS AT THE CTLS AND HE HOLDS A COMMERCIAL MULTI-ENG, INST LICENSE. I HAVE A PVT, SINGLE ENG INST LICENSE. ACCORDING TO ASOS, CONDITIONS WERE 700-900 FT OVCST AND 8 MI VISIBILITY. THE APCH MINIMUMS AT THAT ARPT ARE 680 FT MSL WITH AN ARPT ELEVATION OF 160 FT. WE WERE AT MINIMUMS AND HAD SECONDS TO GO (1 MI FROM MISSED APCH POINT) WHEN WE FINALLY SIGHTED THE RWY AND DSNDED. WE HAD BEEN EITHER SKIMMING THE BOTTOM OR GOING IN AND OUT OF CLOUDS. WE WERE LISTENING TO BOTH CTAF ON 122.80 AND APCH CTL (NORCAL TRACON). WE CLRED THE RWY AND CANCELLED IFR, ONLY TO HEAR A CESSNA, ACFT Y, ANNOUNCE ON CTAF HE WAS TAKING A TURN AROUND THE PATTERN FOR RWY 20. MY HUSBAND CALLED AND ADVISED AGAINST THIS AS THE CEILING WAS BARELY 700 FT. THE PLT RESPONDED THAT HE KNEW THAT, HE HAD JUST COME IN ON THE LOC AHEAD OF US. A SECOND PLANE RECEIVED AN INST RELEASE, BUT A 3RD, ACFT Z, FOLLOWED THE CESSNA UP INTO THE PATTERN! WVI IS CLASS G AIRSPACE FROM GND TO 700 FT AGL, BUT BY MY CALCULATIONS, THERE IS ONLY ABOUT 40 FT OF LEGAL AIRSPACE TO FLY A PATTERN IN, AND ON THIS DAY, IT WAS TRULY DOUBTFUL THAT THEY COULD HAVE REMAINED CLR OF CLOUDS. THEY WERE STILL FLYING PATTERNS ON RWY 20 WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT 2 HRS LATER. BY THIS TIME THE ASOS WAS RPTING 1000 FT OVCST AND 10 MI, WHICH IS TECHNICALLY VFR, BUT THEY WERE ALSO STILL DOING IT ON RWY 20. AS I WAS RECEIVING MY RELEASE, A SENECA CAME IN AND FIRMLY ANNOUNCED THAT HE HOPED HE HADN'T CUT ANYONE OFF, AS HE HADN'T ANTICIPATED PEOPLE FLYING PATTERNS IN IMC. AS I DEPARTED, I HIT CLOUDS AT 890 FT, WITH A CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING. FROM WHAT I SAID ABOVE, I WILL NOT STATE THAT ANY LAWS WERE BROKEN. BUT THE SIT WAS FAR FROM SAFE. I TRULY WOULD NOT WANT TO HAVE BROKEN OUT OF THE CLOUDS, JUST AT THE MISSED APCH POINT, ONLY TO FIND A PLANE HEADED STRAIGHT TOWARDS ME, AND POSSIBLY NO WAY OF HIM SEEING ME, AND ANY EVASIVE ACTION PUTTING ME IN DANGER. WATSONVILLE'S NOISE ABATEMENT PROC FURTHER EXACERBATES THIS SIT BY STATING THAT RWY 20 IS TO BE USED ON CALM DAYS, WHILE THE ONLY INST PROCS ARE TO RWY 2. I DON'T THINK A CIRCLE TO LAND WOULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE WHEN WE CAME IN. EITHER THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS NEED TO BE ALTERED IF IMC EXISTS, OR PREFERABLY, CLASS E NEEDS TO EXTEND TO THE SURFACE FOR THIS ARPT.

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.