SMT PLT ENTERS VMC AND DSNDS VISUAL PRIOR TO NOTIFYING ATC. ALARMS SOUND AS MAKING CONTACT.
Synopsis
SMT PLT ENTERS VMC AND DSNDS VISUAL PRIOR TO NOTIFYING ATC. ALARMS SOUND AS MAKING CONTACT.
Narrative
SMX LOC DME (BACK COURSE) - A APCH TO RWY 30 SMX. BTWN KOAKS AND CAMCO ON THE APCH COURSE I ENTERED VFR CONDITIONS DURING THE DSCNT FROM 4600 AT KOAKS AND PRIOR TO THE 3000 REQUIRED FOR CAMCO AND I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I CONTINUED A VFR DSCNT TO LAND BUT DID NOT CALL THE TWR TO RPT 'VFR - ARPT IN SIGHT' QUICK ENOUGH. THE VFR DSCNT PATH I WAS THEN FLYING WENT BELOW THE PUBLISHED IFR STEP-DOWN APCH PRIOR TO REACHING CAMCO. THIS TRIGGERED THE ALARMS AT VANDENBERG APCH. THE SMX TWR CALLED TO RELAY A VANDENBERG CAUTION TO 'PULL-UP' AS I WAS TRYING TO CALL THE TWR TO RPT 'VFR.' WHEN I RESPONDED TO THE TWR WITH 'ARPT IN SIGHT' I WAS CLRED TO LAND BY THE SMX TWR. VANDENBERG APCH ASKED ME TO CALL THEM AFTER LNDG; WHICH I DID. THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH A VANDENBERG APCH CTLR CTRED ON WHAT TRIGGERED THEIR ALARMS. WHEN THEY LEARNED I WAS VFR AT THE TIME THEY THANKED ME FOR THE CALL AND IMPLIED NO FURTHER INTEREST. I BELIEVE THE PROCEDURAL MISTAKE I MADE WAS TO START THE VFR DSCNT TO THE LNDG BEFORE I NOTIFIED THE TWR THAT I WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.