Narrative:

I was the copilot of our company light transport. We were en route to hbg airport from tol on a 135 charter. The WX at our area was reported on a nearby AWOS as 16 broken, 24 broken, 10 mi. We were cleared to descend to 2300 ft MSL and report the airport in sight for a visual approach. I might add I had suggested to the captain that we shoot the VOR approach because we were still 20 mi out and on top of a solid overcast. He mumbled something about 'we'll be ok.' as we got within 8 mi of the airport and were still definitely on top, he willfully descended to 1700 ft MSL through the overcast, without clearance from center. We broke out of the clouds and he descended to 1500 ft MSL and said several times, 'cancel the IFR.' center was busy and I couldn't get through and get a reply for almost a min. The minimum safe altitude on the approach is 2400 ft MSL. When confronted on the ground, the captain shrugged off any problem and blamed me for not being more forceful in recommending the VOR approach. This captain is our director of operations and said he also did not want to put an extra tenth on the operating time meter because we were on a quoted trip! He could have killed us over a couple of dollars.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX LTT WILLFULLY FLEW THROUGH AN OVCST WITHOUT A CLRNC INSTEAD OF ASKING FOR AN INST APCH.

Narrative: I WAS THE COPLT OF OUR COMPANY LTT. WE WERE ENRTE TO HBG ARPT FROM TOL ON A 135 CHARTER. THE WX AT OUR AREA WAS RPTED ON A NEARBY AWOS AS 16 BROKEN, 24 BROKEN, 10 MI. WE WERE CLRED TO DSND TO 2300 FT MSL AND RPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT FOR A VISUAL APCH. I MIGHT ADD I HAD SUGGESTED TO THE CAPT THAT WE SHOOT THE VOR APCH BECAUSE WE WERE STILL 20 MI OUT AND ON TOP OF A SOLID OVCST. HE MUMBLED SOMETHING ABOUT 'WE'LL BE OK.' AS WE GOT WITHIN 8 MI OF THE ARPT AND WERE STILL DEFINITELY ON TOP, HE WILLFULLY DSNDED TO 1700 FT MSL THROUGH THE OVCST, WITHOUT CLRNC FROM CTR. WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND HE DSNDED TO 1500 FT MSL AND SAID SEVERAL TIMES, 'CANCEL THE IFR.' CTR WAS BUSY AND I COULDN'T GET THROUGH AND GET A REPLY FOR ALMOST A MIN. THE MINIMUM SAFE ALT ON THE APCH IS 2400 FT MSL. WHEN CONFRONTED ON THE GND, THE CAPT SHRUGGED OFF ANY PROB AND BLAMED ME FOR NOT BEING MORE FORCEFUL IN RECOMMENDING THE VOR APCH. THIS CAPT IS OUR DIRECTOR OF OPS AND SAID HE ALSO DID NOT WANT TO PUT AN EXTRA TENTH ON THE OPERATING TIME METER BECAUSE WE WERE ON A QUOTED TRIP! HE COULD HAVE KILLED US OVER A COUPLE OF DOLLARS.

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