AN ATX SMT MADE A VISUAL APCH BEFORE IT RECEIVED ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF ITS IFR CANCELLATION.

Narrative

PROB AROSE THROUGH LACK OF COM; DECISION TO DEPART WITHOUT TAKING ON MORE FUEL CAPT UNFAMILIAR WITH IFR OPERATING RULES. DEPARTED ALB WITH FUEL TO GET TO 1B1 (27 NM S) PLUS RESERVES; WITH INTENTIONS OF CANCELLING IFR ENRTE. ALBANY VECTORED US 20 NM W; THEN 10 NM S OF 1B1 USING MORE FUEL THAN EXPECTED. WE WERE GIVING HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS OVER PFH BEACON WHICH WOULD HAVE DEPLETED OUR FUEL. HOLD WAS DUE TO ACFT DEPARTING A LCL UNCTLED ARPT. WE ASKED AND RECEIVED A VECTOR N (LOWER MVA) AND DSCNT TO 2000 FT MSL WITH INTENTIONS FOR VISUAL. CAPT SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS RWY AND BEGAN DSCNT WITHOUT APCH CLRNC. AT 1000 FT; ALB ASKED OUR INTENTIONS BUT CAPT DID NOT WANT TO CANCEL IFR -- GIVEN IMMEDIATE CLB TO 2600 FT; DIRECT PFH. CAPT NEVER WENT ABOVE 1300 FT IN CLB. PERCEPTIONS CLOUDED BY NOISE AND LACK OF COM WITHIN NOISY SMT. FACTORS AFFECTING DECISION: ALBANY REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE IFR CANCELLATIONS; REQUESTS FOR LOWER PLUS MORE DIRECT ROUTING. WITH MORE FUEL WE WOULD HAVE JUST HELD AT PFH AND THEN EXECUTED NDB APCH. AWOS -- 600 SCATTERED 1500 SCATTERED 3000 OVCST 3 NM VISIBILITY WIND CALM.