BE35 enters IMC shortly after canceling IFR flight plan near mvy.

Attributes
ACN	447542
Time
Date	199908
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mvy.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mvy.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	447542
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight from 6b6 to mvy on IFR plan. Upon arrival at mvy VOR at 5000 ft, airport went VFR and aircraft VMC. Reported clouds were 700 ft scattered. Canceled IFR and told approach and tower that we were going to nearby katama airport. Descended until below clouds to the east of cape page and proceeded south down the shoreline over the water. The clouds sloped downward and to remain clear of the clouds I continued my descent to 300 ft asl. At this point, a safe landing was questionable, so I climbed through the thin layer (about 500 ft asl to 1500 ft asl) until clear above the clouds. I then called in to mvy tower and was given permission to enter the pattern and land, uneventfully.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 ENTERS IMC SHORTLY AFTER CANCELING IFR FLT PLAN NEAR MVY.

Narrative: FLT FROM 6B6 TO MVY ON IFR PLAN. UPON ARR AT MVY VOR AT 5000 FT, ARPT WENT VFR AND ACFT VMC. RPTED CLOUDS WERE 700 FT SCATTERED. CANCELED IFR AND TOLD APCH AND TWR THAT WE WERE GOING TO NEARBY KATAMA ARPT. DSNDED UNTIL BELOW CLOUDS TO THE E OF CAPE PAGE AND PROCEEDED S DOWN THE SHORELINE OVER THE WATER. THE CLOUDS SLOPED DOWNWARD AND TO REMAIN CLR OF THE CLOUDS I CONTINUED MY DSCNT TO 300 FT ASL. AT THIS POINT, A SAFE LNDG WAS QUESTIONABLE, SO I CLBED THROUGH THE THIN LAYER (ABOUT 500 FT ASL TO 1500 FT ASL) UNTIL CLR ABOVE THE CLOUDS. I THEN CALLED IN TO MVY TWR AND WAS GIVEN PERMISSION TO ENTER THE PATTERN AND LAND, UNEVENTFULLY.

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.