Narrative:

Working R28 with a line of thunderstorms stretching across the south portion of my sector from the gulf of mexico to northeast of cty. There was a break in the line southwest of cty. Tpa cap and tunnel procedures were in effect; so my workload was increased to issue WX; deviate and descend all tpa arrs from FL240 to FL190. The deviations were requiring turns of 40 degrees and increased workload substantially. While working these planes; I heard aircraft X call. I attempted to contact the aircraft many times and was unsuccessful even after trying a different transmitter located at cty airport. He finally got close enough to hear me. He asked for an IFR clearance to cty. I asked his position and he said 15 mi southeast of cty. I issued a squawk code but did not observe any targets. After working a few more things out; I divided my attention back to the area and saw a primary target about 15 mi southeast of cty. I asked the aircraft if his transponder was operating and squawking the appropriate code. He said he would try again and asked the WX for cty. I said that I have not WX reports for cty. I told him I think I see his target and issued WX at his 12 O'clock position and 2 mi; heavy precipitation. I then asked his flight conditions and he said IFR. I asked altitude and he replied 4000 ft. He was still in jax approach's airspace; but I felt this constituted an emergency situation. I told the aircraft to turn 30 degrees left for radar identify and WX avoidance. He acknowledged the turn. I then asked if he was capable and qualified for IFR flight and he said he was. He asked for vectors to the VOR 31 approach. I said I was unable to vector for the approach course; but gave reports from previous aircraft passing through the hold that when he passed the line the WX would improve and I wanted to get him away from the heavy cells on the final approach course. He acknowledged and flew the 270 degree heading I issued. I also radar idented him at that time and issued an IFR clearance and asked for HSI fuel remaining; souls on board and name and phone number. He replied only with name and phone number. I was seriously questioning his skills and planning at this point. Issued a descent to 2000 ft; and a turn to 340 degrees for the airport around the WX. The cell started to move off of the VOR 31 final approach course. When he was 5 mi south of the field; I called position to the field and asked his flight conditions and if he had the field in sight. He said he was VFR but a cloud layer underneath. I then informed that I cannot vector the VOR; but he was southwest of the VOR; cleared him direct to the VOR; maintain 2000 ft until established and cleared VOR 31 approach. He executed the approach; and canceled later; after I was relieved. I believe this pilot was completely unprepared; had no idea of the WX; or regulations. He was IFR in VFR conditions without a working transponder or clearance and feared the outcome due to thunderstorms and lack of ability. Luckily; the outcome was successful. I also want to mention how the workload in a low altitude sector dramatically increases when working IFR aircraft into airports; while simultaneously working large streams of air carrier's because of flow control rertes forcing air carrier's into lines of WX. My knowledge of the area as a pilot and controller I feel helped this outcome; and others with lack of IFR experience may have ignored this aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZJX CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN VFR ACFT ENCOUNTERED IMC CONDITIONS AND REQUIRED EMER HANDLING TO EXECUTE IFR APCH.

