Narrative:

The flight started on an IFR flight plan. 8 mi southeast of our destination, new york approach cleared us for a visual approach for runway 20. The first officer descended out of 2000 ft for a pattern altitude of 1500 ft. 5 mi southeast of the airport, approach control gave us a vector to sequence IFR traffic. Approach control did not cancel our visual approach. At this point, I canceled the IFR flight plan so that we could continue directly to the airport. I made 4 attempts to contact new haven tower. The frequency was busy and I think some of my xmissions were blocked. As the first officer was preparing to enter downwind for runway 20, the tower asked us to report left downwind, which we subsequently did. The tower told us that we were #2 for landing behind a tomahawk which was on a left base. As we passed the numbers of runway 20, I noticed a cherokee passing right to left about 500 ft below us and 1/2 mi ahead. I asked the tower about the cherokee and was told that it was now our traffic to follow. The tower apologized for forgetting about the cherokee. After landing, I asked ground control if approach control had called to inform them of our cancellation from IFR to VFR. The controller told me that approach may have called, but since the tower was so busy that they may not have heard the call. While I do not believe I did anything wrong, I unknowingly entered a hornet's next. I will certainly think twice about canceling in the future. I got the impression that the tower was not ready for us. Also, the mix of aircraft types, pilot and controller experience levels made for an interesting situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT CANCELS IFR BUT UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR. WHEN TWR RESPONDS CONFUSION REGARDING OTHER TFC.

Narrative: THE FLT STARTED ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. 8 MI SE OF OUR DEST, NEW YORK APCH CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH FOR RWY 20. THE FO DSNDED OUT OF 2000 FT FOR A PATTERN ALT OF 1500 FT. 5 MI SE OF THE ARPT, APCH CTL GAVE US A VECTOR TO SEQUENCE IFR TFC. APCH CTL DID NOT CANCEL OUR VISUAL APCH. AT THIS POINT, I CANCELED THE IFR FLT PLAN SO THAT WE COULD CONTINUE DIRECTLY TO THE ARPT. I MADE 4 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT NEW HAVEN TWR. THE FREQ WAS BUSY AND I THINK SOME OF MY XMISSIONS WERE BLOCKED. AS THE FO WAS PREPARING TO ENTER DOWNWIND FOR RWY 20, THE TWR ASKED US TO RPT L DOWNWIND, WHICH WE SUBSEQUENTLY DID. THE TWR TOLD US THAT WE WERE #2 FOR LNDG BEHIND A TOMAHAWK WHICH WAS ON A L BASE. AS WE PASSED THE NUMBERS OF RWY 20, I NOTICED A CHEROKEE PASSING R TO L ABOUT 500 FT BELOW US AND 1/2 MI AHEAD. I ASKED THE TWR ABOUT THE CHEROKEE AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOW OUR TFC TO FOLLOW. THE TWR APOLOGIZED FOR FORGETTING ABOUT THE CHEROKEE. AFTER LNDG, I ASKED GND CTL IF APCH CTL HAD CALLED TO INFORM THEM OF OUR CANCELLATION FROM IFR TO VFR. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT APCH MAY HAVE CALLED, BUT SINCE THE TWR WAS SO BUSY THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE HEARD THE CALL. WHILE I DO NOT BELIEVE I DID ANYTHING WRONG, I UNKNOWINGLY ENTERED A HORNET'S NEXT. I WILL CERTAINLY THINK TWICE ABOUT CANCELING IN THE FUTURE. I GOT THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TWR WAS NOT READY FOR US. ALSO, THE MIX OF ACFT TYPES, PLT AND CTLR EXPERIENCE LEVELS MADE FOR AN INTERESTING SIT.

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.