IMC IN VFR FLT -- OFF ARPT LNDG -- A BANNER TOW PLT BECOMES DISORIENTATED IN FOG AND DECIDES TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG ON A DESERTED BEACH.

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I TOOK OFF FROM W HAMPTON ARPT ON JUL/SUN/95 AT ABOUT XA40 FOR A ROUTINE BANNER TOW FLT. THE RTE OF FLT WAS TAKING ME FROM W HAMPTON ARPT TO CAPE TREE BEACH AND THEN EBOUND TO E HAMPTON. I OBTAINED WX INFO FROM THE FOLLOWING SOURCES: DUAT; FSS AND ENRTE ATIS'S. THE WX FORECAST FOR THE AREA (ISP JFK) WAS: XC00Z-XG00Z 25 SCATTERED SHOWERS 1407 AND XG00Z-XL00Z C30 BROKEN 1810 CHC C10 OVCST 2RW/TSTM. AT XF00Z ISP ATIS RPTED A SCT 12 BKN 4H AND FRG ATIS RPTED 12 BKN 4H. THE FLT WBOUND TO CAPE TREE BEACH WAS UNEVENTFUL. I WAS FLYING AT 500 FT WITH SLIGHT VARIATIONS IN VISIBILITY (3-1.5 MI). AFTER REACHING CAPE TREE I EXECUTED 2 PASSES BY THE BEACH AND HEADED BACK E. LEAVING CAPE TREE I HAD VISIBILITY 2-3 MI. ABOUT 6 MI LATER I STARTED ENCOUNTERING REDUCED VISIBILITIES. BASED ON THE INFO I HAD; I HAVE DECIDED TO PROCEED AND SEE IF CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE. IN THE NEXT 2 MI VISIBILITY DECREASED RAPIDLY TO ABOUT 1 MI. AT THIS POINT I HAVE MADE A DECISION TO TURN BACK WBOUND; HOPING FOR BETTER VISIBILITY; BUT INSTEAD I REALIZED THAT IT BECAME WORSE; AND I HAD TO DSND TO 350 FT TO MAINTAIN VFR. AT THE SAME TIME I SPOTTED A SUITABLE LNDG SITE IN THE EVENT I COULD NOT CONTINUE THE FLT. FLYING WBOUND DID NOT GET ANY RELIEF TO THE SIT AND I DECIDED TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. I FLEW A LOW PASS TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE NO PEOPLE AROUND THE INTENDED LNDG SITE THEN I TURNED FOR THE FINAL APCH; DROPPED THE BANNER CLR OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY AND MADE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO DAMAGE WAS INFLICTED. THE LNDG SITE WAS A BEACH STRIP ABOUT 1 1/2 MI LONG AND ABOUT 150 FT WIDE. ALL THIS AREA WAS CLR OF PERSONS AND PROPERTY. THE QUICK DETERIORATION OF VISIBILITY WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATION: BASED ON THE FACT THAT ABOUT 15 MINS EARLIER I WAS FLYING THE SAME AREA IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION; I HAD GOOD REASONS TO BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO RETURN WITHOUT DIFFICULTIES. WHEN THAT DID NOT HAPPEN; I DECIDED TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND RETURN TO WHERE THE VISIBILITY WAS BETTER. BEING UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VFR WHILE MY ACFT WAS NOT IFR CERTIFIED AND WHILE I MYSELF WAS NOT IFR CURRENT. ALSO; THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO FILE AND REMAIN LEGAL; I DECIDED TO EXECUTE THE PRECAUTIONARY LNDG. I WOULD LIKE TO CLASSIFY MY HUMAN PERFORMANCE AS BEING CALM; TAKING CHARGE OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES; AND APPLYING SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.