Narrative: WORKING R28 WITH A LINE OF TSTMS STRETCHING ACROSS THE S PORTION OF MY SECTOR FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO TO NE OF CTY. THERE WAS A BREAK IN THE LINE SW OF CTY. TPA CAP AND TUNNEL PROCS WERE IN EFFECT; SO MY WORKLOAD WAS INCREASED TO ISSUE WX; DEVIATE AND DSND ALL TPA ARRS FROM FL240 TO FL190. THE DEVS WERE REQUIRING TURNS OF 40 DEGS AND INCREASED WORKLOAD SUBSTANTIALLY. WHILE WORKING THESE PLANES; I HEARD ACFT X CALL. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE ACFT MANY TIMES AND WAS UNSUCCESSFUL EVEN AFTER TRYING A DIFFERENT XMITTER LOCATED AT CTY ARPT. HE FINALLY GOT CLOSE ENOUGH TO HEAR ME. HE ASKED FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO CTY. I ASKED HIS POS AND HE SAID 15 MI SE OF CTY. I ISSUED A SQUAWK CODE BUT DID NOT OBSERVE ANY TARGETS. AFTER WORKING A FEW MORE THINGS OUT; I DIVIDED MY ATTN BACK TO THE AREA AND SAW A PRIMARY TARGET ABOUT 15 MI SE OF CTY. I ASKED THE ACFT IF HIS XPONDER WAS OPERATING AND SQUAWKING THE APPROPRIATE CODE. HE SAID HE WOULD TRY AGAIN AND ASKED THE WX FOR CTY. I SAID THAT I HAVE NOT WX RPTS FOR CTY. I TOLD HIM I THINK I SEE HIS TARGET AND ISSUED WX AT HIS 12 O'CLOCK POS AND 2 MI; HVY PRECIP. I THEN ASKED HIS FLT CONDITIONS AND HE SAID IFR. I ASKED ALT AND HE REPLIED 4000 FT. HE WAS STILL IN JAX APCH'S AIRSPACE; BUT I FELT THIS CONSTITUTED AN EMER SITUATION. I TOLD THE ACFT TO TURN 30 DEGS L FOR RADAR IDENT AND WX AVOIDANCE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE TURN. I THEN ASKED IF HE WAS CAPABLE AND QUALIFIED FOR IFR FLT AND HE SAID HE WAS. HE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO THE VOR 31 APCH. I SAID I WAS UNABLE TO VECTOR FOR THE APCH COURSE; BUT GAVE RPTS FROM PREVIOUS ACFT PASSING THROUGH THE HOLD THAT WHEN HE PASSED THE LINE THE WX WOULD IMPROVE AND I WANTED TO GET HIM AWAY FROM THE HVY CELLS ON THE FINAL APCH COURSE. HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND FLEW THE 270 DEG HDG I ISSUED. I ALSO RADAR IDENTED HIM AT THAT TIME AND ISSUED AN IFR CLRNC AND ASKED FOR HSI FUEL REMAINING; SOULS ON BOARD AND NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. HE REPLIED ONLY WITH NAME AND PHONE NUMBER. I WAS SERIOUSLY QUESTIONING HIS SKILLS AND PLANNING AT THIS POINT. ISSUED A DSCNT TO 2000 FT; AND A TURN TO 340 DEGS FOR THE ARPT AROUND THE WX. THE CELL STARTED TO MOVE OFF OF THE VOR 31 FINAL APCH COURSE. WHEN HE WAS 5 MI S OF THE FIELD; I CALLED POS TO THE FIELD AND ASKED HIS FLT CONDITIONS AND IF HE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. HE SAID HE WAS VFR BUT A CLOUD LAYER UNDERNEATH. I THEN INFORMED THAT I CANNOT VECTOR THE VOR; BUT HE WAS SW OF THE VOR; CLRED HIM DIRECT TO THE VOR; MAINTAIN 2000 FT UNTIL ESTABLISHED AND CLRED VOR 31 APCH. HE EXECUTED THE APCH; AND CANCELED LATER; AFTER I WAS RELIEVED. I BELIEVE THIS PLT WAS COMPLETELY UNPREPARED; HAD NO IDEA OF THE WX; OR REGS. HE WAS IFR IN VFR CONDITIONS WITHOUT A WORKING XPONDER OR CLRNC AND FEARED THE OUTCOME DUE TO TSTMS AND LACK OF ABILITY. LUCKILY; THE OUTCOME WAS SUCCESSFUL. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION HOW THE WORKLOAD IN A LOW ALT SECTOR DRAMATICALLY INCREASES WHEN WORKING IFR ACFT INTO ARPTS; WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY WORKING LARGE STREAMS OF ACR'S BECAUSE OF FLOW CTL RERTES FORCING ACR'S INTO LINES OF WX. MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA AS A PLT AND CTLR I FEEL HELPED THIS OUTCOME; AND OTHERS WITH LACK OF IFR EXPERIENCE MAY HAVE IGNORED THIS ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.