MLG HAS CONFLICT WITH SMA THAT WAS DESCENDING VFR IN IMC.
Synopsis
MLG HAS CONFLICT WITH SMA THAT WAS DESCENDING VFR IN IMC.
Narrative
WE WERE FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VFR CONDITIONS ABOVE AN OVERCAST INTO LIHUE ARPT. ZHN GAVE US TFC AT 12-1 O'CLOCK; 7-8 MI; SAME DIRECTION; ON V15 AT 6500'; OUR CLRNC WAS DIRECT LIH VOR (WE WERE BTWN V16 AND V15) AND DSNDING THROUGH 12000'; 40 MI E OF LIH. THE TFC WAS IDENTED AS AN SMA. AS WE GOT CLOSER; TFC WAS ALSO DSNDING; CENTER ASKED OUR TFC HIS ALT; HE RPTED 5700'. CENTER ASKED HIM IF HE WAS VFR. NO ANSWER. CENTER REPEATED REQUESTED FLT CONDITIONS AND ANSWER FROM SMA WAS; 'WE JUST FOUND A HOLE.' CENTER ASKED HIS ALT HE SAID 5300'; CENTER REQUESTED THAT WE LEVEL OFF AT 6000'. WE HAD ALREADY PASSED 6000' AND LEVELED OFF AT 5500'. (WE ENTERED CLOUDS AT 7000' AND WERE NON IMC.) TFC AGAIN WAS GIVEN TO US AT 12-1 O'CLOCK LESS THEN A MILE. WE RPTED NO CONTACT AND THAT WE WERE IFR. BTWN 20 AND 15 MI E OF LIH; WE WERE NOW PAST THE TFC AND PROCEEDED INTO LIH VFR. WE CANNOT PROVE THAT THE SMA WAS NOT VFR; BUT THE CONCERN BY CENTER AND RESPONSES BY THE SMA MADE US FEEL THAT HE WAS NOT VFR.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.