GA SMA PLT ERRONEOUSLY ENTERED CLASS E AIRSPACE AT KENAI; AK.

Narrative

THE PROB: I FLEW INTO CLASS E AIRSPACE WHEN THE AIRFIELD (KENAI MUNICIPAL ARPT; PAEN) WAS RPTING 1 MI VISIBILITY; SKY OBSCURED TO 300 FT. THE SIT: GND FOG AND HAZE OFTEN DEVELOPS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF THE ARPT; EVEN WHEN MAJORITY OF CLASS D (WHEN THE TWR IS OPEN DURING THE DAY) AND CLASS E AIRSPACE SURROUNDING THE ARPT IS WELL ABOVE VFR MINIMUMS. THIS WAS THE SIT I FLEW INTO. FLT VISIBILITY WAS AT LEAST 30 MI AND THERE WAS NO CEILING. THE GND WAS VISIBLE AT LEAST 10 MI AWAY. I CALLED KENAI FSS WHEN I WAS APPROX 25 MI N OF THE AIRFIELD BASED ON MY GPS READING. THEY INFORMED ME THAT VISIBILITY WAS 3/4 MI WITH SKY OBSCURED. AT THE TIME KENAI FSS INFORMED ME OF THIS I COULD SEE THE LIGHTS OF KENAI. I ASSUMED THAT THE VISIBILITY FSS QUOTED ME WAS OLD; SO DECIDED TO PROCEED TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK SO I COULD DETERMINE IF I NEEDED TO DIVERT. AT APPROX 15 MI OUT; I SPOTTED TFC TAKING OFF FROM THE ARPT; SO I CALLED A POS RPT TO KENAI TFC ON 121.3 (CTAF WHEN THE TWR IS CLOSED). KENAI FSS THEN CONTACTED ME ON THAT FREQ AND REQUESTED MY INTENTIONS. I TOLD THEM I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG AT KENAI MUNICIPAL. HE INFORMED ME THAT VISIBILITY WAS 1 MI WITH SKY OBSCURED. AT THIS POINT I COULD SEE ALL THE FIELD LIGHTS FROM THE GREEN THRESHOLD LIGHTS TO THE RED THRESHOLD LIGHTS AND CITY LIGHTS BEYOND THE RWY AND EVERYTHING IN BTWN. THE FSS THEN ASKED ME IF I WANTED AN SVFR CLRNC INTO KENAI. I UNWISELY DID NOT REQUEST A CLRNC AT THAT TIME SINCE I KNOW THAT AN SVFR CLRNC AT NIGHT REQUIRES THE PLT TO HAVE AN IFR RATING. SEVERAL MINS LATER; I FLEW UNDER THE ACFT THAT TOOK OFF FROM KENAI (GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION); SINCE IT HAD BEEN VISIBLE SINCE IT TOOK OFF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE FSS TOLD ME A TCASII RPT HAD BEEN MADE BECAUSE OF MY PROX TO THE OTHER ACFT. HE ALSO ISSUED ME AN SVFR CLRNC INTO KENAI. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN KENAI. IT WASN'T UNTIL I WAS ON THE GND THAT I EXPERIENCED VISIBILITY LOWER THAN 30 MI. UNDER CURRENT RULES I COULD NOT LEGALLY ENTER CLASS E AIRSPACE; OR LAND. THE MAJORITY OF THE AIRSPACE WAS IN VFR CONDITIONS; COLLISION AVOIDANCE WAS EASIER THAN ON A SUNNY DAY (I COULD HAVE NEVER SEEN THE APCHING ACFT SO FAR AWAY IN DAYLIGHT) AND LNDG COULD BE MADE COMPLETELY SAFELY. I HAD AT LEAST 3 HRS OF FUEL ON BOARD; SO I COULD HAVE RETURNED TO MY ORIGIN (PAMR: MERRILL FIELD; ANCHORAGE). IT WAS LATE; I WAS TIRED AND SPENDING ANOTHER 1/2 HR IN THE AIR WOULD HAVE ONLY INCREASED MY LEVEL OF FATIGUE. ALSO; MERRILL FIELD AND THE OTHER ANCHORAGE FACILITIES COULD HAVE BEEN FOGGED IN BY THAT TIME. THUS; I BELIEVE THE SAFEST OPTION WAS TO MAKE THE LNDG WHILE THE CURRENT WX CONDITIONS PREVAILED; DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS WAS NOT A LEGAL OPTION.