(K. Ari Krupnikov) wrote:
No one is questioning your legal authority to do whatever. The
discussion has been about what action is less likely to have your
heirs fiilin out the paperwork.

I figure there's two possible scenarios:

1) ATC knows where I am because my xponder is still working, or they are
tracking me with primary radar. In that case, they'll watch what I'm
doing and get everybody out of my way. Landing ASAP wins here.

2) ATC has lost track of where I am. In that case, there are two more
scenarios:

2A) They'll keep everybody the hell away from my destination airport
until I show up. Again, landing ASAP makes sense.

2B) They'll try to keep operating the airport as best as possible until
my ETA. In which case, my holding someplace in the vicinity is just
going to increase the time I'm in IMC with no separation. Once again,
landing ASAP seems to make sense.

All of this is really completely moot. All of this "holding until your
ETA" stuff assumes that somehow you'll get to your destination early.
Who are we kidding? When was the last time you ever got someplace ahead
of your ETA?

PS -- I've done scenario #1. I lost the ability to transmit, but could
still receive. As soon as I turned off my cleared route of flight and
started heading over to the ILS, ATC said, "You appear to be flying the
ILS-16, cleared ILS-16 approach, cleared to land".