Narrative:

I had the misfortune to encounter a very intimidating controller. I was en route to northhampton airport from an eastern massachusetts airport where the WX was cavu. I had called the FSS for terminal information at my destination airport and was told there would be fog, but would likely burn off by the time I was to arrive. The trip was planned to avoid having to deal with fog. Within 10 mi of my destination, ground fog began appearing. The fog extended to my destination airport. As I flew over the airport, I called the FBO on the CTAF and was told the ht of the overcast was estimated to be about 1100 ft. The incident began when I made a request for a VOR/DME B approach to the airport. The controller acknowledged the request and gave me a transponder code, an altitude, and a heading. He then had me turn toward the airport which I accepted as vector to intercept the approach course. I am very unclr as to the specific communication from this point but I do remember the permission to switch frequency. I began my descent but when I got near to the mdh, the fog layer was still below me. At this point I began a climb out and announced a missed approach. The controller was obviously surprised with my announcement. It was at this point he became intimidating. As an aside, I do not handle confrontation well. I don't remember all the details, but there was a strong reference to maintaining VFR, which by default, I had done. I requested an ILS approach to westfield airport. He snapped back with 'did I realize westfield was IFR, was I instrument qualified and current, did I have ATIS?' I responded in the affirmative. He broke in with, 'give me the pilot's name, home base, number of persons, and the fuel on board.' I answered, but he again asked me for the same information which I again gave him. It was clear he was very annoyed. Before I could say much more, he had me switch to tower and I landed without incident. I was very upset with the situation. I was upset with the way the controller handled me. I personally intend to do things correctly and have thought through this incident a number of times. I now realize that I triggered the situation by not stating that I wanted an 'IFR' approach to northhampton. That omission obviously gives the controller very different information from that of simply wanting to be directed to an airport. I was at fault. I have been strongly reminded of the need to clearly state and listen for certain key words and phrases. However, I would have appreciated a more courteous response from the controller. Becoming confrontational is certainly not professional and leads to further miscom and, perhaps, more serious conclusions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PVT PLT ATTEMPTS AN IFR APCH TO 7B2, A Y90 CTL ZONE, WHILE ON A VFR FLT PLAN. AFTER MISSED APCH, PLT COMPLAINS OF POOR ATTITUDE OF CTLR WHEN PLT THEN REQUESTS AN APCH TO BAF, MA.

Narrative: I HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO ENCOUNTER A VERY INTIMIDATING CTLR. I WAS ENRTE TO NORTHHAMPTON ARPT FROM AN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS ARPT WHERE THE WX WAS CAVU. I HAD CALLED THE FSS FOR TERMINAL INFO AT MY DEST ARPT AND WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE FOG, BUT WOULD LIKELY BURN OFF BY THE TIME I WAS TO ARRIVE. THE TRIP WAS PLANNED TO AVOID HAVING TO DEAL WITH FOG. WITHIN 10 MI OF MY DEST, GND FOG BEGAN APPEARING. THE FOG EXTENDED TO MY DEST ARPT. AS I FLEW OVER THE ARPT, I CALLED THE FBO ON THE CTAF AND WAS TOLD THE HT OF THE OVCST WAS ESTIMATED TO BE ABOUT 1100 FT. THE INCIDENT BEGAN WHEN I MADE A REQUEST FOR A VOR/DME B APCH TO THE ARPT. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THE REQUEST AND GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE, AN ALT, AND A HDG. HE THEN HAD ME TURN TOWARD THE ARPT WHICH I ACCEPTED AS VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE APCH COURSE. I AM VERY UNCLR AS TO THE SPECIFIC COM FROM THIS POINT BUT I DO REMEMBER THE PERMISSION TO SWITCH FREQ. I BEGAN MY DSCNT BUT WHEN I GOT NEAR TO THE MDH, THE FOG LAYER WAS STILL BELOW ME. AT THIS POINT I BEGAN A CLBOUT AND ANNOUNCED A MISSED APCH. THE CTLR WAS OBVIOUSLY SURPRISED WITH MY ANNOUNCEMENT. IT WAS AT THIS POINT HE BECAME INTIMIDATING. AS AN ASIDE, I DO NOT HANDLE CONFRONTATION WELL. I DON'T REMEMBER ALL THE DETAILS, BUT THERE WAS A STRONG REF TO MAINTAINING VFR, WHICH BY DEFAULT, I HAD DONE. I REQUESTED AN ILS APCH TO WESTFIELD ARPT. HE SNAPPED BACK WITH 'DID I REALIZE WESTFIELD WAS IFR, WAS I INST QUALIFIED AND CURRENT, DID I HAVE ATIS?' I RESPONDED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. HE BROKE IN WITH, 'GIVE ME THE PLT'S NAME, HOME BASE, NUMBER OF PERSONS, AND THE FUEL ON BOARD.' I ANSWERED, BUT HE AGAIN ASKED ME FOR THE SAME INFO WHICH I AGAIN GAVE HIM. IT WAS CLR HE WAS VERY ANNOYED. BEFORE I COULD SAY MUCH MORE, HE HAD ME SWITCH TO TWR AND I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I WAS VERY UPSET WITH THE SIT. I WAS UPSET WITH THE WAY THE CTLR HANDLED ME. I PERSONALLY INTEND TO DO THINGS CORRECTLY AND HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH THIS INCIDENT A NUMBER OF TIMES. I NOW REALIZE THAT I TRIGGERED THE SIT BY NOT STATING THAT I WANTED AN 'IFR' APCH TO NORTHHAMPTON. THAT OMISSION OBVIOUSLY GIVES THE CTLR VERY DIFFERENT INFO FROM THAT OF SIMPLY WANTING TO BE DIRECTED TO AN ARPT. I WAS AT FAULT. I HAVE BEEN STRONGLY REMINDED OF THE NEED TO CLRLY STATE AND LISTEN FOR CERTAIN KEY WORDS AND PHRASES. HOWEVER, I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED A MORE COURTEOUS RESPONSE FROM THE CTLR. BECOMING CONFRONTATIONAL IS CERTAINLY NOT PROFESSIONAL AND LEADS TO FURTHER MISCOM AND, PERHAPS, MORE SERIOUS CONCLUSIONS.

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.