Narrative:

In sum: the reporter was flying a BE58 with autoplt and radar on a well-planned flight from cgi to cdw. WX and thunderstorms were a concern so the flight was planned to stay clear of clouds at an altitude of 11000 ft. When arriving in the wilkes barre area, ATC cleared the reporter to 9000 ft to put him in the airspace operated by wilkes barre approach. Reporter requested to stay at 11000 ft for WX considerations, but was refused. He was advised that it was either that or a rerte that the reporter concluded would put him in hazardous WX. When in contact with approach he was further cleared to descend to 6000 ft. Shortly thereafter the report had problems with his aircraft that left him flying with partial panel. He declared an emergency and was vectored to intercept the ILS runway 22 at caldwell, nj. The reporter complains that the intercept was too high an intercept angle for someone flying partial panel. Throughout the series of events, phone numbers were exchanged. The reporter considered this inappropriate timing on the part of ATC. Through follow-up contact with several agencies involved, the reporter reached the conclusion that he should have rejected the clearance from center to descend and declared an emergency if that is what it took to stay clear of hazardous WX. He should inform each new controller his needs and intentions without depending on the information being passed on during handoff. The same would apply to requesting a workable turn onto the ILS final course.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT HAS DIFFICULTIES WITH CTLRS IN THE ZNY AREA NEAR LZV WHEN ENCOUNTERING WX AND DEALING WITH ACFT MALFUNCTIONS AND PARTIAL PANEL INST FLT.

Narrative: IN SUM: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A BE58 WITH AUTOPLT AND RADAR ON A WELL-PLANNED FLT FROM CGI TO CDW. WX AND TSTMS WERE A CONCERN SO THE FLT WAS PLANNED TO STAY CLR OF CLOUDS AT AN ALT OF 11000 FT. WHEN ARRIVING IN THE WILKES BARRE AREA, ATC CLRED THE RPTR TO 9000 FT TO PUT HIM IN THE AIRSPACE OPERATED BY WILKES BARRE APCH. RPTR REQUESTED TO STAY AT 11000 FT FOR WX CONSIDERATIONS, BUT WAS REFUSED. HE WAS ADVISED THAT IT WAS EITHER THAT OR A RERTE THAT THE RPTR CONCLUDED WOULD PUT HIM IN HAZARDOUS WX. WHEN IN CONTACT WITH APCH HE WAS FURTHER CLRED TO DSND TO 6000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE RPT HAD PROBS WITH HIS ACFT THAT LEFT HIM FLYING WITH PARTIAL PANEL. HE DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS VECTORED TO INTERCEPT THE ILS RWY 22 AT CALDWELL, NJ. THE RPTR COMPLAINS THAT THE INTERCEPT WAS TOO HIGH AN INTERCEPT ANGLE FOR SOMEONE FLYING PARTIAL PANEL. THROUGHOUT THE SERIES OF EVENTS, PHONE NUMBERS WERE EXCHANGED. THE RPTR CONSIDERED THIS INAPPROPRIATE TIMING ON THE PART OF ATC. THROUGH FOLLOW-UP CONTACT WITH SEVERAL AGENCIES INVOLVED, THE RPTR REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT HE SHOULD HAVE REJECTED THE CLRNC FROM CTR TO DSND AND DECLARED AN EMER IF THAT IS WHAT IT TOOK TO STAY CLR OF HAZARDOUS WX. HE SHOULD INFORM EACH NEW CTLR HIS NEEDS AND INTENTIONS WITHOUT DEPENDING ON THE INFO BEING PASSED ON DURING HDOF. THE SAME WOULD APPLY TO REQUESTING A WORKABLE TURN ONTO THE ILS FINAL COURSE.

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.