Narrative:

Children's hospital called for a possible 'baby run' to hope, ar. I proceeded to little rock FSS for a briefing. I filed my flight plans under lifeguard call sign for a little rock takeoff and a return flight. The alternate was fsm with 250 broken and 25 mi visibility. Actual takeoff from little rock was at XY50 CST. Because this was more than 30 mins late, I had returned to FSS for a WX update. Txk latest WX was 800' and 4 mi visibility, so prospects of landing at hope were even better. The medical crew was headed by a doctor and 2 nurses. We were to pick up a tiny baby girl in an incubator. Flight proceeded normally until handed off to ZFW. At that time, I requested the WX at txk and was told that it was 200' and 1/2 mi visibility. This meant that the approach at hope was not likely. I then contacted hope unicom and determined that approach there would be useless. I asked the unicom operator to call the hospital and send the ambulance ot meet us at txk. I then requested vectors from ZFW for an ILS 22 approach at txk. The hospital in hope phoned me to let me know the ambulance was to arrive in txk in about 30 mins. I then got a WX update showing txk was again 200' and 1/2 mi visibility, and finally fsm was 250 scattered, 25 mi. When the ambulance returned, we quickly loaded the patient and started up. ATIS gave 200' and 1/2 mi visibility. I was told to taxi runway 22 and stand by for clearance. After receiving my clearance and en route the end of runway 22, ground informed me txk was 100' and 1/4 mi. I told ground I wished he had waited a couple of mins because I needed 1/2 mi. Upon reaching the runway end, I could see runway 22/13 intersection (1375') and at least 12 runway edge lights. I felt I was seeing 1/2 mi, but tower because of the low ceiling was not seeing as far. We started a wait at the end of the runway that lasted more than 20 mins. The medical team asked how much longer. I told them it was not looking better and unless we had a medical emergency we might have to stay at txk. The doctor stated the baby had to get to children's hospital, and if we delayed much longer, they might run out of O2/batteries for their monitors. I relayed this information to the tower. They asked if I wanted to use my lifeguard priority for an immediate takeoff. I thought I must take this opportunity, if we were to give this baby a chance. I agreed to the priority, and was cleared for takeoff. After takeoff, I overhead tower inform small transport a commuter destined for dallas, that the new WX was 100' ceiling and 3/16 mi visibility. The small transport apparently also took off and was on ZFW within a couple of mins of me. Upon arrival at lit, WX was 200' overcast and 1/2 mi visibility with an RVR of 4000'. After landing and xfer of the patient to the ambulance, I was informed by the FSDO that I was under investigation. I feel I had both a legal and a moral dilemma. When the tower came out with their latest observation, I could see at least 1/2 mi on the ground while the tower could not, possibly due to the lower ragged ceiling. When I finally did take off, and got on the runway, I could see at least 1/3 of the 6600' runway. I still felt I had my 1/2 mi and there was no safety degradation involved. I did not declare an emergency. I did accept the tower's offer to allow me to exercise my lifeguard priority for takeoff. I felt that the tower understood my predicament and desired to help. Should an ambulance be stopped with a patient aboard for such a borderline decision with a life in the balance? If the baby was your's or your daughter's, what would you want me to do?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS PLT DEPARTS BELOW MINIMUMS USING 'LIFEGUARD PRIORITY.'

