C172 PILOT REPORTS HAVING RADAR SERVICE TERMINATED APPROACHING IAF FOR VOR APPROACH REQUIRING RADAR FOR HIS AIRCRAFT. VMC IS ENCOUNTERED WITHOUT STEPING DOWN AND A SAFE LANDING ENSUES.
Synopsis
C172 PILOT REPORTS HAVING RADAR SERVICE TERMINATED APPROACHING IAF FOR VOR APPROACH REQUIRING RADAR FOR HIS AIRCRAFT. VMC IS ENCOUNTERED WITHOUT STEPING DOWN AND A SAFE LANDING ENSUES.
Narrative
DURING AN IFR XCOUNTRY FLT; I WAS HANDED OVER TO CMI APCH OVER CHAMPAIGN; IL. I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO 2K0 (MONTICELLO; PIATT COUNTY; IL) FILED FOR THE VOR-A APCH TO THE FIELD. WHEN HANDED TO THE CMI APCH CTLR I STATED MY INTENTIONS TO EXECUTE THE VOR-A APCH AT 2K0. I AM AT AROUND 4000 FT MSL ON V434 E OF CHAMPAIGN WBOUND HDG APPROX 279 DEGS. APPROX 6 MI E OF THE CHAMPAIGN VOR IN HVY IMC ON AN INST FLT PLAN; I WAS TOLD BY THE APCH CTLR 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED; STAY ON CURRENT SQUAWK CODE AND REMAIN ON THE THIS FREQ. CONTACT ZAU FOR FURTHER ADVISORIES.' I QUERIED THE CTLR ON WHAT WAS GOING ON AND HE ONLY SAID TO CONTACT ZAU ON THE SAME FREQ THAT I WAS ON TALKING TO HIM. MY VOR-A APCH INCLUDED RADAR FIXES FOR THE DSCNT POINTS; SO I QUERIED THE CTLR AGAIN ASKING HIM IF ZAU COULD CALL OUT THE RADAR FIXES; TO WHICH HE RESPONDED YES. I BELIEVE THAT HIS APCH WAS CLOSING. I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF A CLASS C TWR/RADAR SVC CLOSING; BUT I GUESS THIS ONE DOES. IT IS APPROPRIATELY DOCUMENTED IN THE AFD; BUT QUITE VAGUE ON WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS WHEN THIS APCH CTL CLOSES AND TFC IS THEN CTLED BY ZAU. I FEEL UNDER NO CONDITIONS OR SITUATIONS SHOULD I BE TOLD AS A PLT IN IMC ON AN IFR FLT PLAN THAT RADAR SVC IS TERMINATED. I AM NOT SURE EXACTLY HOW TO FIX THIS OR IF THE CTLR WAS EVEN IN ERROR. I JUST KNOW THAT IS A PRETTY UNEASY FEELING TO HEAR THOSE WORDS WHEN YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CLOUDS WORKING HARD TO SHOOT AN APCH. SO I CALLED ZAU AND TOLD HIM WHERE I WAS AND WHAT I WAS SQUAWKING. I DON'T REMEMBER HIM EVER SAYING 'RADAR CONTACT' ALTHOUGH HE MAY HAVE AND I JUST DON'T REMEMBER. ZAU CLRED ME FOR THE VOR-A APCH TO 2K0. I TOLD HIM THAT I NEEDED RADAR FIX CALLOUT; TO WHICH HE RESPONDED 'ROGER.' AFTER SOME TIME OF BEING ON THE INBOUND LEG OF THE APCH; I TOLD THE CTR CTLR AGAIN THAT I NEEDED RADAR CALLOUTS; TO WHICH HE REPLIED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THAT ABILITY AND THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF RADAR AS THE APCH CTLR AT CHAMPAIGN. ABOUT THAT TIME I POPPED OUT OF THE CLOUDS AND WAS CLEAR FROM CLOUDS ENOUGH THAT I COULD CANCEL IFR; SO I DID AND LANDED. NOT EXACTLY SURE WHAT I SHOULD DO TO MAKE THIS SITUATION BETTER.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.