Helicopter
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution
Human Factors; Weather; Procedure
I was working the Arrival; Departure and Satellite position for [Class B and Class D] Airports. When I first sat down on position; The Class B airport was VFR; and although the scope showed precipitation; the weather was not an issue. I got a couple of ride reports from the pilots; it was smooth rides and light rain. I worked for maybe 20 minutes and the weather was progressively getting worse. I took the handoff from Tower for a VFR helicopter. I continued to work and the traffic volume started to pick up. The helicopter checked in and I ask him his destination. He said [his planned destination] wasn't happening and he was going to go to [the Class D]. I asked if he had the current weather; he said no. I read him the weather and asked him his flight conditions. He mentioned he had only 2 miles of visibility. I asked him if wanted to be vectored for an approach; but he said he didn't need it. The helicopter was 3 miles from the airport and still didn't have [the Class D] in sight. I asked him again if he wanted to be vectored for an approach. The helicopter refused and would was confident that he would be able to see the airport. I pointed out the field to him and that's when he mentioned he would just have to set her down right here. As all this was going on; the volume had picked up and weather had gotten worse. Some aircraft were asking to deviate. When I finally got back to the helicopter; he was no longer with me on frequency. I informed the Supervisor and he took the appropriate action. I should have attempted to make the aircraft IFR instead of trusting that he was going to be able to see the airport. I could have been more insistent that he use an approach instead of attempting to see the airport.
TRACON Controller described a helicopter off field landing event; the reporter indicating he should have been more insistent on IFR handling regardless of the pilots requests.