Narrative:

My flight was to manager. Preflight WX briefing (taf) forecast clouds in the southern GA and northern fl area surrounding manager as scattered clouds from 3000 - 4000 ft. Since the route of flight WX north of the area was 'clear;' I decided to make the trip 'VFR.' from roughly columbus; GA; south to moultrie; the scattered clouds beneath me began to close into broken clouds; and became overcast in spots. Knowing that it may become difficult to maintain VFR during my descent to manager; I contacted approach control and requested to fly the GPS runway 4 approach to manager. Initially; a controller attempted to provide assistance; but his voice was extremely deep; muddled; and garbled. Shortly thereafter; another controller came on the frequency and communication was no longer a problem. However; the controller would not authority/authorized an approach (although it was requested) to manager. Instead the controller simply informed me there was no traffic in the area affecting a GPS runway 4 approach. Comments: 1) on rare occasions; and in all cases it's male controllers when it happens; I encounter a controller whose voice tonal qualities are very poor. This leads to pilots misunderstanding the controller and/or asking that instructions be repeated slowly. Perhaps; FAA should have some form of audio screening of individual controllers to assure good; clear communication. 2) given my IFR rating this situation was an entirely safe situation; as it was a very simple matter to shoot the approach. However; when an unforeseen WX event occurs requiring a shift from a VFR flight to an IFR descent; it would be both helpful and safer if ATC will readily accommodate the pilot. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he was familiar with the routing and the airport. His routine is to start checking the WX along the intended route 4 or 5 days in advance using general internet WX sites; then refer to the pilot group WX forecast site for more detailed information along the entire route a day or so before the flight. Taf are then checked the night before and just prior to departing. In this case the WX was forecasted to remain scattered to broken the entire flight; but later on went from broken to overcast; with bases about 1900 ft and tops 2200 ft. After the controller indicated that an IFR descent would not be approved; the reporter circled through the overcast and landed at manager. He said that there was not any other traffic in the area as he descended through the clouds. The aircraft was equipped with a garman GDL49 when the incident occurred; but has since been upgraded to a garman GDL69. In addition to pilot group WX and taf; the reporter uses other resources such as ASOS and AWOS; however; if the WX is bad; he will terminate his flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR C182 PLT ON TOP OF AN OVERCAST CONDITION REQUESTED A GPS RWY 4 APCH TO MGR; BUT THE CTLR DID NOT AUTHORIZE THE APCH. AS A RESULT; THE PLT DSNDED THROUGH THE OVERCAST AND LANDED.

Narrative: MY FLT WAS TO MGR. PREFLT WX BRIEFING (TAF) FORECAST CLOUDS IN THE SOUTHERN GA AND NORTHERN FL AREA SURROUNDING MGR AS SCATTERED CLOUDS FROM 3000 - 4000 FT. SINCE THE RTE OF FLT WX N OF THE AREA WAS 'CLR;' I DECIDED TO MAKE THE TRIP 'VFR.' FROM ROUGHLY COLUMBUS; GA; S TO MOULTRIE; THE SCATTERED CLOUDS BENEATH ME BEGAN TO CLOSE INTO BROKEN CLOUDS; AND BECAME OVERCAST IN SPOTS. KNOWING THAT IT MAY BECOME DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN VFR DURING MY DSCNT TO MGR; I CONTACTED APCH CTL AND REQUESTED TO FLY THE GPS RWY 4 APCH TO MGR. INITIALLY; A CTLR ATTEMPTED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE; BUT HIS VOICE WAS EXTREMELY DEEP; MUDDLED; AND GARBLED. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON THE FREQUENCY AND COM WAS NO LONGER A PROB. HOWEVER; THE CTLR WOULD NOT AUTH AN APCH (ALTHOUGH IT WAS REQUESTED) TO MGR. INSTEAD THE CTLR SIMPLY INFORMED ME THERE WAS NO TFC IN THE AREA AFFECTING A GPS RWY 4 APCH. COMMENTS: 1) ON RARE OCCASIONS; AND IN ALL CASES IT'S MALE CTLRS WHEN IT HAPPENS; I ENCOUNTER A CTLR WHOSE VOICE TONAL QUALITIES ARE VERY POOR. THIS LEADS TO PLTS MISUNDERSTANDING THE CTLR AND/OR ASKING THAT INSTRUCTIONS BE REPEATED SLOWLY. PERHAPS; FAA SHOULD HAVE SOME FORM OF AUDIO SCREENING OF INDIVIDUAL CTLRS TO ASSURE GOOD; CLR COM. 2) GIVEN MY IFR RATING THIS SIT WAS AN ENTIRELY SAFE SIT; AS IT WAS A VERY SIMPLE MATTER TO SHOOT THE APCH. HOWEVER; WHEN AN UNFORESEEN WX EVENT OCCURS REQUIRING A SHIFT FROM A VFR FLT TO AN IFR DSCNT; IT WOULD BE BOTH HELPFUL AND SAFER IF ATC WILL READILY ACCOMMODATE THE PLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE ROUTING AND THE ARPT. HIS ROUTINE IS TO START CHKING THE WX ALONG THE INTENDED RTE 4 OR 5 DAYS IN ADVANCE USING GENERAL INTERNET WX SITES; THEN REFER TO THE PLT GROUP WX FORECAST SITE FOR MORE DETAILED INFO ALONG THE ENTIRE ROUTE A DAY OR SO BEFORE THE FLT. TAF ARE THEN CHKED THE NIGHT BEFORE AND JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTING. IN THIS CASE THE WX WAS FORECASTED TO REMAIN SCATTERED TO BROKEN THE ENTIRE FLT; BUT LATER ON WENT FROM BROKEN TO OVERCAST; WITH BASES ABOUT 1900 FT AND TOPS 2200 FT. AFTER THE CTLR INDICATED THAT AN IFR DSCNT WOULD NOT BE APPROVED; THE RPTR CIRCLED THROUGH THE OVERCAST AND LANDED AT MGR. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NOT ANY OTHER TFC IN THE AREA AS HE DSNDED THROUGH THE CLOUDS. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A GARMAN GDL49 WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED; BUT HAS SINCE BEEN UPGRADED TO A GARMAN GDL69. IN ADDITION TO PLT GROUP WX AND TAF; THE RPTR USES OTHER RESOURCES SUCH AS ASOS AND AWOS; HOWEVER; IF THE WX IS BAD; HE WILL TERMINATE HIS FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.