Scared pilot

[bn2av8r]

All,

First time poster and newbie listener here....

Monday night (07/07/08) around 2030-2115 EDT over SYR on Boston Center I heard a pilot flying down low asking for help from ZBW.  ZBW was giving instructions and saying "be careful".  The pilot (I think N225KW or something like that) said "I'm scared" and didn't know if he could maintain VFR.  Before I got the whole conversation we were switched over to another frequency.

I was wondering how to find that archive so I could see what happened.... (hopefully all turned out well)

[KSYR-pjr]

If this happened on the Boston Center frequency (133.25) near the SYR airspace then unfortunately this is not a scanned frequency being sent up to LiveATC.net, so no archives exist.

Too bad, as this would have been an interesting clip.  What was the issue?  VFR into IMC?

Before I knew how to make audio clips there was a similarly interesting incident where a low-time VFR pilot had departed from an uncontrolled airport near the Syracuse airport earlier in the day, and upon returning at night failed to recall what frequency was needed to activate the pilot controlled lighting at the airport (Weedsport, which actually has a different frequency for PCL).

He then called SYR ATC, confessed his problem, admitted to being low time and very nervous now that darkness had set in, and requested vectors to the SYR airport.

He ended up flying right over the SYR airport before he was able to spot it.

[bn2av8r]

Too bad, as this would have been an interesting clip.  What was the issue?  VFR into IMC?

From what I recall, the pilot was saying it was real foggy or hazy and he was starting to lose contact with the ground and asking for help from ZBW.  They told him that minimum IFR altitude around his area was 6500' and be sure to maintain VFR and "Can you see the ground?"  That's when he said he was scared and would like to climb, even though the ceilings were fairly low.  The controller said "be careful" and maintain VFR again.  That's about the time we were switched.  I was going to keep monitoring that frequency as we switched, but as soon as we checked onto the next frequency we heard those dreaded words "I have holding instructions for you> Advise ready to copy."  So I had to get back to work   

[KSYR-pjr]

Yep, Monday was extremely hazy at about 4-5 miles with multiple scattered layers. 

That morning I flew down to White Plains and was considering going VFR since it trims off about 15 minutes from the preferred IFR route.  Given that White Plains was reporting weather right at ILS minimums due to fog I opted for IFR.  As soon as I took off out of SYR I was comforted with that choice.   Monday was one of those days where a VFR pilot below 9,500 could have easily flew into a cloud and not known it until the ground completely disappeared.

To where were you flying?  One of the big NY 3 airports?  I have heard commercial aircraft receive holding instructions on days where it was CAVU.  It takes absolutely nothing for that airspace to fall apart.

edit:  Cleaned up spacing.

[bn2av8r]

[KSYR-pjr]

Oh, man... look at that track.  All kinds of delays and delaying tactics depicted there.

[bn2av8r]

  I have heard commercial aircraft receive holding instructions on days where it was CAVU.  It takes absolutely nothing for that airspace to fall apart.

Yep, that's true!  I've held for 35 minutes once 90 miles out......Yet it was such a clear day I could see Manhattan....I would've hated to been the CSR when the sometimes stupid public got off the airplane and started harrassing her for info why they we're delayed even thought the WX was nice.  I don't think they would have taken the "Well, EWR has one piece of concrete for landing, and 90 planes this hour want that space.....It just happens"  It really is a no win situation when it comes to the NYC area airports.