Narrative:

I received a call from our dispatch alerting me to a request to fly to ZZZ, to transport a patient back to abc. I immediately called abc FSS and received the WX information. Since our company WX minimum standards for that route were 600/1, I told dispatch we could go, and I proceeded to the rooftop helicopter pad. Complicating the launch, which is normally stressful for the pilot due to the hospital's desire to launch within 5 mins of accepting a transport request, was the fact that the helicopter had snow covers installed. Adding to this stress was a personal crisis which was on my mind. Anyway, I launched at xx:10, after almost leaving a stabilizer cover on. En route for the first 40 of the 50 NM trip, the WX was 600-700 sct to broken (ragged) with visibility 3-10 NM. Besides having to make company position reports every 10 min, we work abc approach as we pass under/through the arsa and until they lose radar contact. My procedure then is to switch to the center sector frequency and monitor it for traffic. If winds/ceilings allow a high enough altitude for flight following, I obtain it. Otherwise, I monitor the calls and, if I am going to def, call before passing over xyz to check for any xyz IFR traffic. I also pass my intentions on unicom if low to pattern altitude. However, since the normal track to ZZZ passes 5 mi east, I do/did neither. As we approached 15 NM north of ZZZ, we encountered rain, of steadily increasing intensity. The rain produced warm front type 'skud'. The hills around ZZZ were covered with lowering sct to broken clouds and visibility dropped to 2-3 mi, with better visibility to the southwest. Approximately 3 NM from ZZZ the ceiling and visibility dropped drastically, so I turned southwest, pick up the highway from xyz to ZZZ. It was then that I noticed that highway into ZZZ and landing to the helicopter pad, I called FSS through the xyz remote and obtained the WX. It was IMC quite a change! However, it wasn't until I began checking my chart to plan a route back to abc in case the rain continued that I realized that I had been flailing around in a control zone! The fact that we could have hit an aircraft circling after an instrument approach will cause me to look more closely at the chart for those blue dashed circles.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF EMS HELICOPTER FLEW PASSED ZZZ, ID 2 MI PROX. LATER LEARNED THAT LOWERING WX VISIBILITY HAD ACTIVATED THE CONTROL ZONE.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A CALL FROM OUR DISPATCH ALERTING ME TO A REQUEST TO FLY TO ZZZ, TO TRANSPORT A PATIENT BACK TO ABC. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED ABC FSS AND RECEIVED THE WX INFO. SINCE OUR COMPANY WX MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THAT RTE WERE 600/1, I TOLD DISPATCH WE COULD GO, AND I PROCEEDED TO THE ROOFTOP HELI PAD. COMPLICATING THE LAUNCH, WHICH IS NORMALLY STRESSFUL FOR THE PLT DUE TO THE HOSPITAL'S DESIRE TO LAUNCH WITHIN 5 MINS OF ACCEPTING A TRANSPORT REQUEST, WAS THE FACT THAT THE HELI HAD SNOW COVERS INSTALLED. ADDING TO THIS STRESS WAS A PERSONAL CRISIS WHICH WAS ON MY MIND. ANYWAY, I LAUNCHED AT XX:10, AFTER ALMOST LEAVING A STABILIZER COVER ON. ENRTE FOR THE FIRST 40 OF THE 50 NM TRIP, THE WX WAS 600-700 SCT TO BKN (RAGGED) WITH VIS 3-10 NM. BESIDES HAVING TO MAKE COMPANY POS RPTS EVERY 10 MIN, WE WORK ABC APCH AS WE PASS UNDER/THROUGH THE ARSA AND UNTIL THEY LOSE RADAR CONTACT. MY PROC THEN IS TO SWITCH TO THE CTR SECTOR FREQ AND MONITOR IT FOR TFC. IF WINDS/CEILINGS ALLOW A HIGH ENOUGH ALT FOR FLT FOLLOWING, I OBTAIN IT. OTHERWISE, I MONITOR THE CALLS AND, IF I AM GOING TO DEF, CALL BEFORE PASSING OVER XYZ TO CHK FOR ANY XYZ IFR TFC. I ALSO PASS MY INTENTIONS ON UNICOM IF LOW TO PATTERN ALT. HOWEVER, SINCE THE NORMAL TRACK TO ZZZ PASSES 5 MI E, I DO/DID NEITHER. AS WE APCHED 15 NM N OF ZZZ, WE ENCOUNTERED RAIN, OF STEADILY INCREASING INTENSITY. THE RAIN PRODUCED WARM FRONT TYPE 'SKUD'. THE HILLS AROUND ZZZ WERE COVERED WITH LOWERING SCT TO BKN CLOUDS AND VIS DROPPED TO 2-3 MI, WITH BETTER VIS TO THE SW. APPROX 3 NM FROM ZZZ THE CEILING AND VIS DROPPED DRASTICALLY, SO I TURNED SW, PICK UP THE HIGHWAY FROM XYZ TO ZZZ. IT WAS THEN THAT I NOTICED THAT HIGHWAY INTO ZZZ AND LNDG TO THE HELI PAD, I CALLED FSS THROUGH THE XYZ REMOTE AND OBTAINED THE WX. IT WAS IMC QUITE A CHANGE! HOWEVER, IT WASN'T UNTIL I BEGAN CHKING MY CHART TO PLAN A RTE BACK TO ABC IN CASE THE RAIN CONTINUED THAT I REALIZED THAT I HAD BEEN FLAILING AROUND IN A CTL ZONE! THE FACT THAT WE COULD HAVE HIT AN ACFT CIRCLING AFTER AN INSTRUMENT APCH WILL CAUSE ME TO LOOK MORE CLOSELY AT THE CHART FOR THOSE BLUE DASHED CIRCLES.

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