GA small aircraft landed VFR in WX that was probably IMC.

Attributes
ACN	196754
Time
Date	199112
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : o61
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sto
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 350
ASRS Report	196754
Person 2
Function	observation : observer
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Landed at cameron park to the south. Local condition fog covered residential area. Made low pass to check runway visibility. Determined on low pass the runway and environment was suitable for safe landing. On second approach was able to safely see runway to make an uneventful landing. After taxiing off runway noticed visibility in residential area considerably less than runway environment. At a party 1/2 hour later, several residents assumed I had done something illegal since in the residential area it was foggy at the time of my landing. They could not have known what I saw when I came in. I am afraid someone will turn me in without having the full story! My flight was from sfo IFR to cameron park. I cancelled IFR when I had the runway environment visually.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LANDED VFR IN WX THAT WAS PROBABLY IMC.

Narrative: LANDED AT CAMERON PARK TO THE S. LCL CONDITION FOG COVERED RESIDENTIAL AREA. MADE LOW PASS TO CHK RWY VISIBILITY. DETERMINED ON LOW PASS THE RWY AND ENVIRONMENT WAS SUITABLE FOR SAFE LNDG. ON SECOND APCH WAS ABLE TO SAFELY SEE RWY TO MAKE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. AFTER TAXIING OFF RWY NOTICED VISIBILITY IN RESIDENTIAL AREA CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN RWY ENVIRONMENT. AT A PARTY 1/2 HR LATER, SEVERAL RESIDENTS ASSUMED I HAD DONE SOMETHING ILLEGAL SINCE IN THE RESIDENTIAL AREA IT WAS FOGGY AT THE TIME OF MY LNDG. THEY COULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WHAT I SAW WHEN I CAME IN. I AM AFRAID SOMEONE WILL TURN ME IN WITHOUT HAVING THE FULL STORY! MY FLT WAS FROM SFO IFR TO CAMERON PARK. I CANCELLED IFR WHEN I HAD THE RWY ENVIRONMENT VISUALLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.