Narrative:

This incident occurred over the independence (or) state airport (7s5) as I was attempting to bring my aircraft from a coastal airport to independence. The airport (7s5) had been fogged in for several days and I had to leave my aircraft at a coastal airport the day before since independence area was below minimums. I was on a flight from california. WX did not clear as forecast. 2 hours prior to the incident, fog at independence started to clear. I checked duats. WX to the north was clear and there was a clearing trend working its way south. It appeared independence would be clear soon. I went to the coast to retrieve my airplane. On arrival back at independence, at appeared the fog had moved back in on a line about 2 mi north of the airport. Everything north was clear. I pondered the thought of going down to the fog layer to see if there was a ceiling. It was a little late to expect the airport unicom to be operating, B ut I decided to give it a try to see if I could get an evaluation of WX conditions at the airport. The FBO's wife responded to my call, and I then asked what the ceiling and visibility was. After a pause, a male voice came on and said visibility was about 2 mi and something (garbled) about the ceiling.I acknowledged the visibility and asked again about the ceiling. The answer was, 'your guess is as good as mine.' I replied that his guess was a lot better than mine since he was down there looking up and I was up here looking down. He then proceeded to tell me how clear the WX was an hour ago. I really wasn't interested in historic WX, said thanks a lot, and tuned in salem ATIS. Fortunately, salem was open -- although WX was deteriorating rapidly - - and I was able to land there. Now I was only 12 mi from independence. Later, I mentioned the unbelievable unicom response to the FBO and asked who I'd been talking to since I didn't recognize the voice. He said it was ----, his instructor at cfii. He defended instructor by telling me they really couldn't see what the ceiling was and -- besides -- if I was going to crash, they didn't want me crashing at their airport, I could go crash somewhere else. Hardly an appropriate response from someone in the aviation business to an airman's request for an evaluation of ground WX conditions to assist in making an in-flight decision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POOR UNICOM PROC REF WX EVALUATION FORCE DIVERT LAND PROC.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED OVER THE INDEPENDENCE (OR) STATE ARPT (7S5) AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO BRING MY ACFT FROM A COASTAL ARPT TO INDEPENDENCE. THE ARPT (7S5) HAD BEEN FOGGED IN FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND I HAD TO LEAVE MY ACFT AT A COASTAL ARPT THE DAY BEFORE SINCE INDEPENDENCE AREA WAS BELOW MINIMUMS. I WAS ON A FLT FROM CALIFORNIA. WX DID NOT CLR AS FORECAST. 2 HRS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, FOG AT INDEPENDENCE STARTED TO CLR. I CHKED DUATS. WX TO THE N WAS CLR AND THERE WAS A CLRING TREND WORKING ITS WAY S. IT APPEARED INDEPENDENCE WOULD BE CLR SOON. I WENT TO THE COAST TO RETRIEVE MY AIRPLANE. ON ARR BACK AT INDEPENDENCE, AT APPEARED THE FOG HAD MOVED BACK IN ON A LINE ABOUT 2 MI N OF THE ARPT. EVERYTHING N WAS CLR. I PONDERED THE THOUGHT OF GOING DOWN TO THE FOG LAYER TO SEE IF THERE WAS A CEILING. IT WAS A LITTLE LATE TO EXPECT THE ARPT UNICOM TO BE OPERATING, B UT I DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY TO SEE IF I COULD GET AN EVALUATION OF WX CONDITIONS AT THE ARPT. THE FBO'S WIFE RESPONDED TO MY CALL, AND I THEN ASKED WHAT THE CEILING AND VISIBILITY WAS. AFTER A PAUSE, A MALE VOICE CAME ON AND SAID VISIBILITY WAS ABOUT 2 MI AND SOMETHING (GARBLED) ABOUT THE CEILING.I ACKNOWLEDGED THE VISIBILITY AND ASKED AGAIN ABOUT THE CEILING. THE ANSWER WAS, 'YOUR GUESS IS AS GOOD AS MINE.' I REPLIED THAT HIS GUESS WAS A LOT BETTER THAN MINE SINCE HE WAS DOWN THERE LOOKING UP AND I WAS UP HERE LOOKING DOWN. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME HOW CLR THE WX WAS AN HR AGO. I REALLY WASN'T INTERESTED IN HISTORIC WX, SAID THANKS A LOT, AND TUNED IN SALEM ATIS. FORTUNATELY, SALEM WAS OPEN -- ALTHOUGH WX WAS DETERIORATING RAPIDLY - - AND I WAS ABLE TO LAND THERE. NOW I WAS ONLY 12 MI FROM INDEPENDENCE. LATER, I MENTIONED THE UNBELIEVABLE UNICOM RESPONSE TO THE FBO AND ASKED WHO I'D BEEN TALKING TO SINCE I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE VOICE. HE SAID IT WAS ----, HIS INSTRUCTOR AT CFII. HE DEFENDED INSTRUCTOR BY TELLING ME THEY REALLY COULDN'T SEE WHAT THE CEILING WAS AND -- BESIDES -- IF I WAS GOING TO CRASH, THEY DIDN'T WANT ME CRASHING AT THEIR ARPT, I COULD GO CRASH SOMEWHERE ELSE. HARDLY AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE FROM SOMEONE IN THE AVIATION BUSINESS TO AN AIRMAN'S REQUEST FOR AN EVALUATION OF GND WX CONDITIONS TO ASSIST IN MAKING AN INFLT DECISION.

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.