Narrative:

With the closest aviation WX reporting station nearly 30 mi distant, we are often faced with making judgements about the WX on our own. I am an agricultural operator with 20 yrs experience along with 8000 plus hours. I have operated from this particular agricultural strip for the past 12- 15 yrs, and as such am very much aware of the local WX quirks. All of our agricultural operations are in class G airspace and due to the nature of the agricultural business we frequently operate close to both the cloud clearance and visibility limits (1 mi, clear of the clouds). This early sep/xx/95 morning was particularly foggy, but as in the past the fog had all but burned off by XA30. The home strip is located between a small river and a sewage evaporation settling pond of about 200 acres. It is traditionally the 'foggiest place in the world' generally being the last place to clear. The visibility was averaging approximately 2 mi with no clouds visible. As I cleared the trees at the departure end of the runway, with a full load of pesticide, I was met with a solid wall of fog with practically no forward visibility. A quick left turn enabled me to maintain visual ground contact, this is no mean feat with a heavily loaded agricultural plane that is very much behind the power curve. My turn took me closer to several houses in the trees that I care to be, or should be, but enabled an eventual climb to the north in acceptable VFR conditions. A quick look around confirmed that all was clear to the north, but the clear area ended just south of the runway. I operate in marginal WX conditions all the time out of necessity. Extra vigilance is called for when the WX is marginal, but as the saying goes 'familiarity breeds contempt.' I think I'll give myself a little more margin in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAR -- DUSTER PLT TAKES OFF IN MARGINAL WX AND IS FORCED BY A FOG BANK TO MAKE A STEEP TURN WITH A LOAD OF PESTICIDE IN THE VICINITY OF NEARBY HOUSES.

Narrative: WITH THE CLOSEST AVIATION WX RPTING STATION NEARLY 30 MI DISTANT, WE ARE OFTEN FACED WITH MAKING JUDGEMENTS ABOUT THE WX ON OUR OWN. I AM AN AGRICULTURAL OPERATOR WITH 20 YRS EXPERIENCE ALONG WITH 8000 PLUS HRS. I HAVE OPERATED FROM THIS PARTICULAR AGRICULTURAL STRIP FOR THE PAST 12- 15 YRS, AND AS SUCH AM VERY MUCH AWARE OF THE LCL WX QUIRKS. ALL OF OUR AGRICULTURAL OPS ARE IN CLASS G AIRSPACE AND DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS WE FREQUENTLY OPERATE CLOSE TO BOTH THE CLOUD CLRNC AND VISIBILITY LIMITS (1 MI, CLR OF THE CLOUDS). THIS EARLY SEP/XX/95 MORNING WAS PARTICULARLY FOGGY, BUT AS IN THE PAST THE FOG HAD ALL BUT BURNED OFF BY XA30. THE HOME STRIP IS LOCATED BTWN A SMALL RIVER AND A SEWAGE EVAPORATION SETTLING POND OF ABOUT 200 ACRES. IT IS TRADITIONALLY THE 'FOGGIEST PLACE IN THE WORLD' GENERALLY BEING THE LAST PLACE TO CLR. THE VISIBILITY WAS AVERAGING APPROX 2 MI WITH NO CLOUDS VISIBLE. AS I CLRED THE TREES AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY, WITH A FULL LOAD OF PESTICIDE, I WAS MET WITH A SOLID WALL OF FOG WITH PRACTICALLY NO FORWARD VISIBILITY. A QUICK L TURN ENABLED ME TO MAINTAIN VISUAL GND CONTACT, THIS IS NO MEAN FEAT WITH A HEAVILY LOADED AGRICULTURAL PLANE THAT IS VERY MUCH BEHIND THE PWR CURVE. MY TURN TOOK ME CLOSER TO SEVERAL HOUSES IN THE TREES THAT I CARE TO BE, OR SHOULD BE, BUT ENABLED AN EVENTUAL CLB TO THE N IN ACCEPTABLE VFR CONDITIONS. A QUICK LOOK AROUND CONFIRMED THAT ALL WAS CLR TO THE N, BUT THE CLR AREA ENDED JUST S OF THE RWY. I OPERATE IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS ALL THE TIME OUT OF NECESSITY. EXTRA VIGILANCE IS CALLED FOR WHEN THE WX IS MARGINAL, BUT AS THE SAYING GOES 'FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT.' I THINK I'LL GIVE MYSELF A LITTLE MORE MARGIN IN THE FUTURE.

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.