Experienced pilot of C172 encounters deteriorating WX during pattern work to maintain night qualific...

Attributes
ACN	667837
Time
Date	200508
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sba.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sba.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Aircraft 2
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16700 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	667837
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

My desire to get night current outweighed my better judgement in the face of deteriorating WX. Although the metar and taf obtained through the AFSS prior to flight indicated favorable conditions; the dew on the wings at preflight and temperature/dew point spread on the ATIS should have clued me in to the possibility of an earlier appearance of low stratus/fog. With right angle; intersecting runways; I (with tower approval) varied my pattern and runway to turn from the stratus as I realized it would be impossible to maintain the required VFR cloud separation. Although a special VFR clearance (I had current IFR qualifications) would have better ensured my legality as far as cloud separation; the safer option would have been to postpone my effort to another day; rather than aggressive maneuvering using instrument and outside references to maintain visual contact with the airport.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPERIENCED PLT OF C172 ENCOUNTERS DETERIORATING WX DURING PATTERN WORK TO MAINTAIN NIGHT QUALIFICATION.

Narrative: MY DESIRE TO GET NIGHT CURRENT OUTWEIGHED MY BETTER JUDGEMENT IN THE FACE OF DETERIORATING WX. ALTHOUGH THE METAR AND TAF OBTAINED THROUGH THE AFSS PRIOR TO FLT INDICATED FAVORABLE CONDITIONS; THE DEW ON THE WINGS AT PREFLT AND TEMP/DEW POINT SPREAD ON THE ATIS SHOULD HAVE CLUED ME IN TO THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EARLIER APPEARANCE OF LOW STRATUS/FOG. WITH R ANGLE; INTERSECTING RWYS; I (WITH TWR APPROVAL) VARIED MY PATTERN AND RWY TO TURN FROM THE STRATUS AS I REALIZED IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIRED VFR CLOUD SEPARATION. ALTHOUGH A SPECIAL VFR CLRNC (I HAD CURRENT IFR QUALIFICATIONS) WOULD HAVE BETTER ENSURED MY LEGALITY AS FAR AS CLOUD SEPARATION; THE SAFER OPTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO POSTPONE MY EFFORT TO ANOTHER DAY; RATHER THAN AGGRESSIVE MANEUVERING USING INSTRUMENT AND OUTSIDE REFERENCES TO MAINTAIN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE ARPT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

Experienced pilot of C172 encounters deteriorating WX during pattern work to maintain night qualification.