Narrative:

We were on an IFR flight plan from gjt and cleared to cross tomsn at and maintain 17000 ft. Passenger, an ATC and friend and I, were approximately 10-15 mi out from intersection T when I saw a rain cell cumulus cloud over intersection tomsn. I asked passenger to ask for a 10 degree deviation to the right. ZDV said ' unable, you can turn to the left.' I said 'no, that would put us right in the middle of that cell.' he said 'ok.' passenger said 'you can cancel IFR when you get below FL180.' I said 'tell him we'll cancel IFR.' I cancelled IFR and the controller never said a word about flight following into bjc -- that was our destination. All the controller said was 'squawk 1200.' no request for us to have flight following into jeffco or no advisory that VFR flight into jeffco was not allowed. Not once was there any mention about a tfr being active over bjc. I had received information, during the IFR briefing at grand junction, on the 30 NM radius tfr around the denver VOR. I was fully aware of the situation, until we were not allowed to deviate around the storm cell over intersection tomsn. This is when we decided to request VFR to jeffco airport. We could clearly see the field from our position and thought it would alleviate the workload on the controller. The controller not recommending VFR flight following or alerting us to the still active tfr, led us to believe our intentions would cause no harm and the tfr was cancelled. Upon reaching the flat iron mountains, I called jeffco tower and informed them I was inbound for landing. The tower immediately answered to stay clear of the denver area and call approach control. I immediately turned hard to the north, and called approach control. They responded that I needed to file a flight plan with flight service before we could go into jeffco. I did so, while proceeding northwest to the continental divide. They also told me to call TRACON after landing. I called denver FSS and received the VFR flight plan and was told to call approach for radar identify. Approach gave me a squawk and reported me in radar contact and cleared me direct to bjc. Upon landing, the tower told me to give them a phone call. I talked with the tower manager. After calling the tower, I called TRACON. They said there might be a possible incursion.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A POSSIBLE INCURSION INTO AND NON COMPLIANCE WITH PROC FOR A TFR IN THE DENVER AREA AFTER CANCELING AN IFR FLT PLAN TO AVOID WX.

Narrative: WE WERE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM GJT AND CLRED TO CROSS TOMSN AT AND MAINTAIN 17000 FT. PAX, AN ATC AND FRIEND AND I, WERE APPROX 10-15 MI OUT FROM INTXN T WHEN I SAW A RAIN CELL CUMULUS CLOUD OVER INTXN TOMSN. I ASKED PAX TO ASK FOR A 10 DEG DEV TO THE R. ZDV SAID ' UNABLE, YOU CAN TURN TO THE L.' I SAID 'NO, THAT WOULD PUT US RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT CELL.' HE SAID 'OK.' PAX SAID 'YOU CAN CANCEL IFR WHEN YOU GET BELOW FL180.' I SAID 'TELL HIM WE'LL CANCEL IFR.' I CANCELLED IFR AND THE CTLR NEVER SAID A WORD ABOUT FLT FOLLOWING INTO BJC -- THAT WAS OUR DEST. ALL THE CTLR SAID WAS 'SQUAWK 1200.' NO REQUEST FOR US TO HAVE FLT FOLLOWING INTO JEFFCO OR NO ADVISORY THAT VFR FLT INTO JEFFCO WAS NOT ALLOWED. NOT ONCE WAS THERE ANY MENTION ABOUT A TFR BEING ACTIVE OVER BJC. I HAD RECEIVED INFO, DURING THE IFR BRIEFING AT GRAND JUNCTION, ON THE 30 NM RADIUS TFR AROUND THE DENVER VOR. I WAS FULLY AWARE OF THE SIT, UNTIL WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DEVIATE AROUND THE STORM CELL OVER INTXN TOMSN. THIS IS WHEN WE DECIDED TO REQUEST VFR TO JEFFCO ARPT. WE COULD CLRLY SEE THE FIELD FROM OUR POS AND THOUGHT IT WOULD ALLEVIATE THE WORKLOAD ON THE CTLR. THE CTLR NOT RECOMMENDING VFR FLT FOLLOWING OR ALERTING US TO THE STILL ACTIVE TFR, LED US TO BELIEVE OUR INTENTIONS WOULD CAUSE NO HARM AND THE TFR WAS CANCELLED. UPON REACHING THE FLAT IRON MOUNTAINS, I CALLED JEFFCO TWR AND INFORMED THEM I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG. THE TWR IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED TO STAY CLR OF THE DENVER AREA AND CALL APCH CTL. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED HARD TO THE N, AND CALLED APCH CTL. THEY RESPONDED THAT I NEEDED TO FILE A FLT PLAN WITH FLT SVC BEFORE WE COULD GO INTO JEFFCO. I DID SO, WHILE PROCEEDING NW TO THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE. THEY ALSO TOLD ME TO CALL TRACON AFTER LNDG. I CALLED DENVER FSS AND RECEIVED THE VFR FLT PLAN AND WAS TOLD TO CALL APCH FOR RADAR IDENT. APCH GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND RPTED ME IN RADAR CONTACT AND CLRED ME DIRECT TO BJC. UPON LNDG, THE TWR TOLD ME TO GIVE THEM A PHONE CALL. I TALKED WITH THE TWR MGR. AFTER CALLING THE TWR, I CALLED TRACON. THEY SAID THERE MIGHT BE A POSSIBLE INCURSION.

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.