Narrative:

Arriving at 6a2 (griffen-spaulding, GA), the AWOS was reporting 1200 ft ceilings with 7 mi visibility. We requested a GPS runway 14. The controller (atlanta approach) asked if it was for a 'practice' approach because an airplane had made a visual approach with 'no problem,' not 10 mins earlier. We questioned this but agreed to accept the approach. When told they (atl) could let us down to 3000 ft now, and 2500 ft in a few moments. 2500 ft was the minimum altitude she could descend us to, which we found odd since the ceiling was 1200 ft, and a previous aircraft had made a 'visual' from 2500+ ft? The controller also indicated that a couple of aircraft were waiting for us to get in, further pressuring us to take the visual in order to expedite our quick arrival. After descending to 3000 ft, we were told that was as low as we could get until past the airport. As we overflew the field, we only had very brief glimpses of the ground through the undercast. After passing the field, we requested the GPS approach (again), and the controller agreed and gave us a heading that was directly toward the IAF, but did not tell us what she planned for us. After a moment, my copilot called her and asked her where we were heading. She replied that we were going to the FAF, but she couldn't pronounce it, but gave us a turn to the right to intercept the inbound course. Given this we started to make an adjustment in the GPS, to go directly to the FAF, instead of the IAF. We were so close to the inbound course, that we were through it before the GPS display came back up. I did not catch this immediately, but after a few seconds realized by expanding the scale, that the inbound course was behind us. By this time we were coming over a scattered undercast and before I could declare the possibility of canceling and going visual, the controller came on again, and told me to make an 'immediate' turn to 270 degrees, and climb to 4000 ft. I complied, she then told me to fly to the final approach course and hold with right turns. (No instructions as to a distance or fix or inbound or outbound, or length of legs, etc.) after reaching the course, I began a right turn. Now another controller (male), came on and cleared us for the approach. After completing the turn, we tracked it in, and broke out at about 1500 ft. Best way to avoid these problems, do not let ATC pressure one into taking a visual approach, when the AWOS indicated a lower ceiling, that is below vectoring altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF TWIN ENG TURBOPROP ON IFR ARR IN MARGINAL VFR CONDITIONS AT 6A2 RECEIVE POOR ATC HANDLING.

Narrative: ARRIVING AT 6A2 (GRIFFEN-SPAULDING, GA), THE AWOS WAS RPTING 1200 FT CEILINGS WITH 7 MI VISIBILITY. WE REQUESTED A GPS RWY 14. THE CTLR (ATLANTA APCH) ASKED IF IT WAS FOR A 'PRACTICE' APCH BECAUSE AN AIRPLANE HAD MADE A VISUAL APCH WITH 'NO PROB,' NOT 10 MINS EARLIER. WE QUESTIONED THIS BUT AGREED TO ACCEPT THE APCH. WHEN TOLD THEY (ATL) COULD LET US DOWN TO 3000 FT NOW, AND 2500 FT IN A FEW MOMENTS. 2500 FT WAS THE MINIMUM ALT SHE COULD DSND US TO, WHICH WE FOUND ODD SINCE THE CEILING WAS 1200 FT, AND A PREVIOUS ACFT HAD MADE A 'VISUAL' FROM 2500+ FT? THE CTLR ALSO INDICATED THAT A COUPLE OF ACFT WERE WAITING FOR US TO GET IN, FURTHER PRESSURING US TO TAKE THE VISUAL IN ORDER TO EXPEDITE OUR QUICK ARR. AFTER DSNDING TO 3000 FT, WE WERE TOLD THAT WAS AS LOW AS WE COULD GET UNTIL PAST THE ARPT. AS WE OVERFLEW THE FIELD, WE ONLY HAD VERY BRIEF GLIMPSES OF THE GND THROUGH THE UNDERCAST. AFTER PASSING THE FIELD, WE REQUESTED THE GPS APCH (AGAIN), AND THE CTLR AGREED AND GAVE US A HEADING THAT WAS DIRECTLY TOWARD THE IAF, BUT DID NOT TELL US WHAT SHE PLANNED FOR US. AFTER A MOMENT, MY COPLT CALLED HER AND ASKED HER WHERE WE WERE HEADING. SHE REPLIED THAT WE WERE GOING TO THE FAF, BUT SHE COULDN'T PRONOUNCE IT, BUT GAVE US A TURN TO THE R TO INTERCEPT THE INBOUND COURSE. GIVEN THIS WE STARTED TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE GPS, TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE FAF, INSTEAD OF THE IAF. WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE INBOUND COURSE, THAT WE WERE THROUGH IT BEFORE THE GPS DISPLAY CAME BACK UP. I DID NOT CATCH THIS IMMEDIATELY, BUT AFTER A FEW SECONDS REALIZED BY EXPANDING THE SCALE, THAT THE INBOUND COURSE WAS BEHIND US. BY THIS TIME WE WERE COMING OVER A SCATTERED UNDERCAST AND BEFORE I COULD DECLARE THE POSSIBILITY OF CANCELING AND GOING VISUAL, THE CTLR CAME ON AGAIN, AND TOLD ME TO MAKE AN 'IMMEDIATE' TURN TO 270 DEGS, AND CLB TO 4000 FT. I COMPLIED, SHE THEN TOLD ME TO FLY TO THE FINAL APCH COURSE AND HOLD WITH R TURNS. (NO INSTRUCTIONS AS TO A DISTANCE OR FIX OR INBOUND OR OUTBOUND, OR LENGTH OF LEGS, ETC.) AFTER REACHING THE COURSE, I BEGAN A R TURN. NOW ANOTHER CTLR (MALE), CAME ON AND CLRED US FOR THE APCH. AFTER COMPLETING THE TURN, WE TRACKED IT IN, AND BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 1500 FT. BEST WAY TO AVOID THESE PROBS, DO NOT LET ATC PRESSURE ONE INTO TAKING A VISUAL APCH, WHEN THE AWOS INDICATED A LOWER CEILING, THAT IS BELOW VECTORING ALT.

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.