Narrative:

It was VMC with clouds scattered at about 2200 ft. I was cleared the visual approach into ZZZ by approach control. I was instructed to inform him when I had the airport in sight. I was cleared down to 2200 ft and then 1500 ft. I did not have the airport in sight until right over the airfield. I was flying a southerly heading about 190-210 degrees. There were numerous aircraft in the traffic pattern. I switched over to CTAF without permission from approach and had not cancelled my IFR due to the numerous scattered clouds over the field. I did not feel it was safe to be at that altitude over the field due to numerous aircraft in the pattern. I climbed to 2500 ft to avoid the entire traffic pattern and to get my situational awareness as to what was going on in the traffic pattern. There was also another aircraft inbound to the airport with which I did not have visual contact. I entered the traffic pattern on a 45 degree left downwind; base; final for runway 11 and landed without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SR22 PLT FAILED TO CANCEL IFR WITH TRACON FOLLOWING AN INST APCH INTO A CONGESTED CTAF ARPT BEFORE HE SWITCHED TO THE CTAF FREQ FOR TFC.

Narrative: IT WAS VMC WITH CLOUDS SCATTERED AT ABOUT 2200 FT. I WAS CLRED THE VISUAL APCH INTO ZZZ BY APCH CTL. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO INFORM HIM WHEN I HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. I WAS CLRED DOWN TO 2200 FT AND THEN 1500 FT. I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT UNTIL RIGHT OVER THE AIRFIELD. I WAS FLYING A SOUTHERLY HDG ABOUT 190-210 DEGS. THERE WERE NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN. I SWITCHED OVER TO CTAF WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM APCH AND HAD NOT CANCELLED MY IFR DUE TO THE NUMEROUS SCATTERED CLOUDS OVER THE FIELD. I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO BE AT THAT ALT OVER THE FIELD DUE TO NUMEROUS ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I CLBED TO 2500 FT TO AVOID THE ENTIRE TFC PATTERN AND TO GET MY SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AS TO WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE TFC PATTERN. THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER ACFT INBOUND TO THE ARPT WITH WHICH I DID NOT HAVE VISUAL CONTACT. I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN ON A 45 DEG L DOWNWIND; BASE; FINAL FOR RWY 11 AND LANDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.