Narrative:

I left ccr in the early morning on mar/sat/04 to clear skies. For the return trip, on mar/sun/04, I did not obtain a WX briefing because there was not a cloud in the sky at the departure airport and it appeared to be another 'perfect' day. With flight following, I reached the bay area to find a thick layer of fog between 1500 ft and 1100 ft. The ccr ATIS reported VMC. I diverted to an airport outside the bay area to refuel and plan. It appeared that I could fly in from the east under the fog and maintain VFR. I concluded that the best route would be over the san pablo bay delta, as I would be able to descend to the airport without being over any congested areas. The situation could have been improved with better preflight planning to know the WX conditions at ccr. Rather than continuing on the route I had planned to the airport, I could have followed the other arriving VFR traffic to enter the class D airspace farther south. I would have been in the reporting point expected by the tower sooner and without any chance of interference with IFR traffic. I also could have been able to maintain tpa. Additionally, I should have reported that I was going to remain at 500 ft, not tpa to the tower. As I flew in, I contacted ccr tower and reported my location to the northeast. I was told to set up for a left base entry for runway 19 and report a 2 mi left base. As I continued to fly toward the airport, I descended to 500 ft to maintain over a 500 ft below the base of ceiling. Tpa is 1000 ft at ccr. It became apparent that I would need to pass a ns ridgeline via the waterway before turning left to intercept the 2 mi left base reporting point. This was within the class D airspace. The route took me close to the VOR, which is used in instrument approachs. As I reached the point where I was to turn to the left, the tower requested a position and altitude report. The tower observed that I was closer to a straight-in approach and directed me to turn to the field immediately after stating that I was instructed to report a 2 mi left base. I was further told that a falcon jet was on approach for runway 19R. The jet was over a mi out but descending toward the VOR. I was cleared to land on runway 19L and given advisories on the jet until he broke out under the ceiling. I don't believe the jet ever changed course or descent rate. Our flight paths did not intersect. To remain under the ceiling, I continued at 500 ft until final descent. The situation could have been improved with better preflight planning to know the WX conditions at ccr. Rather than continuing on the route I had planned to the airport, I could have followed the other arriving VFR traffic to enter the class D airspace farther south. I would have been in the reporting point expected by the tower sooner and without any chance of interference with IFR traffic. I also could have been able to maintain tpa. Additionally, I should have reported that I was going to remain at 500 ft, not tpa to the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE23 ENCOUNTERS WX RETURNING TO CCR AND MISSED ATC REQUIRED POS RPT.

Narrative: I LEFT CCR IN THE EARLY MORNING ON MAR/SAT/04 TO CLR SKIES. FOR THE RETURN TRIP, ON MAR/SUN/04, I DID NOT OBTAIN A WX BRIEFING BECAUSE THERE WAS NOT A CLOUD IN THE SKY AT THE DEP ARPT AND IT APPEARED TO BE ANOTHER 'PERFECT' DAY. WITH FLT FOLLOWING, I REACHED THE BAY AREA TO FIND A THICK LAYER OF FOG BTWN 1500 FT AND 1100 FT. THE CCR ATIS RPTED VMC. I DIVERTED TO AN ARPT OUTSIDE THE BAY AREA TO REFUEL AND PLAN. IT APPEARED THAT I COULD FLY IN FROM THE E UNDER THE FOG AND MAINTAIN VFR. I CONCLUDED THAT THE BEST RTE WOULD BE OVER THE SAN PABLO BAY DELTA, AS I WOULD BE ABLE TO DSND TO THE ARPT WITHOUT BEING OVER ANY CONGESTED AREAS. THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROVED WITH BETTER PREFLT PLANNING TO KNOW THE WX CONDITIONS AT CCR. RATHER THAN CONTINUING ON THE RTE I HAD PLANNED TO THE ARPT, I COULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE OTHER ARRIVING VFR TFC TO ENTER THE CLASS D AIRSPACE FARTHER S. I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE RPTING POINT EXPECTED BY THE TWR SOONER AND WITHOUT ANY CHANCE OF INTERFERENCE WITH IFR TFC. I ALSO COULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN TPA. ADDITIONALLY, I SHOULD HAVE RPTED THAT I WAS GOING TO REMAIN AT 500 FT, NOT TPA TO THE TWR. AS I FLEW IN, I CONTACTED CCR TWR AND RPTED MY LOCATION TO THE NE. I WAS TOLD TO SET UP FOR A L BASE ENTRY FOR RWY 19 AND RPT A 2 MI L BASE. AS I CONTINUED TO FLY TOWARD THE ARPT, I DSNDED TO 500 FT TO MAINTAIN OVER A 500 FT BELOW THE BASE OF CEILING. TPA IS 1000 FT AT CCR. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT I WOULD NEED TO PASS A NS RIDGELINE VIA THE WATERWAY BEFORE TURNING L TO INTERCEPT THE 2 MI L BASE RPTING POINT. THIS WAS WITHIN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE RTE TOOK ME CLOSE TO THE VOR, WHICH IS USED IN INST APCHS. AS I REACHED THE POINT WHERE I WAS TO TURN TO THE L, THE TWR REQUESTED A POS AND ALT RPT. THE TWR OBSERVED THAT I WAS CLOSER TO A STRAIGHT-IN APCH AND DIRECTED ME TO TURN TO THE FIELD IMMEDIATELY AFTER STATING THAT I WAS INSTRUCTED TO RPT A 2 MI L BASE. I WAS FURTHER TOLD THAT A FALCON JET WAS ON APCH FOR RWY 19R. THE JET WAS OVER A MI OUT BUT DSNDING TOWARD THE VOR. I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 19L AND GIVEN ADVISORIES ON THE JET UNTIL HE BROKE OUT UNDER THE CEILING. I DON'T BELIEVE THE JET EVER CHANGED COURSE OR DSCNT RATE. OUR FLT PATHS DID NOT INTERSECT. TO REMAIN UNDER THE CEILING, I CONTINUED AT 500 FT UNTIL FINAL DSCNT. THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN IMPROVED WITH BETTER PREFLT PLANNING TO KNOW THE WX CONDITIONS AT CCR. RATHER THAN CONTINUING ON THE RTE I HAD PLANNED TO THE ARPT, I COULD HAVE FOLLOWED THE OTHER ARRIVING VFR TFC TO ENTER THE CLASS D AIRSPACE FARTHER S. I WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE RPTING POINT EXPECTED BY THE TWR SOONER AND WITHOUT ANY CHANCE OF INTERFERENCE WITH IFR TFC. I ALSO COULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN TPA. ADDITIONALLY, I SHOULD HAVE RPTED THAT I WAS GOING TO REMAIN AT 500 FT, NOT TPA TO THE TWR.

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.