HELI FLC DEST WAS A HELIPORT IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN. WHEN UNDER LGA APCH CTLR; FLC REQUESTED CANCELLATION OF IFR AND CTLR ADVISES THEM THAT THE LGA CEILING IS 800 FT. IFR WAS CANCELED AND FLC DSNDED FOR LNDG AT THE HELIPORT.

Narrative

WHILE IN LEVEL FLT AT 4000 FT ON AN IFR CLRNC (RADAR VECTORS HFD V229 BDR V475 LGA DIRECT JRA) WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT APCH ON 120.8. UPON INITIAL CONTACT (APPROX 13 MI SW BDR) I REQUESTED TO 'CANCEL IFR; DSCNT 1500 FT; DIRECT KINGS POINT' (A VFR CHKPOINT). THE CTLR REPLIED WITH THE LGA WX (WHICH WOULD HAVE REQUIRED AN SVFR CLRNC FROM THE CBA CTLR). I REPEATED MY REQUEST AND ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE HAD RECEIVED ATIS INFO. THE CTLR QUICKLY RETORTED THAT ATIS INFO WAS NOT CORRECT AS LGA WAS 800 FT OVCST. THIS WAS ERRONEOUS AS THE ATIS INFO BROADCAST 800 FT OVCST AND WAS EXACTLY WHAT THE CTLR HAD READ OVER FREQ. WE INITIATED A DSCNT AS THE CTLR ANNOUNCED THE CANCELLATION AT 'XA05Z AND TO DSND UNDER VFR....' AT THIS POINT THE CTLR RECOGNIZED OUR DSCNT TO 3700 FT AND MADE A COMMENT THAT I CANNOT RECALL; AND WAS AT LEAST; UNCLR. WE CONTINUED THE DSCNT TO 1500 FT AND WERE SWITCHED TO LGA CBA (126.05) AND RECEIVED AN SVFR CLRNC. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE CTLR WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY OUR CANCELLATION REQUEST SINCE LGA WAS 800 FT OVCST. THE CTLR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT WAS NONSTANDARD AND CONFUSING AND WAS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY OUR DSCNT AS REQUESTED.