Flight following denied to night VFR aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	299040
Time
Date	199503
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mia
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7500 msl bound upper : 7500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mia
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
ASRS Report	299040
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I departed X20 about PM30 local and climbed to 7500 ft VFR to sua. I contacted FSS and was given the frequency for flight. Following, I received my squawk code and proceeded on course. As I approached the miami VOR, I noticed the cloud layer becoming overcast and rising slightly. Not wanting to be trapped on top, I started circling over a hole and called approach for lower. After many attempts, I was given a new squawk code and told to descend (I was not cleared into the class B airspace). At 5500 ft, I believed the cloud layer was still blocking my path so I requested, many times, a lower altitude. Finally, in a hurried voice, I was given 'flight following no longer available squawk VFR' or something similar. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is an instructor for a flight school in florida, he was able to turn around and continue to his home base VFR. He was upset with the treatment given him by mia TRACON. He now believes that he was not inside the class 'B' airspace, just on the edge of it. As this was at night, he was unable to determine how close he was to the clouds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT FOLLOWING DENIED TO NIGHT VFR ACFT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED X20 ABOUT PM30 LCL AND CLBED TO 7500 FT VFR TO SUA. I CONTACTED FSS AND WAS GIVEN THE FREQ FOR FLT. FOLLOWING, I RECEIVED MY SQUAWK CODE AND PROCEEDED ON COURSE. AS I APCHED THE MIAMI VOR, I NOTICED THE CLOUD LAYER BECOMING OVCST AND RISING SLIGHTLY. NOT WANTING TO BE TRAPPED ON TOP, I STARTED CIRCLING OVER A HOLE AND CALLED APCH FOR LOWER. AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS, I WAS GIVEN A NEW SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD TO DSND (I WAS NOT CLRED INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE). AT 5500 FT, I BELIEVED THE CLOUD LAYER WAS STILL BLOCKING MY PATH SO I REQUESTED, MANY TIMES, A LOWER ALT. FINALLY, IN A HURRIED VOICE, I WAS GIVEN 'FLT FOLLOWING NO LONGER AVAILABLE SQUAWK VFR' OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS AN INSTRUCTOR FOR A FLT SCHOOL IN FLORIDA, HE WAS ABLE TO TURN AROUND AND CONTINUE TO HIS HOME BASE VFR. HE WAS UPSET WITH THE TREATMENT GIVEN HIM BY MIA TRACON. HE NOW BELIEVES THAT HE WAS NOT INSIDE THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE, JUST ON THE EDGE OF IT. AS THIS WAS AT NIGHT, HE WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE HOW CLOSE HE WAS TO THE CLOUDS.

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.