Narrative: CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL CALLED FOR A POSSIBLE 'BABY RUN' TO HOPE, AR. I PROCEEDED TO LITTLE ROCK FSS FOR A BRIEFING. I FILED MY FLT PLANS UNDER LIFEGUARD CALL SIGN FOR A LITTLE ROCK TKOF AND A RETURN FLT. THE ALTERNATE WAS FSM WITH 250 BROKEN AND 25 MI VISIBILITY. ACTUAL TKOF FROM LITTLE ROCK WAS AT XY50 CST. BECAUSE THIS WAS MORE THAN 30 MINS LATE, I HAD RETURNED TO FSS FOR A WX UPDATE. TXK LATEST WX WAS 800' AND 4 MI VISIBILITY, SO PROSPECTS OF LNDG AT HOPE WERE EVEN BETTER. THE MEDICAL CREW WAS HEADED BY A DOCTOR AND 2 NURSES. WE WERE TO PICK UP A TINY BABY GIRL IN AN INCUBATOR. FLT PROCEEDED NORMALLY UNTIL HANDED OFF TO ZFW. AT THAT TIME, I REQUESTED THE WX AT TXK AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS 200' AND 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. THIS MEANT THAT THE APCH AT HOPE WAS NOT LIKELY. I THEN CONTACTED HOPE UNICOM AND DETERMINED THAT APCH THERE WOULD BE USELESS. I ASKED THE UNICOM OPERATOR TO CALL THE HOSPITAL AND SEND THE AMBULANCE OT MEET US AT TXK. I THEN REQUESTED VECTORS FROM ZFW FOR AN ILS 22 APCH AT TXK. THE HOSPITAL IN HOPE PHONED ME TO LET ME KNOW THE AMBULANCE WAS TO ARRIVE IN TXK IN ABOUT 30 MINS. I THEN GOT A WX UPDATE SHOWING TXK WAS AGAIN 200' AND 1/2 MI VISIBILITY, AND FINALLY FSM WAS 250 SCATTERED, 25 MI. WHEN THE AMBULANCE RETURNED, WE QUICKLY LOADED THE PATIENT AND STARTED UP. ATIS GAVE 200' AND 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. I WAS TOLD TO TAXI RWY 22 AND STAND BY FOR CLRNC. AFTER RECEIVING MY CLRNC AND ENRTE THE END OF RWY 22, GND INFORMED ME TXK WAS 100' AND 1/4 MI. I TOLD GND I WISHED HE HAD WAITED A COUPLE OF MINS BECAUSE I NEEDED 1/2 MI. UPON REACHING THE RWY END, I COULD SEE RWY 22/13 INTXN (1375') AND AT LEAST 12 RWY EDGE LIGHTS. I FELT I WAS SEEING 1/2 MI, BUT TWR BECAUSE OF THE LOW CEILING WAS NOT SEEING AS FAR. WE STARTED A WAIT AT THE END OF THE RWY THAT LASTED MORE THAN 20 MINS. THE MEDICAL TEAM ASKED HOW MUCH LONGER. I TOLD THEM IT WAS NOT LOOKING BETTER AND UNLESS WE HAD A MEDICAL EMER WE MIGHT HAVE TO STAY AT TXK. THE DOCTOR STATED THE BABY HAD TO GET TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, AND IF WE DELAYED MUCH LONGER, THEY MIGHT RUN OUT OF O2/BATTERIES FOR THEIR MONITORS. I RELAYED THIS INFO TO THE TWR. THEY ASKED IF I WANTED TO USE MY LIFEGUARD PRIORITY FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF. I THOUGHT I MUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, IF WE WERE TO GIVE THIS BABY A CHANCE. I AGREED TO THE PRIORITY, AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. AFTER TKOF, I OVERHEAD TWR INFORM SMT A COMMUTER DESTINED FOR DALLAS, THAT THE NEW WX WAS 100' CEILING AND 3/16 MI VISIBILITY. THE SMT APPARENTLY ALSO TOOK OFF AND WAS ON ZFW WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINS OF ME. UPON ARR AT LIT, WX WAS 200' OVCST AND 1/2 MI VISIBILITY WITH AN RVR OF 4000'. AFTER LNDG AND XFER OF THE PATIENT TO THE AMBULANCE, I WAS INFORMED BY THE FSDO THAT I WAS UNDER INVESTIGATION. I FEEL I HAD BOTH A LEGAL AND A MORAL DILEMMA. WHEN THE TWR CAME OUT WITH THEIR LATEST OBSERVATION, I COULD SEE AT LEAST 1/2 MI ON THE GND WHILE THE TWR COULD NOT, POSSIBLY DUE TO THE LOWER RAGGED CEILING. WHEN I FINALLY DID TAKE OFF, AND GOT ON THE RWY, I COULD SEE AT LEAST 1/3 OF THE 6600' RWY. I STILL FELT I HAD MY 1/2 MI AND THERE WAS NO SAFETY DEGRADATION INVOLVED. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER. I DID ACCEPT THE TWR'S OFFER TO ALLOW ME TO EXERCISE MY LIFEGUARD PRIORITY FOR TKOF. I FELT THAT THE TWR UNDERSTOOD MY PREDICAMENT AND DESIRED TO HELP. SHOULD AN AMBULANCE BE STOPPED WITH A PATIENT ABOARD FOR SUCH A BORDERLINE DECISION WITH A LIFE IN THE BALANCE? IF THE BABY WAS YOUR'S OR YOUR DAUGHTER'S, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT ME TO DO?

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.