Pilot of small aircraft cancelled IFR plan at 4000' MSL. Made contact approach to mgw who was report...

Attributes
ACN	120994
Time
Date	198908
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mgw
State Reference	WV
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : ckb tower : mgw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 4000
ASRS Report	120994
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On IFR flight plan atlantic city, nj, bader field to walter hart field. Approaching mgw VORTAC from east, no clouds, visibility grater than 5 mi in haze at altitude 5000'. Cleared to 4000' over VORTAC by clarksburg approach and vectored for ILS 18. WX at mgw, partial obscuration, visibility 1 1/2 mi fog and haze. In view of good in-flight visibility I requested a vector over the field prior to ILS. Approach control agreed to request and assigned heading 330 degrees. As soon as I completed the turn over the VOR, I sighted the field (5 mi away). I requested via approach. Approach said unable due to WX. I cancelled IFR and entered downwind for 18 and called tower for visibility. The tower said unable due to WX (visibility 1 1/2 mi). I then requested contact approach from tower and the tower said they would check with clarksburg. I continued approach with tower. Advised I was turning base. I requested clearance to land and was granted same. In subsequent discussion with tower controller, I realized that I erred by cancelling instruments. Basically, the problem was terminology. If the clarksburg controller had offered a contact approach there would have been no problem. While I, as pilot, am ultimately responsible for my acts, it would be nice if when I called 'field in sight,' clarksburg would have offered, 'contact approach.'

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA CANCELLED IFR PLAN AT 4000' MSL. MADE CONTACT APCH TO MGW WHO WAS REPORTING ONE AND ONE HALF MILES VISIBILITY ON THE ARPT.

Narrative: ON IFR FLT PLAN ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, BADER FIELD TO WALTER HART FIELD. APCHING MGW VORTAC FROM E, NO CLOUDS, VISIBILITY GRATER THAN 5 MI IN HAZE AT ALT 5000'. CLRED TO 4000' OVER VORTAC BY CLARKSBURG APCH AND VECTORED FOR ILS 18. WX AT MGW, PARTIAL OBSCURATION, VISIBILITY 1 1/2 MI FOG AND HAZE. IN VIEW OF GOOD INFLT VISIBILITY I REQUESTED A VECTOR OVER THE FIELD PRIOR TO ILS. APCH CTL AGREED TO REQUEST AND ASSIGNED HDG 330 DEGS. AS SOON AS I COMPLETED THE TURN OVER THE VOR, I SIGHTED THE FIELD (5 MI AWAY). I REQUESTED VIA APCH. APCH SAID UNABLE DUE TO WX. I CANCELLED IFR AND ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR 18 AND CALLED TWR FOR VIS. THE TWR SAID UNABLE DUE TO WX (VISIBILITY 1 1/2 MI). I THEN REQUESTED CONTACT APCH FROM TWR AND THE TWR SAID THEY WOULD CHK WITH CLARKSBURG. I CONTINUED APCH WITH TWR. ADVISED I WAS TURNING BASE. I REQUESTED CLRNC TO LAND AND WAS GRANTED SAME. IN SUBSEQUENT DISCUSSION WITH TWR CTLR, I REALIZED THAT I ERRED BY CANCELLING INSTRUMENTS. BASICALLY, THE PROB WAS TERMINOLOGY. IF THE CLARKSBURG CTLR HAD OFFERED A CONTACT APCH THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB. WHILE I, AS PLT, AM ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTS, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WHEN I CALLED 'FIELD IN SIGHT,' CLARKSBURG WOULD HAVE OFFERED, 'CONTACT APCH.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

Pilot of small aircraft cancelled IFR plan at 4000' MSL. Made contact approach to mgw who was reporting one and one half miles visibility on the airport.