Narrative:

Our coastal airport in northern california gets a lot of fog in the summertime, especially when the marine layer is thick. On this day it was not as thick as it has been, and the base looked higher than the past few days. I had an errand to run and an eager passenger. I also could see a distant ridgeline that I know is about 1200 ft MSL (airport is 572 ft MSL) and blue sky, and the satellite photo showed that the fog only existed about 1 mi east of the airport. Since I have often flown out legally (our airport is class G) and without incident under similar circumstances, I opted to go up for a look. A contributing factor was that I had successfully gotten out and back in at the same time of day just 2 days before, with the picture from the ground almost exactly the same. Visibility was excellent under the clouds. I should add that I am not instrument rated, but am training for it and have 10 hours towards the rating. This time, however, it was not the usual stuff. The cloud base I had estimated at 500-600 ft turned out to be no more than 200 ft AGL. I realized this just as we reached the end of the (eastbound) runway, gear up and entering the cloud bank. Rising terrain and tall redwoods made it impossible to think about returning to land. I put the plane into a left climbing turn and hung on. In retrospect, it would have made more sense to activate the wing leveler and fly straight ahead, but even at 70% of gross we were still climbing at 1200 FPM in a turn. However, I was feeling panic at the thought of putting myself and my passenger into a dangerous situation. We exited the clouds at about 1000 ft AGL after 1 circuit just east of the airport, climbed to 7500 ft and continued our flight in cavu conditions. On the return flight, I chose to land inland and rent a car to get home. 30 seconds in the clouds was enough for me. I have been flying out of this airport for 3 yrs and I know the terrain. I can't think why I would have opted for a turn rather than a straight climb toward lowering terrain, but the real problem is why I chose to take off in the first place. Frustration with fog is common for VFR pilots, but I am afraid I have been getting over-confident about my plting abilities and today I took an obscene chance. I learned a valuable lesson. I only wish this lesson could be taught without direct experience.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NON INST RATED BE24 PLT TAKES OFF FROM ARPT IN CLASS G AIRSPACE AND, BEING UNABLE TO CLB ABOVE SURROUNDING TERRAIN AND TREES IN VMC, CLBS THROUGH 800 FT OF FOG.

Narrative: OUR COASTAL ARPT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GETS A LOT OF FOG IN THE SUMMERTIME, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE MARINE LAYER IS THICK. ON THIS DAY IT WAS NOT AS THICK AS IT HAS BEEN, AND THE BASE LOOKED HIGHER THAN THE PAST FEW DAYS. I HAD AN ERRAND TO RUN AND AN EAGER PAX. I ALSO COULD SEE A DISTANT RIDGELINE THAT I KNOW IS ABOUT 1200 FT MSL (ARPT IS 572 FT MSL) AND BLUE SKY, AND THE SATELLITE PHOTO SHOWED THAT THE FOG ONLY EXISTED ABOUT 1 MI E OF THE ARPT. SINCE I HAVE OFTEN FLOWN OUT LEGALLY (OUR ARPT IS CLASS G) AND WITHOUT INCIDENT UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES, I OPTED TO GO UP FOR A LOOK. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT I HAD SUCCESSFULLY GOTTEN OUT AND BACK IN AT THE SAME TIME OF DAY JUST 2 DAYS BEFORE, WITH THE PICTURE FROM THE GND ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME. VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT UNDER THE CLOUDS. I SHOULD ADD THAT I AM NOT INST RATED, BUT AM TRAINING FOR IT AND HAVE 10 HRS TOWARDS THE RATING. THIS TIME, HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT THE USUAL STUFF. THE CLOUD BASE I HAD ESTIMATED AT 500-600 FT TURNED OUT TO BE NO MORE THAN 200 FT AGL. I REALIZED THIS JUST AS WE REACHED THE END OF THE (EBOUND) RWY, GEAR UP AND ENTERING THE CLOUD BANK. RISING TERRAIN AND TALL REDWOODS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK ABOUT RETURNING TO LAND. I PUT THE PLANE INTO A L CLBING TURN AND HUNG ON. IN RETROSPECT, IT WOULD HAVE MADE MORE SENSE TO ACTIVATE THE WING LEVELER AND FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD, BUT EVEN AT 70% OF GROSS WE WERE STILL CLBING AT 1200 FPM IN A TURN. HOWEVER, I WAS FEELING PANIC AT THE THOUGHT OF PUTTING MYSELF AND MY PAX INTO A DANGEROUS SIT. WE EXITED THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL AFTER 1 CIRCUIT JUST E OF THE ARPT, CLBED TO 7500 FT AND CONTINUED OUR FLT IN CAVU CONDITIONS. ON THE RETURN FLT, I CHOSE TO LAND INLAND AND RENT A CAR TO GET HOME. 30 SECONDS IN THE CLOUDS WAS ENOUGH FOR ME. I HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT OF THIS ARPT FOR 3 YRS AND I KNOW THE TERRAIN. I CAN'T THINK WHY I WOULD HAVE OPTED FOR A TURN RATHER THAN A STRAIGHT CLB TOWARD LOWERING TERRAIN, BUT THE REAL PROB IS WHY I CHOSE TO TAKE OFF IN THE FIRST PLACE. FRUSTRATION WITH FOG IS COMMON FOR VFR PLTS, BUT I AM AFRAID I HAVE BEEN GETTING OVER-CONFIDENT ABOUT MY PLTING ABILITIES AND TODAY I TOOK AN OBSCENE CHANCE. I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. I ONLY WISH THIS LESSON COULD BE TAUGHT WITHOUT DIRECT 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.