Narrative:

I was flying on victor 1 south on an IFR flight plan, cleared to ocean city, md, airport. Upon reaching the waterloo VOR, I was given RNAV direct to the airport and allowed to descend to 2000 ft. After reaching 2000 ft, there were some thin, scattered clouds below me and salisbury, md, was reporting thin, scattered clouds at 2000 ft as well. I was given a 'cruise 2000 ft clearance' to ocean city, md. Since I was not on an airway, I had no reference for a minimum safe en route altitude, and so told the controller that I was already at 2000 ft and what did he mean by the 'cruise 2000 ft clearance.' he said I was cleared to the airport. Expecting that there was a thin cloud layer which we had been seeing throughout, I descended in the clouds direct to the airport, expecting to make a landing. However, the clouds were extremely thick, and I descended almost in 1000 ft before entering VFR conditions and landing. It is my interpretation that my violation was descending into IMC conditions without being on a published segment of the approach. The confusion was, however, through the cruise clearance which, although I am aware it allows me clearance for the approach, was confusing since I was not on any segment of any airway where there was a minimum altitude available. No incident occurred. The landing was carried out safely, and I believe I was well out of radar coverage, and lastly out of communications coverage as well when reaching somewhere approximately 1500 ft. After landing, I reported to either dover or patuxent approach by phone, indicating a safe landing. There were 2 factors which complicated this: 1) the only ADF representation I have in my plane is on my moving map. The moving map lost power shortly after takeoff, and the moving map (or the ADF) would be necessary to identify landy, the OM, for the localizer approach. 2) I had the full eastern united states maps with me, and ocean city, md, is positioned such that it is below map #26, just off it, where waterloo VOR is located, and at the very northern tip of the 29-30 map where the salisbury VOR but not the waterloo VOR can be seen. The northeast corridor map also does not show ocean city, md, therefore, there's no map which shows both the relationship of the 2 vors and the airport. Clearly, the appropriate choice was to ask for vector for the VOR approach or for the localizer approach, or to announce the full approach myself under those circumstances without descending.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DSNDS BELOW MEA WHEN CLRED TO 'CRUISE' 2000 FT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON VICTOR 1 S ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, CLRED TO OCEAN CITY, MD, ARPT. UPON REACHING THE WATERLOO VOR, I WAS GIVEN RNAV DIRECT TO THE ARPT AND ALLOWED TO DSND TO 2000 FT. AFTER REACHING 2000 FT, THERE WERE SOME THIN, SCATTERED CLOUDS BELOW ME AND SALISBURY, MD, WAS RPTING THIN, SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2000 FT AS WELL. I WAS GIVEN A 'CRUISE 2000 FT CLRNC' TO OCEAN CITY, MD. SINCE I WAS NOT ON AN AIRWAY, I HAD NO REF FOR A MINIMUM SAFE ENRTE ALT, AND SO TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WAS ALREADY AT 2000 FT AND WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THE 'CRUISE 2000 FT CLRNC.' HE SAID I WAS CLRED TO THE ARPT. EXPECTING THAT THERE WAS A THIN CLOUD LAYER WHICH WE HAD BEEN SEEING THROUGHOUT, I DSNDED IN THE CLOUDS DIRECT TO THE ARPT, EXPECTING TO MAKE A LNDG. HOWEVER, THE CLOUDS WERE EXTREMELY THICK, AND I DSNDED ALMOST IN 1000 FT BEFORE ENTERING VFR CONDITIONS AND LNDG. IT IS MY INTERP THAT MY VIOLATION WAS DSNDING INTO IMC CONDITIONS WITHOUT BEING ON A PUBLISHED SEGMENT OF THE APCH. THE CONFUSION WAS, HOWEVER, THROUGH THE CRUISE CLRNC WHICH, ALTHOUGH I AM AWARE IT ALLOWS ME CLRNC FOR THE APCH, WAS CONFUSING SINCE I WAS NOT ON ANY SEGMENT OF ANY AIRWAY WHERE THERE WAS A MINIMUM ALT AVAILABLE. NO INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE LNDG WAS CARRIED OUT SAFELY, AND I BELIEVE I WAS WELL OUT OF RADAR COVERAGE, AND LASTLY OUT OF COMS COVERAGE AS WELL WHEN REACHING SOMEWHERE APPROX 1500 FT. AFTER LNDG, I RPTED TO EITHER DOVER OR PATUXENT APCH BY PHONE, INDICATING A SAFE LNDG. THERE WERE 2 FACTORS WHICH COMPLICATED THIS: 1) THE ONLY ADF REPRESENTATION I HAVE IN MY PLANE IS ON MY MOVING MAP. THE MOVING MAP LOST PWR SHORTLY AFTER TKOF, AND THE MOVING MAP (OR THE ADF) WOULD BE NECESSARY TO IDENT LANDY, THE OM, FOR THE LOC APCH. 2) I HAD THE FULL EASTERN UNITED STATES MAPS WITH ME, AND OCEAN CITY, MD, IS POSITIONED SUCH THAT IT IS BELOW MAP #26, JUST OFF IT, WHERE WATERLOO VOR IS LOCATED, AND AT THE VERY NORTHERN TIP OF THE 29-30 MAP WHERE THE SALISBURY VOR BUT NOT THE WATERLOO VOR CAN BE SEEN. THE NE CORRIDOR MAP ALSO DOES NOT SHOW OCEAN CITY, MD, THEREFORE, THERE'S NO MAP WHICH SHOWS BOTH THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE 2 VORS AND THE ARPT. CLRLY, THE APPROPRIATE CHOICE WAS TO ASK FOR VECTOR FOR THE VOR APCH OR FOR THE LOC APCH, OR TO ANNOUNCE THE FULL APCH MYSELF UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES WITHOUT DSNDING.

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.