Baron 58/58TC
Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Air Traffic Control Time Certified In Pos 1 (yrs) 4
Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter CFTT / CFIT
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Aircraft; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
I received a briefing for the radar position. In the briefing; I was told that Aircraft X was landing at GMU and was already talking to GMU Tower and a King Air was also on their frequency. A minute or two later GMU calls and informs me that Aircraft X was having gear issues; but did not want to cancel his IFR. He just wanted to go out and try to hand crank his landing gear in an attempt to make it work. I then asked if the aircraft wanted to come back out to Approach or stay with the Tower. GMU advised that the aircraft didn't really want to go back out to Approach frequency so I said that he was their control for anything that they needed. At that point the previous Controller coordinated with GMU that the King Air had never been IFR that he was VFR the whole time he had worked him. I heard the coordination and assumed he was referencing Aircraft X since there was no reason to be talking about the King Air. Aircraft X eventually started going west bound into a 3500 foot Minimum Vectoring Altitude at 3000 feet. I did not believe this was an issue since I thought he was VFR and GMU was just confused about his status earlier. The aircraft eventually landed without incident. Upon arriving to work the next morning I was told that the aircraft was not VFR; but was IFR during the entire emergency. I have no real recommendations as it was just a very unique situation with the emergency and confusion about the IFR/VFR status of the plane. I should have verified if there was ever any question of his status.
GSP TRACON Controller reported they allowed an IFR emergency aircraft to fly below the Minimum Vectoring Altitude because they believed the aircraft was VFR.