Narrative:

I was inbound, expecting to shoot the ILS, based on the ASOS report of 800 ft broken, 10 mi visibility. About 10 or 12 mi out, while descending through 3000 ft MSL in cavu conditions, I made visual contact with the runway, canceled IFR, proceeded inbound, and landed without incident. The WX conditions during my descent were clear, with clear to scattered clouds at 800 ft near the approach end of one of the runways to the east. The ILS runway was a perpendicular runway, at the west end of the airport, and its approach end was to the south. During my approach and landing, I could see that the west end of the airport was beneath a lower ceiling of 500-800 ft overcast. Upon landing, I realized that the ASOS report should have been the controling factor in my decision making, regardless of how the WX conditions appeared from my vantage point, because the airport is located within class east surface airspace. Factors that contributed to my poor decision were a lack of nutrition, partial heat exhaustion, and dehydration. Other factors included the nature of the trips. This flight was the 5TH leg of a 7 stop, 13 1/2 hour duty day. My customers promised of no more than 1 hour wait between stops, but the customers were 1 - 1 1/2 hours late, and spent a lot of extra time between stops. This 'hurry-up-and-wait' schedule failed to provide me with an opportunity to take an adequate break, and find decent food. My failure to perform at optimum capacity contributed to my poor decision of ignoring the reported WX, and thinking that I can simply proceed visually.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C414 PLT CANCELED HIS IFR CLRNC THEN BUSTED MINIMUMS WITH A VISUAL APCH.

Narrative: I WAS INBOUND, EXPECTING TO SHOOT THE ILS, BASED ON THE ASOS RPT OF 800 FT BROKEN, 10 MI VISIBILITY. ABOUT 10 OR 12 MI OUT, WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 3000 FT MSL IN CAVU CONDITIONS, I MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY, CANCELED IFR, PROCEEDED INBOUND, AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE WX CONDITIONS DURING MY DSCNT WERE CLR, WITH CLR TO SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 800 FT NEAR THE APCH END OF ONE OF THE RWYS TO THE E. THE ILS RWY WAS A PERPENDICULAR RWY, AT THE W END OF THE ARPT, AND ITS APCH END WAS TO THE S. DURING MY APCH AND LNDG, I COULD SEE THAT THE W END OF THE ARPT WAS BENEATH A LOWER CEILING OF 500-800 FT OVCST. UPON LNDG, I REALIZED THAT THE ASOS RPT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE CTLING FACTOR IN MY DECISION MAKING, REGARDLESS OF HOW THE WX CONDITIONS APPEARED FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, BECAUSE THE ARPT IS LOCATED WITHIN CLASS E SURFACE AIRSPACE. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO MY POOR DECISION WERE A LACK OF NUTRITION, PARTIAL HEAT EXHAUSTION, AND DEHYDRATION. OTHER FACTORS INCLUDED THE NATURE OF THE TRIPS. THIS FLT WAS THE 5TH LEG OF A 7 STOP, 13 1/2 HR DUTY DAY. MY CUSTOMERS PROMISED OF NO MORE THAN 1 HR WAIT BTWN STOPS, BUT THE CUSTOMERS WERE 1 - 1 1/2 HRS LATE, AND SPENT A LOT OF EXTRA TIME BTWN STOPS. THIS 'HURRY-UP-AND-WAIT' SCHEDULE FAILED TO PROVIDE ME WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE AN ADEQUATE BREAK, AND FIND DECENT FOOD. MY FAILURE TO PERFORM AT OPTIMUM CAPACITY CONTRIBUTED TO MY POOR DECISION OF IGNORING THE RPTED WX, AND THINKING THAT I CAN SIMPLY PROCEED VISUALLY.

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.