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An ATP pilot gets caught in a low visibility VFR departure at a low altitude without 'IMC' instruments, declares an emergency, returns and lands with three-fourths mi visibility at otz, ak.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 559730 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200209 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : otz.airport |
| State Reference | AK |
| Altitude | agl single value : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Weather Elements | Fog Rain |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern approach : svfr |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 37 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 800 |
| ASRS Report | 559730 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : landed in emergency condition flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : declared emergency |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Weather |
Narrative:
Departed kotzebue at approximately XA50 local on sep/fri/02. Departed VFR with local traffic and WX advisory. Departed behind 2 other VFR departures. Flew approximately 15 mi north of kotzebue and encountered marginal VFR conditions. Returned to kotzebue and after contacting FSS, found that the WX was below special VFR conditions and dropping (visibility 3/4 mi). Could not get a special VFR, but could see the village at 3 mi. Did not have any place to land if WX got worse. Could not find a place on the riverbank to land. I declared an emergency since I did not have IFR instruments, and the situation was getting worse. Do not see how this could have been prevented with the rapidly changing WX in the artic part of alaska. In my judgement declaring an emergency was the safest thing to do. Landed with runway in sight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ATP PLT GETS CAUGHT IN A LOW VISIBILITY VFR DEP AT A LOW ALT WITHOUT 'IMC' INSTS, DECLARES AN EMER, RETURNS AND LANDS WITH THREE-FOURTHS MI VISIBILITY AT OTZ, AK.
Narrative: DEPARTED KOTZEBUE AT APPROX XA50 LCL ON SEP/FRI/02. DEPARTED VFR WITH LCL TFC AND WX ADVISORY. DEPARTED BEHIND 2 OTHER VFR DEPS. FLEW APPROX 15 MI N OF KOTZEBUE AND ENCOUNTERED MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS. RETURNED TO KOTZEBUE AND AFTER CONTACTING FSS, FOUND THAT THE WX WAS BELOW SPECIAL VFR CONDITIONS AND DROPPING (VISIBILITY 3/4 MI). COULD NOT GET A SPECIAL VFR, BUT COULD SEE THE VILLAGE AT 3 MI. DID NOT HAVE ANY PLACE TO LAND IF WX GOT WORSE. COULD NOT FIND A PLACE ON THE RIVERBANK TO LAND. I DECLARED AN EMER SINCE I DID NOT HAVE IFR INSTS, AND THE SIT WAS GETTING WORSE. DO NOT SEE HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH THE RAPIDLY CHANGING WX IN THE ARTIC PART OF ALASKA. IN MY JUDGEMENT DECLARING AN EMER WAS THE SAFEST THING TO DO. LANDED WITH RWY IN SIGHT.
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.