Narrative:

Area described is poor radar coverage area. Flight cleared direct to ssi VOR with no instruction to hold or begin approach. WX reported at ssi airport was 5/8 mi visibility in fog. Flight was operating above clouds in VMC. When passing airport 3 mi west, I could see approach end of runway through breaks in the clouds. Clouds appeared well-defined. AWOS was OTS. I heard another aircraft report landing at an airport 8 mi away. Ssi is on a coastal island and previous trips have shown that often when inland airport has low conditions, the coastal airport is higher due to influence of ocean and breeze in summer. Conditions were rising rapidly and I was expecting a visibility report of greater than 1 mi. I reached the VOR with no recollection of being cleared for approach (VOR 4), but I had not been cleared to hold. I turned outbound, reversed course, reported over the VOR and continued toward the airport at the initial approach altitude. Usually, radar contact is lost at approach altitudes, but I was not told radar contact was lost. I continued toward the airport but stayed in visual conditions, but above the clouds. It became obvious that the clouds would not allow me to see the airport, so I turned back towards the VOR from over the airport, reported that I could not get in and requested an ILS to bqk where the other aircraft had landed. In retrospect, I should have clarified the clearance and held at the FAF since conditions were improving rapidly. I was asked if I was VFR, reported affirmatively, was told to maintain VFR. I said that I had never canceled and was cleared to the LOM and asked to report it. I did so and was cleared for the approach, and landed without incident. Entire area was VFR within 30 mins. Problem was that I flew a procedure (even though above the profile) that I was not cleared for and with reported visibility less than minimums, I think a current report would have shown legal approach visibility. AWOS has been in test mode for a very long time and OTS this day. I flew as stated because I failed to assertively clarify a clearance and request a hold until I could legally begin an approach under air taxi rules.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN ATX TURBOPROP MADE A VOR APCH TO AN UNCTLED ARPT PRIOR TO RECEIVING ARTCC CTLR CLRNC, DUE TO A MISUNDERSTANDING OF HIS LAST CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS.

Narrative: AREA DESCRIBED IS POOR RADAR COVERAGE AREA. FLT CLRED DIRECT TO SSI VOR WITH NO INSTRUCTION TO HOLD OR BEGIN APCH. WX RPTED AT SSI ARPT WAS 5/8 MI VISIBILITY IN FOG. FLT WAS OPERATING ABOVE CLOUDS IN VMC. WHEN PASSING ARPT 3 MI W, I COULD SEE APCH END OF RWY THROUGH BREAKS IN THE CLOUDS. CLOUDS APPEARED WELL-DEFINED. AWOS WAS OTS. I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT RPT LNDG AT AN ARPT 8 MI AWAY. SSI IS ON A COASTAL ISLAND AND PREVIOUS TRIPS HAVE SHOWN THAT OFTEN WHEN INLAND ARPT HAS LOW CONDITIONS, THE COASTAL ARPT IS HIGHER DUE TO INFLUENCE OF OCEAN AND BREEZE IN SUMMER. CONDITIONS WERE RISING RAPIDLY AND I WAS EXPECTING A VISIBILITY RPT OF GREATER THAN 1 MI. I REACHED THE VOR WITH NO RECOLLECTION OF BEING CLRED FOR APCH (VOR 4), BUT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO HOLD. I TURNED OUTBOUND, REVERSED COURSE, RPTED OVER THE VOR AND CONTINUED TOWARD THE ARPT AT THE INITIAL APCH ALT. USUALLY, RADAR CONTACT IS LOST AT APCH ALTS, BUT I WAS NOT TOLD RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. I CONTINUED TOWARD THE ARPT BUT STAYED IN VISUAL CONDITIONS, BUT ABOVE THE CLOUDS. IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE CLOUDS WOULD NOT ALLOW ME TO SEE THE ARPT, SO I TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE VOR FROM OVER THE ARPT, RPTED THAT I COULD NOT GET IN AND REQUESTED AN ILS TO BQK WHERE THE OTHER ACFT HAD LANDED. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE CLARIFIED THE CLRNC AND HELD AT THE FAF SINCE CONDITIONS WERE IMPROVING RAPIDLY. I WAS ASKED IF I WAS VFR, RPTED AFFIRMATIVELY, WAS TOLD TO MAINTAIN VFR. I SAID THAT I HAD NEVER CANCELED AND WAS CLRED TO THE LOM AND ASKED TO RPT IT. I DID SO AND WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ENTIRE AREA WAS VFR WITHIN 30 MINS. PROB WAS THAT I FLEW A PROC (EVEN THOUGH ABOVE THE PROFILE) THAT I WAS NOT CLRED FOR AND WITH RPTED VISIBILITY LESS THAN MINIMUMS, I THINK A CURRENT RPT WOULD HAVE SHOWN LEGAL APCH VISIBILITY. AWOS HAS BEEN IN TEST MODE FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND OTS THIS DAY. I FLEW AS STATED BECAUSE I FAILED TO ASSERTIVELY CLARIFY A CLRNC AND REQUEST A HOLD UNTIL I COULD LEGALLY BEGIN AN APCH UNDER AIR TAXI RULES.

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.