Narrative:

While making an ILS approach into the manhattan airport (mhk), I had just begun to make visual contact with the high intensity runway lights. During the approach, I was making traffic calls on the CTAF frequency. ZKC advised no other traffic in the area, no other airplanes were using the local frequency. I broke out of IMC at about 500 ft AGL and slightly right of the centerline. I made a local CTAF call on a 2 mi final. I observed no traffic. My attention was inside the cockpit for 5-10 seconds completing the final landing checklist. When I returned my attention to 'outside,' I observed an airplane back-taxiing on runway 3. The airplane was not making any local radio calls. Not wanting to overfly the airplane or land long on the 7000 ft runway which had some snow on it, I added power and flew over the median between the runway and taxiway. I entered right traffic for runway 3 (which is required by local conditions). I saw the airplane depart runway 3 and enter IMC. My problem: I should have not entered the local traffic pattern at 500 ft AGL. 500 ft AGL is below circle-to-land minimums. I did so knowing the local area very well (I did most of my training at mhk). I should have completed the missed approach procedure. (Which might not have helped considering the departing airplane entered IMC without a clearance). I landed without incident and canceled my IFR flight plan.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT TAKES EVASIVE ACTION ON ILS APCH, THEN CIRCLES TO LAND BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative: WHILE MAKING AN ILS APCH INTO THE MANHATTAN ARPT (MHK), I HAD JUST BEGUN TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE HIGH INTENSITY RWY LIGHTS. DURING THE APCH, I WAS MAKING TFC CALLS ON THE CTAF FREQ. ZKC ADVISED NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA, NO OTHER AIRPLANES WERE USING THE LCL FREQ. I BROKE OUT OF IMC AT ABOUT 500 FT AGL AND SLIGHTLY R OF THE CTRLINE. I MADE A LCL CTAF CALL ON A 2 MI FINAL. I OBSERVED NO TFC. MY ATTN WAS INSIDE THE COCKPIT FOR 5-10 SECONDS COMPLETING THE FINAL LNDG CHKLIST. WHEN I RETURNED MY ATTN TO 'OUTSIDE,' I OBSERVED AN AIRPLANE BACK-TAXIING ON RWY 3. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT MAKING ANY LCL RADIO CALLS. NOT WANTING TO OVERFLY THE AIRPLANE OR LAND LONG ON THE 7000 FT RWY WHICH HAD SOME SNOW ON IT, I ADDED PWR AND FLEW OVER THE MEDIAN BTWN THE RWY AND TXWY. I ENTERED R TFC FOR RWY 3 (WHICH IS REQUIRED BY LCL CONDITIONS). I SAW THE AIRPLANE DEPART RWY 3 AND ENTER IMC. MY PROB: I SHOULD HAVE NOT ENTERED THE LCL TFC PATTERN AT 500 FT AGL. 500 FT AGL IS BELOW CIRCLE-TO-LAND MINIMUMS. I DID SO KNOWING THE LCL AREA VERY WELL (I DID MOST OF MY TRAINING AT MHK). I SHOULD HAVE COMPLETED THE MISSED APCH PROC. (WHICH MIGHT NOT HAVE HELPED CONSIDERING THE DEPARTING AIRPLANE ENTERED IMC WITHOUT A CLRNC). I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AND CANCELED MY IFR FLT PLAN.

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.