Eight percent of 230 respondents to a recent AINonline survey admitted they would descend below instrument landing minimums without having visual contact with the runway in a non-emergency situation. The majority of these (6 percent) said they would do this only at airfields where they believed they knew the local terrain and obstacles.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said they would descend below minimums in an emergency only, while 28 percent said they would never bust minimums. 

The survey question asked, "When do you consider it OK to fly below minimums on an instrument approach without having visual contact with the runway environment?"