Narrative:

I was en route VFR to quad city airport at moline, il, from illinois valley regional airport peru, il, on oct/thu/97. At approximately AB55 am I was monitoring the quad city ATIS frequency at which time the information changed advising 9 mi visibility and 1400 ft AGL scattered and overcast. Elevation at quad city airport is 589 ft MSL. I initially contacted quad city approach on frequency 125.95, 20 mi east of quad city airport heading 270 degrees. I advised my intentions to land, my location, and that I had information from ATIS. At approximately 15 mi from the quad city airport I observed clouds at my flight level, of 2500 ft MSL, approximately 5 mi in front of me and requested to descend to a flight level of 1500 ft MSL, which was approved. After reaching that level, I was clear of the clouds above me. Approximately 10 mi from the quad city airport I was handed over to quad city control tower on frequency 119.4 and I was cleared to land on runway 27. At this time, forward visibility deteriorated rapidly. I advised the controller of this condition. Approximately 3 mi from the airport I requested to turn 180 degrees to a heading of 090 degrees. Controller advised me to fly west, n-nwbound if possible. At this time I had no visibility in any direction and began to become disoriented and vertigo set in. The controller asked what direction I was heading and I determined that I was on a heading of 360 degrees. I then became disoriented again, and felt that my aircraft was in a steep bank turn to the right. After regaining control of the aircraft, the controller guided me to the airport, at which time I observed the airport and landed on runway 27. I believe this situation occurred because I depended on the information concerning the WX that was available to the controller. It appears that the controllers can only work with the information available to them. WX can be a dynamic situation, and can change at a rapid pace. I also believe that the controller's actions and his professionalism is what helped me through this incident. Training for my IFR rating is already underway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT IN SMA GETS INVOLVED WITH DETERIORATING WX AT MLI WHILE 3 MI FROM ARPT. PLT LOSES CTL OF ACFT FOR A SHORT TIME AND GETS ASSISTANCE FROM TWR CTLR FOR A VISUAL TO ARPT.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE VFR TO QUAD CITY ARPT AT MOLINE, IL, FROM ILLINOIS VALLEY REGIONAL ARPT PERU, IL, ON OCT/THU/97. AT APPROX AB55 AM I WAS MONITORING THE QUAD CITY ATIS FREQ AT WHICH TIME THE INFO CHANGED ADVISING 9 MI VISIBILITY AND 1400 FT AGL SCATTERED AND OVERCAST. ELEVATION AT QUAD CITY ARPT IS 589 FT MSL. I INITIALLY CONTACTED QUAD CITY APCH ON FREQ 125.95, 20 MI E OF QUAD CITY ARPT HDG 270 DEGS. I ADVISED MY INTENTIONS TO LAND, MY LOCATION, AND THAT I HAD INFO FROM ATIS. AT APPROX 15 MI FROM THE QUAD CITY ARPT I OBSERVED CLOUDS AT MY FLT LEVEL, OF 2500 FT MSL, APPROX 5 MI IN FRONT OF ME AND REQUESTED TO DSND TO A FLT LEVEL OF 1500 FT MSL, WHICH WAS APPROVED. AFTER REACHING THAT LEVEL, I WAS CLR OF THE CLOUDS ABOVE ME. APPROX 10 MI FROM THE QUAD CITY ARPT I WAS HANDED OVER TO QUAD CITY CTL TWR ON FREQ 119.4 AND I WAS CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 27. AT THIS TIME, FORWARD VISIBILITY DETERIORATED RAPIDLY. I ADVISED THE CTLR OF THIS CONDITION. APPROX 3 MI FROM THE ARPT I REQUESTED TO TURN 180 DEGS TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS. CTLR ADVISED ME TO FLY W, N-NWBOUND IF POSSIBLE. AT THIS TIME I HAD NO VISIBILITY IN ANY DIRECTION AND BEGAN TO BECOME DISORIENTED AND VERTIGO SET IN. THE CTLR ASKED WHAT DIRECTION I WAS HEADING AND I DETERMINED THAT I WAS ON A HDG OF 360 DEGS. I THEN BECAME DISORIENTED AGAIN, AND FELT THAT MY ACFT WAS IN A STEEP BANK TURN TO THE R. AFTER REGAINING CTL OF THE ACFT, THE CTLR GUIDED ME TO THE ARPT, AT WHICH TIME I OBSERVED THE ARPT AND LANDED ON RWY 27. I BELIEVE THIS SIT OCCURRED BECAUSE I DEPENDED ON THE INFO CONCERNING THE WX THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO THE CTLR. IT APPEARS THAT THE CTLRS CAN ONLY WORK WITH THE INFO AVAILABLE TO THEM. WX CAN BE A DYNAMIC SIT, AND CAN CHANGE AT A RAPID PACE. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR'S ACTIONS AND HIS PROFESSIONALISM IS WHAT HELPED ME THROUGH THIS INCIDENT. TRAINING FOR MY IFR RATING IS ALREADY UNDERWAY.

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