ZLC CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN VFR ACFT WAS RELUCTANT TO CLB IN IMC FOR IFR CLRNC; ENDING WITH CTLR DECERTIFICATION AND GEAR UP LNDG.

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ELKO TWR CALLED TO SAY THE ARPT WAS IFR AND HE WAS SENDING ACFT X TO US FOR AN IFR APCH. THE CALL SIGN WAS ACFT X. THE ACFT SAID TWR SENT HIM TO US FOR AN IFR APCH. ACFT X WANTED TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. HE WAS 5.5 MI FROM THE ARPT AT 6000 FT. ARPT ELEVATION IS 5140 FT. HE WAS GIVEN A CLRNC TO THE VOR FOR AN LDA APCH WITH A CLB TO 11000 FT. 11000 FT IS THE MINIMUM IFR ALT WITHOUT BEING ON A PUBLISHED SEGMENT. ACFT X CONTINUED FOLLOWING THE FREEWAY SAYING HE HAD GOOD GND VISIBILITY. ACFT X WAS NOW AT 5800 FT. ACFT X SAID HE COULD MAKE THE ARPT. ACFT X WAS ASKED WHAT HIS VISIBILITY WAS. HE SAID 2 1/2 MI. THE CTLR ASKED ACFT X IF HE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT; HE SAID YES. ACFT X WAS CLRED VISUAL APCH TO THE ARPT. THE TWR WAS TOLD ACFT X WAS ON A VISUAL APCH 2 1/2 MI OUT. TWR'S RESPONSE WAS 'OK.' THE TWR THEN ASKED FOR A CLRNC ON ANOTHER ACFT WHICH WAS GIVEN WITH A HOLD FOR RELEASE. HE ASKED HOW LONG THE 'HFR' WOULD BE. HE WAS TOLD THE RELEASE WOULD BE WHEN ACFT X WAS DOWN OR CANCELED. ACFT X DID NOT WANT TO BE IFR. AT NO TIME DID HE TRY TO CLB. THE WX WAS GETTING WORSE AND ACFT X DIDN'T WANT TO BE IN THE AIR. ACFT X LANDED GEAR UP; BUT 2 CTR CTLRS WERE RELIEVED FROM DUTY. THE DECISION FOR TWR TO SEND THE ACFT TO CTR MADE NO SENSE. WHY NOT ASK FOR SPECIAL VFR? 6 MI FROM THE ARPT IS ONLY 1 MI FROM CTL ZONE. WE FELT HELPING THE ACFT LAND WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT; EVEN IF TWR RPTED THE ARPT IFR. CTRS DON'T CTL RWYS. WITH THE PLT HAVING 'GOOD' GND VISIBILITY AND THE ARPT; WE FELT IT WAS BEST TO LET HIM LAND.