Narrative:

I was the PIC of a pleasure flight with 2 passenger and departed farmingdale, long island, ny. The WX upon my departure was VFR and the WX forecast was to be MVFR later on that night. Was IFR equipped and I was current IFR in the aircraft. There was some low clouds along the south shore of long island and I was at 1000' MSL to go under the ny TCA. When I was handed off to new york TCA for radar advisories I was told that newark airport went IMC (IFR). I was in VMC conditions at all times throughout the duration of this flight. After leaving the manhattan skyline area I was handed off to laguardia TCA that gave me vectors towards bridgeport, ct, where we landed VMC for about 1 hour. Upon departing bridgeport VMC, I had no problems tracking in and out of the bridgeport VOR located on the field, and towards the deer park VOR on long island. When I was in the middle of the long island sound I noticed that all of long island was IMC and the WX that the ny controller gave me for farmingdale was IMC, 200' and 1/2 mi visibility, although the tops of the fog layer were at 1100' MSL. I was vectored for an ILS approach at 2000' and remained in VMC conditions over the top of the clouds. I filed for an IFR clearance at that time and told the controller my type aircraft and that I had plenty of fuel on board (3 hours). I was still tracking inbound towards deer park VOR. My clearance was to fly direct dpk and then vectors for the ILS approach runway 14 at farmingdale. When I changed frequencys on my VOR from dpk to the ILS frequency of 111.9 MHZ, I did not see an indication of correct needle deflections on my CDI. I also could not pick up the morse coded signal after being vectored for my approach path and informed the controller of my situation. He said to let him know when the receiver came on line. It never did come on line and the controller stated 'I don't know what to tell you'. After shooting 3 unsuccessful apches I did not have any other IMC options available as the controller informed me. I cancelled IFR and went VFR and told the controller that I wished to find the airport VFR over the top, and that if I saw the airport I would land VFR. I unsuccessfully came upon farmingdale airport and saw planes parked but could not identify any runways. I then stated to the controller that before I was to proceed towards my alternate, I was going to try to find the airport one more time and started tracking outbnd north the deer park 078 degree radial when I was told by the controller to contact them on another frequency and gave me radar vectors to the airport and thru the clouds I spotted the southern state parkway that I used as a reference towards the airport. When I was over the airport I spotted 2 runways. I received WX information from the controller and I descended from VFR over the top thru a hole in the clouds and landed VFR safely. (The tower at farmingdale airport was closed as of XA00.) I was later told (2 days later) that the VOR in the aircraft was, in fact, defective on the ILS portion by the owner of the aircraft. I was also called by the FAA FSDO at farmingdale and was told that this was being investigated as an aircraft incident and that tapes and statements from controllers were being organized. I believe that I used good judgement at all times and the flight went smoothly until I found out that the ILS receiver was not getting its proper signal. I was also concerned that the controller could not provide any other options or suggestions that I needed. As PIC, I felt it was necessary that I land the aircraft immediately.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CANCELS IFR TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A CLOUD OPENING OVER HOME ARPT BUT PENETRATES CTL ZONE IN SO DOING.