Narrative:

I had a banner tow flight that was to depart at xb:00 until xh:00. I received a WX briefing at xa:00 that stated that the airport would be VFR; clear with 10 mile visibility forecasting fog to come in at xc:00. When I arrived at the airport at xa:25; it was VFR with what looked like an indefinite ceiling in haze and clouds at around 1500 ft AGL to the south of the airport moving north. The tower was closed and there was no reported ATIS. The ground crew and I agreed we could make the launch safely and on time (xb:00) but that we would have to move as the WX was moving in faster than expected; we had been unable to fly the day before due to WX. At the time I was ready to start up and taxi out (xb:05); the airport was still VFR but now with an indefinite ceiling overhead due to haze and clouds to the south at what appeared to be 1200/1500 ft AGL and still clear to the north (my direction of flight). Believing the WX still to be ok; I taxied full length to runway 30 announcing on CTAF my intentions at (xb:14). I called on the company radio to advise ready to pick up. I was cleared for the pick up and stated coming at them; I repeated for the second time on the roll; taking off full length runway 30 for a banner pick up off the end of runway 25L and a northbound departure; as it was so close the tower opening time xb:15 yet no word from tower. From my position at runway 30 full length my view southeast and northwest still looked VFR legal; but from that position you cannot see the west end of runway 25L my pick up area. I lifted off runway 30 thru my hook; closed my window; flew up to and turned left on to runway 25L; looked to the field to see the poles for pick up; then looked up and around and saw a cloud deck moving across runway 25L half way down runway at 300 ft. The first thing I did was call my ground crew and tell them abort; abort the WX is no good; at that same time over the aircraft radio the tower announced they were now open and that the airport was IFR. After calling my ground crew I called tower and reported aborting the pick up request clearance to land. From my view the airport was still clear to the north and east; tower offered runway 30; I stated unable to use left traffic due to clouds coming in and was offered right traffic runway 12 which was no problem. Turning to runway 12 I realized I still had my hook and rope attached and needed to release it in our field of operation; I so stated that to tower and was cleared to make a right 360 degree turn to drop it; then land runway 12 and taxi back to parking. No statements were made by tower; no phone number was given nothing was said...at the time; I did not think I had made any mistakes; as I believed the WX was legal and safe; once up saw it was not and aborted the operation. I was able to remain in the clear and safely land. In hindsight I realize possible pressure to get job out; previous experience with many early morning flts in marginal but legal conditions going on ok; the lighting with the time of day; the haze blending the rest of the clouds in view and failure to wait for current reported WX are all contributing factors. In the future I have stated to my employer that I could only launch a banner when the tower is open so to have reported WX and my personal WX minimums have increased to ensure no flight has to be pushed or rushed to make it. I hope my statements have helped to visualize the occurrence; identify my perceptions and judgement and help affect safety for the future. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that his employer was called by the local controller shortly after this event. He felt pressure from his employer not to take chances. The reporter did not feel he was pressing at the time of his departure and felt good about himself for aborting with non VMC conditions. He said in a matter of 7 mins the airport went from VMC to IMC. He thought it was ironic that ATC personnel would come on the air at his departure time and announce IMC conditions when he had been announcing his intentions on CTAF.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BELLACA DEPARTED LGB FOR BANNER TOWING; BUT WITH DETERIORATING WX ABORTED HIS BANNER PICKUP AND LANDED IMMEDIATELY.

