NON INST RATED BE24 PLT TAKES OFF FROM ARPT IN CLASS G AIRSPACE AND; BEING UNABLE TO CLB ABOVE SURROUNDING TERRAIN AND TREES IN VMC; CLBS THROUGH 800 FT OF FOG.

Narrative

OUR COASTAL ARPT IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA GETS A LOT OF FOG IN THE SUMMERTIME; ESPECIALLY WHEN THE MARINE LAYER IS THICK. ON THIS DAY IT WAS NOT AS THICK AS IT HAS BEEN; AND THE BASE LOOKED HIGHER THAN THE PAST FEW DAYS. I HAD AN ERRAND TO RUN AND AN EAGER PAX. I ALSO COULD SEE A DISTANT RIDGELINE THAT I KNOW IS ABOUT 1200 FT MSL (ARPT IS 572 FT MSL) AND BLUE SKY; AND THE SATELLITE PHOTO SHOWED THAT THE FOG ONLY EXISTED ABOUT 1 MI E OF THE ARPT. SINCE I HAVE OFTEN FLOWN OUT LEGALLY (OUR ARPT IS CLASS G) AND WITHOUT INCIDENT UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES; I OPTED TO GO UP FOR A LOOK. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT I HAD SUCCESSFULLY GOTTEN OUT AND BACK IN AT THE SAME TIME OF DAY JUST 2 DAYS BEFORE; WITH THE PICTURE FROM THE GND ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME. VISIBILITY WAS EXCELLENT UNDER THE CLOUDS. I SHOULD ADD THAT I AM NOT INST RATED; BUT AM TRAINING FOR IT AND HAVE 10 HRS TOWARDS THE RATING. THIS TIME; HOWEVER; IT WAS NOT THE USUAL STUFF. THE CLOUD BASE I HAD ESTIMATED AT 500-600 FT TURNED OUT TO BE NO MORE THAN 200 FT AGL. I REALIZED THIS JUST AS WE REACHED THE END OF THE (EBOUND) RWY; GEAR UP AND ENTERING THE CLOUD BANK. RISING TERRAIN AND TALL REDWOODS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO THINK ABOUT RETURNING TO LAND. I PUT THE PLANE INTO A L CLBING TURN AND HUNG ON. IN RETROSPECT; IT WOULD HAVE MADE MORE SENSE TO ACTIVATE THE WING LEVELER AND FLY STRAIGHT AHEAD; BUT EVEN AT 70% OF GROSS WE WERE STILL CLBING AT 1200 FPM IN A TURN. HOWEVER; I WAS FEELING PANIC AT THE THOUGHT OF PUTTING MYSELF AND MY PAX INTO A DANGEROUS SIT. WE EXITED THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL AFTER 1 CIRCUIT JUST E OF THE ARPT; CLBED TO 7500 FT AND CONTINUED OUR FLT IN CAVU CONDITIONS. ON THE RETURN FLT; I CHOSE TO LAND INLAND AND RENT A CAR TO GET HOME. 30 SECONDS IN THE CLOUDS WAS ENOUGH FOR ME. I HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT OF THIS ARPT FOR 3 YRS AND I KNOW THE TERRAIN. I CAN'T THINK WHY I WOULD HAVE OPTED FOR A TURN RATHER THAN A STRAIGHT CLB TOWARD LOWERING TERRAIN; BUT THE REAL PROB IS WHY I CHOSE TO TAKE OFF IN THE FIRST PLACE. FRUSTRATION WITH FOG IS COMMON FOR VFR PLTS; BUT I AM AFRAID I HAVE BEEN GETTING OVER-CONFIDENT ABOUT MY PLTING ABILITIES AND TODAY I TOOK AN OBSCENE CHANCE. I LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON. I ONLY WISH THIS LESSON COULD BE TAUGHT WITHOUT DIRECT EXPERIENCE.