Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 4.0
Workload; Time Pressure; Troubleshooting
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Procedure; Airspace Structure; Weather
Aircraft X was VFR and deviating around weather. His radios were poor so I wasn't paying him much attention early. I never told him about any of the weather or precipitation as he seemed to be navigating around it fine and I was busy with approaches to numerous airports. It was a low IFR morning. Aircraft X advised me of his descent and intention to land at an airport for fuel. I advised him of the weather conditions at that airport. 1/2 mile visibility; fog; indefinite ceiling 200 feet. He communicated a fuel need; and said he had about a half hour remaining. He also mentioned at some point that the aircraft was unfamiliar to him and he was ferrying it to the new owner. I advised him of the nearest fields with VFR conditions; which were all too far; the nearest being about 80 miles north. I inquired as to whether he was IFR qualified and capable; which he was. He determined that ZZZ was the best option given his fuel situation and requested the ILS approach. I issued an IFR clearance to the airport and provided vectors for as short and efficient an approach as I could. He was below the MIA (Minimum IFR Altitude) and the approach altitude from the base turn on MIA 4;200 [feet]; approach altitude 4;400 [feet]. I addressed this but did want to risk pushing him to climb unless totally necessary as he was trying to conserve fuel and fly an approach into an airport he was unfamiliar with in low IFR conditions. I also never issued a low altitude alert. After establishing on final; I provided position reports every mile. I lost radar on 1.5 mile final. He hadn't broken through the cloud layer when I lost him on radar and radios. Thankfully; a supervisor was on the phone with someone at the airport and we received landing assurance pretty quickly. I failed to ask how many souls were on board throughout the entire [event]. I failed to issue a low altitude alert at any point; although it was warranted at least twice. I don't know what I would have done if the pilot weren't IFR qualified. I given this a lot of thought over the last few days and have some ideas in the event I'm ever in this position again. We should be training this and talking about it. I've never had this conversation in XX years on the job.
A Center Controller reported they intentionally vectored a VFR aircraft encountering IFR weather below the Minimum IFR Altitude because the aircraft was very low on fuel and needed to land as soon as possible.