LOW TIME PLT OF SMA LANDS AT NEARBY MIL ARPT WHEN HEMMED IN BY EXCESSIVE TFC AND ENCROACHING WX. INTERVIEWED AND RELEASED BY COAST GUARD SECURITY.

Narrative

I WAS FLYING TO PORT ANGELES; WA; FROM SALEM; OR. ABOUT 30 MI SE OF PORT ANGELES I (PLT); REQUESTED A FLT FOLLOWING FROM APCH CTL. JUST BEFORE REACHING PORT ANGELES ARPT; I REQUESTED FROM THE CTLR (ATC) TO VERIFY THAT PORT ANGELES IS OPEN FOR LNDG AND IF THERE WAS ANY RESTRS. THE CTLR SAID 'THERE IS NO RESTRS' AT THAT ARPT. ABOUT 10 MI AWAY FROM PORT ANGELES; I CALLED IN ON CTAF. FOR SOME REASON NOBODY REPLIED. I ASKED FOR TFC CHK AND FOR LNDG ADVISORY. NOBODY REPLIED AGAIN. SO I FIGURE I WILL OVERFLY THE ARPT AT 2000 FT AND CHK OUT WHAT IS GOING ON AND EVENTUALLY ENTER ON A 45 DEG ENTRY. ABOUT 5 MI TO ARPT; I SAW LOTS OF AIRPLANES FLYING OVER THE ARPT; AT VARIOUS ALTS. IT WASN'T SAFE TO OVERFLY SO I IMMEDIATELY CHKED MY COURSE TO THE N TO GET AWAY FROM THEM (THE ARPT). AT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED HVY RAIN; AND LOW CEILINGS APCHING IN MY DIRECTION. I STILL COULD NOT GET IN PORT ANGELES. SO I SAW AN ARPT NEARBY. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS A COAST GUARD ARPT. SO I PROCEEDED FOR A LNDG. I LANDED AT THE ARPT AND THEN COAST GUARD CONTACTED ME AND TOLD ME TO SHUTDOWN THE ACFT AND TO STAY IN IT. THEY TOOK LOTS OF INFO ABOUT ME AND MY PAX; AND EVENTUALLY LET US FLY OFF THE ARPT. AS SOON AS CONDITIONS IMPROVED WE FLEW BACK TO SALEM; OR. I; AS PIC; IN THAT PARTICULAR SIT; THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST CHOICE; FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR FLT AND OTHERS. IT WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION AND I WOULD NOT CHANGE MY DECISION IN THAT PARTICULAR POS.