Narrative:

IFR arrival to san carlos via radar vectors. Just after going visibility and reporting airport in sight, approach said 'advise cancelling IFR.' I declined until 500' below clouds. Approach pushed again to get me to cancel, rather than issuing a visibility approach. Figuring that the controller wanted to not have to separate me from sfo arrs, I accepted the IFR cancellation. Almost immediately after going VFR, I clipped the bottom of the lowest sector of the sfo TCA. Moral: don't let approach push one into accepting a premature cancellation--demand a visibility approach and let the tower do it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA BELIEVES HE VIOLATED THE TCA AFTER BEING RELEASED TO VFR BY TRACON.

Narrative: IFR ARR TO SAN CARLOS VIA RADAR VECTORS. JUST AFTER GOING VIS AND RPTING ARPT IN SIGHT, APCH SAID 'ADVISE CANCELLING IFR.' I DECLINED UNTIL 500' BELOW CLOUDS. APCH PUSHED AGAIN TO GET ME TO CANCEL, RATHER THAN ISSUING A VIS APCH. FIGURING THAT THE CTLR WANTED TO NOT HAVE TO SEPARATE ME FROM SFO ARRS, I ACCEPTED THE IFR CANCELLATION. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER GOING VFR, I CLIPPED THE BOTTOM OF THE LOWEST SECTOR OF THE SFO TCA. MORAL: DON'T LET APCH PUSH ONE INTO ACCEPTING A PREMATURE CANCELLATION--DEMAND A VIS APCH AND LET THE TWR DO IT.

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.