AN SMA FOUND ITSELF IN DETERIORATING WX.

Date: 1993-12 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|inflight-event-encounter-vfr-in-imc

Synopsis

AN SMA FOUND ITSELF IN DETERIORATING WX.

Narrative

ON A FERRY FLT FROM GRY AAF TO MIDLAND; TX; WE ENCOUNTERED FOG AND RAIN WHICH STOPPED US FROM FLYING ANY FURTHER SBOUND ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST. WE THEN PROCEEDED NBOUND TO OUR LAST KNOWN AIRFIELD (LITTLE RIVER). CONDITIONS TO THE N THEN BEGAN TO DETERIORATE AND I WAS AFRAID THAT WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE LITTLE RIVER UNDER VFR CONDITIONS DUE TO THE FOG. THE OTHER PLT AND I DECIDED NOT TO PUSH A BAD SIT AND GO IFR. WE CALLED OAKLAND APCH. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD INADVERTENTLY GONE IMC AND THAT WE NEEDED RADAR VECTORS TO SONOMA COUNTY. WE ALSO ADVISED THEM THAT WE HAD NO APCH PLATES FOR SONOMA COUNTY AND WE WERE ONLY VOR EQUIPPED. THEY THEN GAVE US VECTORS FOR A VOR APCH. WE ENCOUNTERED VFR CONDITIONS 20 MI S OF SONOMA COUNTY; PICKED A VISUAL LNDG INTO SONOMA COUNTY. OUR INTENDED ARPT WAS SAN JOSE. WE KNEW THAT THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY WERE LOW IN THE BAY AREA BUT COASTAL FOG WAS NOT PREDICTED DUE TO THE UNSTABLE AIR. I THINK THAT THIS SIT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF WE CARRIED APCH CHARTS FOR ALL CONTINGENCIES OR RECOGNIZED THE DETERIORATING CONDITIONS EARLIER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 258552: OAKLAND APCH ASSISTED THOROUGHLY AND VECTORED ME TO THE VOR 320 DEG SONOMA COUNTY APCH. I TELEPHONED OAKLAND APCH AND WE DISCUSSED THE EVENTS THOROUGHLY IN A FRIENDLY MANNER.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.