You failed to tell us the method for closing your IFR flight plan once on the
ground. Do they give you a phone number? Do you have cell phone service on
the approach?

First, a bit of history: 91.175's predecessor section (91.116) permitted,
until 1981 as I recall, descent based on landmarks familiar to the pilot. It
was fraught with hazards although it had its origins from the "DC-3" days.
Some of the more jaded folks called it the "Farmer Jone's Barn Sighting Rule."

It's important to know that history, because the revocation of that rule is a
very handy cite for a sharp FAA attorney to rebutt a pilot claim of defense
that he saw Jone's barn and knows the area well, so he knows that leads to the
runway...and so forth.

Thus, what others advise about remaining at MDA and going to the airport then
circling to land is not only good safety advice, it is very good legal advice.

The reason I ask about the phone is because you could have opted to cancel IFR
and then do whatever you wanted to do to get in and land.

Roy Smith wrote:

What would you do in this situation? You're on the GPS-22 into Ellenville,
NY (http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0508/09390G22.PDF), planning to land
straight-in. Note the high MDA (1800 AGL). There's no weather reporting
at your destination, but several nearby airports are saying anywhere from
2-1/2 to 4 mile visibility. For the sake of argument, assume it's 2-1/2
miles where you are. There's scattered CU at about 4000, but you're below
that already. It's daytime, winds are light out of the south.

You're 2 miles from YARNN at the MDA and have good ground contact ahead and
to both sides. You can also see the ridgeline east of the final approach
course which is represented by the 1850 elevation marker. What you don't
see is the runway, or any of the other things called out in 91.175(c)(3).
You know from experience that this is a difficult airport to spot even in
good VFR because it blends in with the surrounding terrain.

You were cleared for the approach at Kingston VOR, and are long out of
radar and radio contact with ATC.

If you stay at the MDA (as 91.175(c) requires), it's unlikely you will ever
see the runway, as it will quickly disappear under the nose of the
airplane. Your GPS is providing you VNAV guidance, and you are already
above the synthetic glide slope. You're well above the minimums for a
contact approach, but since you're out of radio contact, you can't ask for
one; your current clearance is for the GPS-22. Continuing your descent
below the MDA, but staying above the VNAV glideslope it technically not
legal, but seems like a "no harm, no foul" kind of violation.

What would you do?