Narrative:

Special VFR clearance south departure requested from lakefront ground controller. Advised unable south departure and offered southeast or southwest. Southwest departure in special VFR conditions while in the control zone at or below 1500' was requested and received. No IFR clearance or clearance to enter the new orleans TCA was requested or received. No flight plan was filed. Lakefront ATIS reported ceiling 900' variable and visibility 5 mi. The aircraft was not IFR equipped. VFR sectional and new terminal charts were on board. The aircraft was flown from lakefront airport to the city park area, then south toward westwego airport, thence the violation(south) occurred while clear of the lakefront control zone, below the area TCA floor of 2000', within the transition area type airspace, and over the congested area of the city south of city park. At this point a conflict arose as to the requirements of far 91.79(B) and far 91.105(a). Had I maintained an altitude of 1000' to satisfy 91.79(B) (minimum altitude over a congested area) requirement I would have violated the far 91.105(a) requirement to remain 500' below the clouds. Had I maintained below 700' (in uncontrolled airspace) where I could satisfy the 91.105(a) requirement for 1 mi visibility and clear of clouds, I would then violate 91.79(B). As it happened, I remained too high and too low to satisfy either far's requirement: 900'. Probable cause of the violation was inadequate preflight planning: a snap decision based solely on the most direct route to destination and failure to consider altitude/WX requirements once clear of the lakefront control zone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA FLEW TOO CLOSE TO THE GND AND ALSO TOO CLOSE TO CLOUDS IN CONTROLLED AIRSPACE.

Narrative: SPECIAL VFR CLRNC S DEP REQUESTED FROM LAKEFRONT GND CTLR. ADVISED UNABLE S DEP AND OFFERED SE OR SW. SW DEP IN SPECIAL VFR CONDITIONS WHILE IN THE CTL ZONE AT OR BELOW 1500' WAS REQUESTED AND RECEIVED. NO IFR CLRNC OR CLRNC TO ENTER THE NEW ORLEANS TCA WAS REQUESTED OR RECEIVED. NO FLT PLAN WAS FILED. LAKEFRONT ATIS RPTED CEILING 900' VARIABLE AND VISIBILITY 5 MI. THE ACFT WAS NOT IFR EQUIPPED. VFR SECTIONAL AND NEW TERMINAL CHARTS WERE ON BOARD. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN FROM LAKEFRONT ARPT TO THE CITY PARK AREA, THEN S TOWARD WESTWEGO ARPT, THENCE THE VIOLATION(S) OCCURRED WHILE CLR OF THE LAKEFRONT CTL ZONE, BELOW THE AREA TCA FLOOR OF 2000', WITHIN THE TRANSITION AREA TYPE AIRSPACE, AND OVER THE CONGESTED AREA OF THE CITY S OF CITY PARK. AT THIS POINT A CONFLICT AROSE AS TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FAR 91.79(B) AND FAR 91.105(A). HAD I MAINTAINED AN ALT OF 1000' TO SATISFY 91.79(B) (MINIMUM ALT OVER A CONGESTED AREA) REQUIREMENT I WOULD HAVE VIOLATED THE FAR 91.105(A) REQUIREMENT TO REMAIN 500' BELOW THE CLOUDS. HAD I MAINTAINED BELOW 700' (IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE) WHERE I COULD SATISFY THE 91.105(A) REQUIREMENT FOR 1 MI VISIBILITY AND CLR OF CLOUDS, I WOULD THEN VIOLATE 91.79(B). AS IT HAPPENED, I REMAINED TOO HIGH AND TOO LOW TO SATISFY EITHER FAR'S REQUIREMENT: 900'. PROBABLE CAUSE OF THE VIOLATION WAS INADEQUATE PREFLT PLANNING: A SNAP DECISION BASED SOLELY ON THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE TO DEST AND FAILURE TO CONSIDER ALT/WX REQUIREMENTS ONCE CLR OF THE LAKEFRONT CTL ZONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.