"Roy Smith" wrote in message
...

What would you do in this situation? You're on the GPS-22 into
Ellenville,
NY (http://204.108.4.16/d-tpp/0508/09390G22.PDF), planning to land
straight-in. Note the high MDA (1800 AGL). There's no weather reporting
at your destination, but several nearby airports are saying anywhere from
2-1/2 to 4 mile visibility. For the sake of argument, assume it's 2-1/2
miles where you are. There's scattered CU at about 4000, but you're below
that already. It's daytime, winds are light out of the south.

You're 2 miles from YARNN at the MDA and have good ground contact ahead
and
to both sides. You can also see the ridgeline east of the final approach
course which is represented by the 1850 elevation marker. What you don't
see is the runway, or any of the other things called out in 91.175(c)(3).
You know from experience that this is a difficult airport to spot even in
good VFR because it blends in with the surrounding terrain.

You were cleared for the approach at Kingston VOR, and are long out of
radar and radio contact with ATC.

If you stay at the MDA (as 91.175(c) requires), it's unlikely you will
ever
see the runway, as it will quickly disappear under the nose of the
airplane. Your GPS is providing you VNAV guidance, and you are already
above the synthetic glide slope. You're well above the minimums for a
contact approach, but since you're out of radio contact, you can't ask for
one; your current clearance is for the GPS-22. Continuing your descent
below the MDA, but staying above the VNAV glideslope it technically not
legal, but seems like a "no harm, no foul" kind of violation.


A contact approach isn't available anyway as there is no weather reporting.