Narrative:

We had a short flight scheduled 20 mi north of our hospital location. I had just driven down from the area that this flight was going. While en route in my car I was assessing the WX conditions and made a mental note that I could fly with these current conditions. Upon my arrival at the hospital I was notified we had this short flight scheduled to the location mentioned above. I discussed the WX with the pilot going off duty. Prior to making a go or no go decision, I obtained a WX briefing from FSS (and called our destination for a layman's (county police) report of current conditions). Conditions were MVFR with VFR flight not recommended. A chance of 800 scattered was also noted variable to 1200 after XA00 pm local. Visibility varied. At time of departure local visibility was 10 mi by the pilot. While at cruise some light scattered (scud) clouds were encountered at 1900 (1000 AGL) MSL. I descended 150' to 1750 MSL and slowed airspeed to 100 KT. No clouds were encountered for about another 5 mi at which time again some light thin clouds were encountered. At this time I notified the crew that we were going to turn around and abort back to the hospital. Upon initiating the 180 degree turn, I transitioned to instruments along with a reduction in airspeed. While reducing airspeed I climbed or gained 200-300' of altitude, at which time the flight nurse notified me that she could not see any lights. I diverted my attention outside to find indeed that we had gone IFR. Before obtaining complete transition back to instruments more altitude was gained and a steep bank angle was noted. By using the instruments a recovery was made from the previously mentioned altitude. After the recovery I turned to my original target heading (south) and descended back to my original altitude, at which time we regained visual contact with ground lights. A landing was then performed. A more thorough interpretation of the WX would possibly make for a no go decision, regardless of good visibility and ceiling. More attention to the chance of a scattered layer would have made for possible no go decision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS HELICOPTER FLEW INTO DETERIORATING WX. ENTERED IMC.

Narrative: WE HAD A SHORT FLT SCHEDULED 20 MI N OF OUR HOSPITAL LOCATION. I HAD JUST DRIVEN DOWN FROM THE AREA THAT THIS FLT WAS GOING. WHILE ENRTE IN MY CAR I WAS ASSESSING THE WX CONDITIONS AND MADE A MENTAL NOTE THAT I COULD FLY WITH THESE CURRENT CONDITIONS. UPON MY ARR AT THE HOSPITAL I WAS NOTIFIED WE HAD THIS SHORT FLT SCHEDULED TO THE LOCATION MENTIONED ABOVE. I DISCUSSED THE WX WITH THE PLT GOING OFF DUTY. PRIOR TO MAKING A GO OR NO GO DECISION, I OBTAINED A WX BRIEFING FROM FSS (AND CALLED OUR DEST FOR A LAYMAN'S (COUNTY POLICE) REPORT OF CURRENT CONDITIONS). CONDITIONS WERE MVFR WITH VFR FLT NOT RECOMMENDED. A CHANCE OF 800 SCATTERED WAS ALSO NOTED VARIABLE TO 1200 AFTER XA00 PM LOCAL. VISIBILITY VARIED. AT TIME OF DEP LOCAL VISIBILITY WAS 10 MI BY THE PLT. WHILE AT CRUISE SOME LIGHT SCATTERED (SCUD) CLOUDS WERE ENCOUNTERED AT 1900 (1000 AGL) MSL. I DESCENDED 150' TO 1750 MSL AND SLOWED AIRSPEED TO 100 KT. NO CLOUDS WERE ENCOUNTERED FOR ABOUT ANOTHER 5 MI AT WHICH TIME AGAIN SOME LIGHT THIN CLOUDS WERE ENCOUNTERED. AT THIS TIME I NOTIFIED THE CREW THAT WE WERE GOING TO TURN AROUND AND ABORT BACK TO THE HOSPITAL. UPON INITIATING THE 180 DEG TURN, I TRANSITIONED TO INSTRUMENTS ALONG WITH A REDUCTION IN AIRSPEED. WHILE REDUCING AIRSPEED I CLIMBED OR GAINED 200-300' OF ALT, AT WHICH TIME THE FLT NURSE NOTIFIED ME THAT SHE COULD NOT SEE ANY LIGHTS. I DIVERTED MY ATTN OUTSIDE TO FIND INDEED THAT WE HAD GONE IFR. BEFORE OBTAINING COMPLETE TRANSITION BACK TO INSTRUMENTS MORE ALT WAS GAINED AND A STEEP BANK ANGLE WAS NOTED. BY USING THE INSTRUMENTS A RECOVERY WAS MADE FROM THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED ALT. AFTER THE RECOVERY I TURNED TO MY ORIGINAL TARGET HDG (SOUTH) AND DESCENDED BACK TO MY ORIGINAL ALT, AT WHICH TIME WE REGAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH GND LIGHTS. A LNDG WAS THEN PERFORMED. A MORE THOROUGH INTERPRETATION OF THE WX WOULD POSSIBLY MAKE FOR A NO GO DECISION, REGARDLESS OF GOOD VISIBILITY AND CEILING. MORE ATTN TO THE CHANCE OF A SCATTERED LAYER WOULD HAVE MADE FOR POSSIBLE NO GO DECISION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.