Super King Air 200
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 80; Flight Crew Total 520; Flight Crew Type 20
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Weather
A case of 'get-there-itis' at its not-so-finest; I'm a right-seat pilot on Part 135 Charter flights; operating a King Air B200 with a G1000 FMS; TAS; and TAWS. By no means should this equipment give my Captain the excuse to punch through what he calls 'holes' in cloud layers and scud run to get to our destination. We were originally IFR to [destination]; but the reported ceilings weren't going to allow us to make it in. The Captain spots a 'hole' about 10 miles south -- a 'hole' that is no more than 500 FT wide; is butting up against the hills to the west with ocean at the east; and a highway  directly beneath (the route of low level traffic watch operations) -- and tells me to cancel IFR. He then proceeded to dive down through this 'hole' at around 3;000 FPM; with TAWS yelling at us to 'pull up.' All the while; I'm sitting there telling him (a 12;000 plus hour pilot) this isn't a good idea; in a more or less obvious fashion. We ended up skimming the edge and entering the thin layer of clouds briefly; and then skud running at 500 FT AGL with IFR traffic above and power lines below. With my experience; I know how badly this could have gone; with his experience (7;000 in type; familiar with the area) he was complacent doing this to get the job done. He runs a very tight ship and I trust his judgment; but this time I was just not comfortable with the situation and I couldn't do anything about it.
BE20 First Officer questioned an experienced Captain's decision to cancel IFR; operate the aircraft in a less than professional manner; and violate VFR cloud clearance criteria apparently motivated by a case of 'get-there-itis.'