Descent below MDA -- what would you do?

On Tue, 16 Aug 2005 02:11:06 GMT, "John Clonts"
wrote:

On 2 1/2 mile final in such conditions I'm not going to be trying to get through to FSS. ATC maybe, since
they're frequency is still on my "flip-flop".

The OP has already written that he is "long out of radar and radio contact
with ATC." So contacting ATC directly is not an option.

But then again if I'm on 2 1/2 mile final and the visibility is 3 miles (VFR), then I can see the runway, so
yeah, I'm gonna come down and land... Conversely, if I can't see the runway then I am concluding that the
visibility is not 3 miles

As I previously wrote, I would not cancel either and I certainly would not
descend below MDA without having the requisite 91.175 items in view.

But the OP was posing a hypothetical in which he wanted to descend below
MDA; in this hypothetical he was in VMC conditions, but still on an IFR
flight plan.

So far as contacting FSS to cancel IFR when in VMC, it's no big deal (so
long as you have the airport in sight). I frequently try to do that
returning to my home base where there is no radio contact with ATC below
about 4000' (airport at 40' MSL). Of course, my home base rarely has
traffic.


Ron (EPM) (N5843Q, Mooney M20E) (CP, ASEL, ASES, IA)