Narrative:

I was approximately 2 hours 3 mins out of fort pierce, fl, en route to stella maris, long island, bahamas. I was on a pleasure flight with my wife, the only other person aboard. I had been in solid IMC for about the past hour, navigating on the NDB - defined airway A555 at 7000 ft MSL. I had been in 2-WAY radio communication with ZMA who then handed me off to nassau approach. Nearing my destination, I wished to get below the clouds into VMC in order to make my approach and landing at stella maris, which is an uncontrolled field without instrument approach procedure. Communication with nassau was garbled, but I transmitted to nassau that I was going to begin my descent. Since I received no reply from nassau, in reality what I did was to leave an assigned altitude without ATC authorization. When I reached 1500 MSL I was in VMC. At this point nassau came back on the air over my receiver informing me that ZMA had told them (nassau) that I could not vacate my 700 ft altitude without ZMA's authorization. By this time I had established contact with stella maris on their advisory frequency and established that an approach and landing there could be safely made. Thereupon, I called nassau approach, who informed me that ZMA had an amended clearance for me. I replied to nassau that I was closing (i.e., canceling) my IFR flight plan. I then landed at stella maris without further incident. I believe my descent without proper clearance was an error due to stress aggravated by inadequate radio communication facilities in the bahamas. I believe that had I been able to communicate solely with ZMA without being handed over to nassau approach, whose intelligibility was marginal, this incident would not have occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL PVT ACFT DSNDED BEFORE CLRED TO DO SO DUE LACK OF COM CLARITY.

Narrative: I WAS APPROX 2 HRS 3 MINS OUT OF FORT PIERCE, FL, ENRTE TO STELLA MARIS, LONG ISLAND, BAHAMAS. I WAS ON A PLEASURE FLT WITH MY WIFE, THE ONLY OTHER PERSON ABOARD. I HAD BEEN IN SOLID IMC FOR ABOUT THE PAST HR, NAVING ON THE NDB - DEFINED AIRWAY A555 AT 7000 FT MSL. I HAD BEEN IN 2-WAY RADIO COM WITH ZMA WHO THEN HANDED ME OFF TO NASSAU APCH. NEARING MY DEST, I WISHED TO GET BELOW THE CLOUDS INTO VMC IN ORDER TO MAKE MY APCH AND LNDG AT STELLA MARIS, WHICH IS AN UNCTLED FIELD WITHOUT INST APCH PROC. COM WITH NASSAU WAS GARBLED, BUT I XMITTED TO NASSAU THAT I WAS GOING TO BEGIN MY DSCNT. SINCE I RECEIVED NO REPLY FROM NASSAU, IN REALITY WHAT I DID WAS TO LEAVE AN ASSIGNED ALT WITHOUT ATC AUTHORIZATION. WHEN I REACHED 1500 MSL I WAS IN VMC. AT THIS POINT NASSAU CAME BACK ON THE AIR OVER MY RECEIVER INFORMING ME THAT ZMA HAD TOLD THEM (NASSAU) THAT I COULD NOT VACATE MY 700 FT ALT WITHOUT ZMA'S AUTHORIZATION. BY THIS TIME I HAD ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH STELLA MARIS ON THEIR ADVISORY FREQ AND ESTABLISHED THAT AN APCH AND LNDG THERE COULD BE SAFELY MADE. THEREUPON, I CALLED NASSAU APCH, WHO INFORMED ME THAT ZMA HAD AN AMENDED CLRNC FOR ME. I REPLIED TO NASSAU THAT I WAS CLOSING (I.E., CANCELING) MY IFR FLT PLAN. I THEN LANDED AT STELLA MARIS WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I BELIEVE MY DSCNT WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC WAS AN ERROR DUE TO STRESS AGGRAVATED BY INADEQUATE RADIO COM FACILITIES IN THE BAHAMAS. I BELIEVE THAT HAD I BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE SOLELY WITH ZMA WITHOUT BEING HANDED OVER TO NASSAU APCH, WHOSE INTELLIGIBILITY WAS MARGINAL, THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.