SMA DEPARTED OJC FOR SHORT FLT IN VFR CONDITIONS TO K81. ON THE GND 1 HR AND 45 MINS. ON RETURN FLT ENCOUNTERED IFR CONDITIONS; NOT INST RATED. CALLED OJC TWR WHO GAVE HIM CTR FREQ AND WAS VECTORED TO VFR WX AND LANDED FORBES AFB. FAA THREATENED ACTION.
Synopsis
SMA DEPARTED OJC FOR SHORT FLT IN VFR CONDITIONS TO K81. ON THE GND 1 HR AND 45 MINS. ON RETURN FLT ENCOUNTERED IFR CONDITIONS; NOT INST RATED. CALLED OJC TWR WHO GAVE HIM CTR FREQ AND WAS VECTORED TO VFR WX AND LANDED FORBES AFB. FAA THREATENED ACTION.
Narrative
AT APPROX XA10 CST I TOOK OFF FROM OJC FOR A 19 NM DIRECT FLT TO K81. ATIS (OJC) AT THE TIME OF DEP WAS INDICATED CEILINGS AT 2500 FT BROKEN AND 3100 FT OVCST; VISIBILITY 10 MI AND TEMP/DEWPOINT OF 11 DEGS C AND 7 DEGS C. ARR AT (K81) WAS APPROX XA30. I WAS ON THE GND FOR ABOUT 45 MINS TO 1 HR. TKOF FROM K81 FOR A RETURN FLT TO OJC WAS APPROX SB30. WHILE ENRTE TO OJC I ENCOUNTERED LESS-THAN-EXPECTED CEILINGS OF 600-800 FT. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED OJC TWR FOR ADVISORY AND ASSISTANCE. OJC TWR ADVISED THAT OJC WAS CLOSED TO VFR AND GAVE ME THE FREQ FOR ZKC. ZKC ADVISED TO CLB TO 5500 FT AND WAS EVENTUALLY VECTORED TO TOPEKA (FORBES AFB) WHERE VFR CONDITIONS REMAINED. APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE UNDER VFR. KANSAS CITY WAS CONTACTED FOR RPT. LESSONS LEARNED: 1) NEVER RELY SOLELY ON ATIS FOR CURRENT WX CONDITIONS OR ADVISORIES; 2) ALWAYS CONTACT FLT SVC PRIOR TO TKOF IF WX CONDITIONS ARE MARGINAL EVEN IF IT IS FOR A VERY SHORT FLT; 3) ALWAYS CONTACT FLT SVC FOR WX BRIEF REGARDLESS OF CURRENT CONDITIONS IF ANY PART OF YOUR FLT WILL BE AT NIGHT EVEN IF YOU PLAN TO STAY IN THE PATTERN; 4) WX CONDITIONS CAN CHANGE FROM VFR TO IFR IN AS LITTLE AS 10-15 MINS OR LESS; AND 5) RESPECT TEMP/DEWPOINT SPREAD. ATIS RPTED A 4 DEG C SPREAD AT TKOF FROM OJC AND I LATER LEARNED THAT THE SPREAD WAS 2 DEGS C AT THE TIME I DEPARTED K81.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.