FLC OF B234 HELI ENCOUNTERS WX AND UNABLE TO CONTINUE DSNDS AND LANDS AT NON TWR ARPT. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN REAL WX INFO WAS DIFFICULT SINCE FSS AT ARCATA HAS BEEN CLOSED.
Synopsis
FLC OF B234 HELI ENCOUNTERS WX AND UNABLE TO CONTINUE DSNDS AND LANDS AT NON TWR ARPT. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN REAL WX INFO WAS DIFFICULT SINCE FSS AT ARCATA HAS BEEN CLOSED.
Narrative
FERRYING A BOEING 234 HELI FROM NEWPORT; OR; TO FORTUNA; CA; IN MARGINAL WX; STOPPED FOR FUEL AND WX BRIEF AT CRESENT CITY; CA. WX WAS GOOD VFR AT CRESENT CITY AND ARCATA WITH RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA. 2000 FT CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY 5-10 MI. AFTER PASSING ARCATA THE WX DROPPED LOW ENOUGH THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO GO INLAND TO FORTUNA. THE FSS AT ARCATA WAS JUST RECENTLY SHUT DOWN. NONE OF MY CURRENT CHARTS OR FLT GUIDE SHOWED ANY NEW CTAF FREQS. CALLED OAKLAND FSS FOR WX AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT THE WX OBSERVER AT ARCATA. AT 5 MI I COULD SEE THE ARPT AND TOLD FSS THAT I HAD BETTER THAN 1000 FT CEILING AND 3 MI AND WAS LNDG AT ARCATA. HE ACKNOWLEDGED BUT CALLED BACK WHEN I WAS OVER THE NUMBERS OF RWY 2 AND SAID THE WX OBSERVER HAD JUST CALLED IN WITH 1400 FT CEILING AND 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. I TOLD HIM I HAD LANDED. I NEVER WAS ABLE TO GET THE NEW CTAF UNTIL THE NEXT DAY'S DEP. CLOSURE OF THE ARCATA FSS CREATES A REAL PROB BY NOT ALLOWING PLTS ACCESS TO REAL TIME WX AND THE ABILITY TO GET A CLRNC INTO THE CLASS E AIRSPACE WHEN THE WX GOES DOWN IN A HURRY. THERE IS NO ASOS; JUST HOURLY OBSERVATIONS. ALSO THIS FIELD IS QUITE BUSY WITH 2 REGIONAL CARRIERS OPERATING IN AND OUT. AT THE TIME WE WERE LNDG THERE WAS NO TFC AND WE LANDED ON THE CROSS RWY AND TAXIED INTO THE RAMP. I COULD HAVE DONE MORE PREFLT PLANNING WHICH MIGHT HAVE KEPT ME OUT OF THIS SIT.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.