Small aircraft pilot flies above cloud deck. Needs flight assist to descend.

Attributes
ACN	238012
Time
Date	199303
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gon
State Reference	CT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3500 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : bdl tower : gon artcc : zfw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 31 flight time total : 350 flight time type : 31
ASRS Report	238012
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was on my way home from fl. I spent the night in GA. Near new york city, on my way to danielson, ct, I had to climb over a low deck. I called groton, ct, tower for assistance, was handed off to bdl approach for flight assist to descend IMC to bdl. An update on WX en route would have prevented this. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states he was over the ocean but could see through clouds. Listening to ATIS from airports along route. WX began to deteriorate and became solid. At that time he deemed it unwise to turn back. When he contacted groton tower they turned him over to approach control #1. He was later turned over to approach #2 who gave him assist through IMC and to landing. He had no instrument experience so approach must have had quite a job getting him down. Reporter comment reference update WX information is correct and should have happened.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT FLIES ABOVE CLOUD DECK. NEEDS FLT ASSIST TO DSND.

Narrative: I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM FL. I SPENT THE NIGHT IN GA. NEAR NEW YORK CITY, ON MY WAY TO DANIELSON, CT, I HAD TO CLB OVER A LOW DECK. I CALLED GROTON, CT, TWR FOR ASSISTANCE, WAS HANDED OFF TO BDL APCH FOR FLT ASSIST TO DSND IMC TO BDL. AN UPDATE ON WX ENRTE WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS OVER THE OCEAN BUT COULD SEE THROUGH CLOUDS. LISTENING TO ATIS FROM ARPTS ALONG RTE. WX BEGAN TO DETERIORATE AND BECAME SOLID. AT THAT TIME HE DEEMED IT UNWISE TO TURN BACK. WHEN HE CONTACTED GROTON TWR THEY TURNED HIM OVER TO APCH CTL #1. HE WAS LATER TURNED OVER TO APCH #2 WHO GAVE HIM ASSIST THROUGH IMC AND TO LNDG. HE HAD NO INST EXPERIENCE SO APCH MUST HAVE HAD QUITE A JOB GETTING HIM DOWN. RPTR COMMENT REF UPDATE WX INFO IS CORRECT AND SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

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.