Narrative: I HAD A BANNER TOW FLT THAT WAS TO DEPART AT XB:00 UNTIL XH:00. I RECEIVED A WX BRIEFING AT XA:00 THAT STATED THAT THE ARPT WOULD BE VFR; CLR WITH 10 MILE VISIBILITY FORECASTING FOG TO COME IN AT XC:00. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT AT XA:25; IT WAS VFR WITH WHAT LOOKED LIKE AN INDEFINITE CEILING IN HAZE AND CLOUDS AT AROUND 1500 FT AGL TO THE S OF THE ARPT MOVING N. THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND THERE WAS NO REPORTED ATIS. THE GND CREW AND I AGREED WE COULD MAKE THE LAUNCH SAFELY AND ON TIME (XB:00) BUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MOVE AS THE WX WAS MOVING IN FASTER THAN EXPECTED; WE HAD BEEN UNABLE TO FLY THE DAY BEFORE DUE TO WX. AT THE TIME I WAS READY TO START UP AND TAXI OUT (XB:05); THE ARPT WAS STILL VFR BUT NOW WITH AN INDEFINITE CEILING OVERHEAD DUE TO HAZE AND CLOUDS TO THE S AT WHAT APPEARED TO BE 1200/1500 FT AGL AND STILL CLR TO THE N (MY DIRECTION OF FLT). BELIEVING THE WX STILL TO BE OK; I TAXIED FULL LENGTH TO RWY 30 ANNOUNCING ON CTAF MY INTENTIONS AT (XB:14). I CALLED ON THE COMPANY RADIO TO ADVISE READY TO PICK UP. I WAS CLRED FOR THE PICK UP AND STATED COMING AT THEM; I REPEATED FOR THE SECOND TIME ON THE ROLL; TAKING OFF FULL LENGTH RWY 30 FOR A BANNER PICK UP OFF THE END OF RWY 25L AND A NBOUND DEP; AS IT WAS SO CLOSE THE TWR OPENING TIME XB:15 YET NO WORD FROM TWR. FROM MY POS AT RWY 30 FULL LENGTH MY VIEW SE AND NW STILL LOOKED VFR LEGAL; BUT FROM THAT POS YOU CANNOT SEE THE WEST END OF RWY 25L MY PICK UP AREA. I LIFTED OFF RWY 30 THRU MY HOOK; CLOSED MY WINDOW; FLEW UP TO AND TURNED L ON TO RWY 25L; LOOKED TO THE FIELD TO SEE THE POLES FOR PICK UP; THEN LOOKED UP AND AROUND AND SAW A CLOUD DECK MOVING ACROSS RWY 25L HALF WAY DOWN RWY AT 300 FT. THE FIRST THING I DID WAS CALL MY GND CREW AND TELL THEM ABORT; ABORT THE WX IS NO GOOD; AT THAT SAME TIME OVER THE ACFT RADIO THE TWR ANNOUNCED THEY WERE NOW OPEN AND THAT THE ARPT WAS IFR. AFTER CALLING MY GND CREW I CALLED TWR AND RPTED ABORTING THE PICK UP REQUEST CLRNC TO LAND. FROM MY VIEW THE ARPT WAS STILL CLR TO THE N AND E; TWR OFFERED RWY 30; I STATED UNABLE TO USE L TFC DUE TO CLOUDS COMING IN AND WAS OFFERED R TFC RWY 12 WHICH WAS NO PROB. TURNING TO RWY 12 I REALIZED I STILL HAD MY HOOK AND ROPE ATTACHED AND NEEDED TO RELEASE IT IN OUR FIELD OF OP; I SO STATED THAT TO TWR AND WAS CLRED TO MAKE A R 360 DEG TURN TO DROP IT; THEN LAND RWY 12 AND TAXI BACK TO PARKING. NO STATEMENTS WERE MADE BY TWR; NO PHONE NUMBER WAS GIVEN NOTHING WAS SAID...AT THE TIME; I DID NOT THINK I HAD MADE ANY MISTAKES; AS I BELIEVED THE WX WAS LEGAL AND SAFE; ONCE UP SAW IT WAS NOT AND ABORTED THE OP. I WAS ABLE TO REMAIN IN THE CLR AND SAFELY LAND. IN HINDSIGHT I REALIZE POSSIBLE PRESSURE TO GET JOB OUT; PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH MANY EARLY MORNING FLTS IN MARGINAL BUT LEGAL CONDITIONS GOING ON OK; THE LIGHTING WITH THE TIME OF DAY; THE HAZE BLENDING THE REST OF THE CLOUDS IN VIEW AND FAILURE TO WAIT FOR CURRENT RPTED WX ARE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. IN THE FUTURE I HAVE STATED TO MY EMPLOYER THAT I COULD ONLY LAUNCH A BANNER WHEN THE TWR IS OPEN SO TO HAVE RPTED WX AND MY PERSONAL WX MINIMUMS HAVE INCREASED TO ENSURE NO FLT HAS TO BE PUSHED OR RUSHED TO MAKE IT. I HOPE MY STATEMENTS HAVE HELPED TO VISUALIZE THE OCCURRENCE; IDENTIFY MY PERCEPTIONS AND JUDGEMENT AND HELP AFFECT SAFETY FOR THE FUTURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS EMPLOYER WAS CALLED BY THE LOCAL CTLR SHORTLY AFTER THIS EVENT. HE FELT PRESSURE FROM HIS EMPLOYER NOT TO TAKE CHANCES. THE RPTR DID NOT FEEL HE WAS PRESSING AT THE TIME OF HIS DEP AND FELT GOOD ABOUT HIMSELF FOR ABORTING WITH NON VMC CONDITIONS. HE SAID IN A MATTER OF 7 MINS THE ARPT WENT FROM VMC TO IMC. HE THOUGHT IT WAS IRONIC THAT ATC PERSONNEL WOULD COME ON THE AIR AT HIS DEP TIME AND ANNOUNCE IMC CONDITIONS WHEN HE HAD BEEN ANNOUNCING HIS INTENTIONS ON CTAF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.