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC OF A PLEASURE FLT WITH 2 PAX AND DEPARTED FARMINGDALE, LONG ISLAND, NY. THE WX UPON MY DEP WAS VFR AND THE WX FORECAST WAS TO BE MVFR LATER ON THAT NIGHT. WAS IFR EQUIPPED AND I WAS CURRENT IFR IN THE ACFT. THERE WAS SOME LOW CLOUDS ALONG THE S SHORE OF LONG ISLAND AND I WAS AT 1000' MSL TO GO UNDER THE NY TCA. WHEN I WAS HANDED OFF TO NEW YORK TCA FOR RADAR ADVISORIES I WAS TOLD THAT NEWARK ARPT WENT IMC (IFR). I WAS IN VMC CONDITIONS AT ALL TIMES THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THIS FLT. AFTER LEAVING THE MANHATTAN SKYLINE AREA I WAS HANDED OFF TO LAGUARDIA TCA THAT GAVE ME VECTORS TOWARDS BRIDGEPORT, CT, WHERE WE LANDED VMC FOR ABOUT 1 HR. UPON DEPARTING BRIDGEPORT VMC, I HAD NO PROBLEMS TRACKING IN AND OUT OF THE BRIDGEPORT VOR LOCATED ON THE FIELD, AND TOWARDS THE DEER PARK VOR ON LONG ISLAND. WHEN I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LONG ISLAND SOUND I NOTICED THAT ALL OF LONG ISLAND WAS IMC AND THE WX THAT THE NY CTLR GAVE ME FOR FARMINGDALE WAS IMC, 200' AND 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, ALTHOUGH THE TOPS OF THE FOG LAYER WERE AT 1100' MSL. I WAS VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH AT 2000' AND REMAINED IN VMC CONDITIONS OVER THE TOP OF THE CLOUDS. I FILED FOR AN IFR CLRNC AT THAT TIME AND TOLD THE CTLR MY TYPE ACFT AND THAT I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL ON BOARD (3 HRS). I WAS STILL TRACKING INBND TOWARDS DEER PARK VOR. MY CLRNC WAS TO FLY DIRECT DPK AND THEN VECTORS FOR THE ILS APCH RWY 14 AT FARMINGDALE. WHEN I CHANGED FREQS ON MY VOR FROM DPK TO THE ILS FREQ OF 111.9 MHZ, I DID NOT SEE AN INDICATION OF CORRECT NEEDLE DEFLECTIONS ON MY CDI. I ALSO COULD NOT PICK UP THE MORSE CODED SIGNAL AFTER BEING VECTORED FOR MY APCH PATH AND INFORMED THE CTLR OF MY SITUATION. HE SAID TO LET HIM KNOW WHEN THE RECEIVER CAME ON LINE. IT NEVER DID COME ON LINE AND THE CTLR STATED 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU'. AFTER SHOOTING 3 UNSUCCESSFUL APCHES I DID NOT HAVE ANY OTHER IMC OPTIONS AVAILABLE AS THE CTLR INFORMED ME. I CANCELLED IFR AND WENT VFR AND TOLD THE CTLR THAT I WISHED TO FIND THE ARPT VFR OVER THE TOP, AND THAT IF I SAW THE ARPT I WOULD LAND VFR. I UNSUCCESSFULLY CAME UPON FARMINGDALE ARPT AND SAW PLANES PARKED BUT COULD NOT IDENTIFY ANY RWYS. I THEN STATED TO THE CTLR THAT BEFORE I WAS TO PROCEED TOWARDS MY ALTERNATE, I WAS GOING TO TRY TO FIND THE ARPT ONE MORE TIME AND STARTED TRACKING OUTBND N THE DEER PARK 078 DEG RADIAL WHEN I WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR TO CONTACT THEM ON ANOTHER FREQ AND GAVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO THE ARPT AND THRU THE CLOUDS I SPOTTED THE SOUTHERN STATE PARKWAY THAT I USED AS A REFERENCE TOWARDS THE ARPT. WHEN I WAS OVER THE ARPT I SPOTTED 2 RWYS. I RECEIVED WX INFO FROM THE CTLR AND I DESCENDED FROM VFR OVER THE TOP THRU A HOLE IN THE CLOUDS AND LANDED VFR SAFELY. (THE TWR AT FARMINGDALE ARPT WAS CLOSED AS OF XA00.) I WAS LATER TOLD (2 DAYS LATER) THAT THE VOR IN THE ACFT WAS, IN FACT, DEFECTIVE ON THE ILS PORTION BY THE OWNER OF THE ACFT. I WAS ALSO CALLED BY THE FAA FSDO AT FARMINGDALE AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS BEING INVESTIGATED AS AN ACFT INCIDENT AND THAT TAPES AND STATEMENTS FROM CTLRS WERE BEING ORGANIZED. I BELIEVE THAT I USED GOOD JUDGEMENT AT ALL TIMES AND THE FLT WENT SMOOTHLY UNTIL I FOUND OUT THAT THE ILS RECEIVER WAS NOT GETTING ITS PROPER SIGNAL. I WAS ALSO CONCERNED THAT THE CTLR COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY OTHER OPTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS THAT I NEEDED. AS PIC, I FELT IT WAS NECESSARY THAT I LAND THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.