Helicopter flying VFR entered IMC.

Attributes
ACN	168486
Time
Date	199101
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ogg
State Reference	HI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zhn
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3030 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	168486
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

An inadvertent intrusion into IMC occurred in uncontrolled airspace below 1200' AGL. Flying through a canyon below a broken layer, a VFR climb was initiated to climb above the broken layer and depart the canyon. The climb was through a break in the clouds as to remain clear of clouds. Approximately halfway through the assent, visibility contact with clear sky and the horizon ahead was lost. At this point the aircraft had to be flown solely by reference to INS. Maintaining climb, airspeed, attitude and heading the time flown by reference to INS was about 5 seconds. The flight continued and terminated west/O incident. Poor judgement was exercised by not taking an alternate route. Low lying (surface) clouds can move very rapidly, obscuring what moments before was a clear passage. The FAA does not require commercial helicopter pilots to have any INS flight skills. I believe this skill is imperative and should be required, to some degree, of all professional pilots. Since helicopter's are inherently unstable, the time available to maintain aircraft control from outside (visibility) to inside (INS) is even more reduced that in fixed wing aircraft. This xfer must happen almost instantly in a helicopter in order to maintain aircraft control. Consequently, I believe all individuals flying people for hire, fixed wing and rotorcraft should be able to make that instant xfer from outside to inside.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER FLYING VFR ENTERED IMC.

Narrative: AN INADVERTENT INTRUSION INTO IMC OCCURRED IN UNCONTROLLED AIRSPACE BELOW 1200' AGL. FLYING THROUGH A CANYON BELOW A BROKEN LAYER, A VFR CLB WAS INITIATED TO CLB ABOVE THE BROKEN LAYER AND DEPART THE CANYON. THE CLB WAS THROUGH A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS AS TO REMAIN CLR OF CLOUDS. APPROX HALFWAY THROUGH THE ASSENT, VIS CONTACT WITH CLR SKY AND THE HORIZON AHEAD WAS LOST. AT THIS POINT THE ACFT HAD TO BE FLOWN SOLELY BY REF TO INS. MAINTAINING CLB, AIRSPD, ATTITUDE AND HDG THE TIME FLOWN BY REF TO INS WAS ABOUT 5 SECS. THE FLT CONTINUED AND TERMINATED W/O INCIDENT. POOR JUDGEMENT WAS EXERCISED BY NOT TAKING AN ALTERNATE RTE. LOW LYING (SURFACE) CLOUDS CAN MOVE VERY RAPIDLY, OBSCURING WHAT MOMENTS BEFORE WAS A CLR PASSAGE. THE FAA DOES NOT REQUIRE COMMERCIAL HELI PLTS TO HAVE ANY INS FLT SKILLS. I BELIEVE THIS SKILL IS IMPERATIVE AND SHOULD BE REQUIRED, TO SOME DEGREE, OF ALL PROFESSIONAL PLTS. SINCE HELI'S ARE INHERENTLY UNSTABLE, THE TIME AVAILABLE TO MAINTAIN ACFT CTL FROM OUTSIDE (VIS) TO INSIDE (INS) IS EVEN MORE REDUCED THAT IN FIXED WING ACFT. THIS XFER MUST HAPPEN ALMOST INSTANTLY IN A HELI IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ACFT CTL. CONSEQUENTLY, I BELIEVE ALL INDIVIDUALS FLYING PEOPLE FOR HIRE, FIXED WING AND ROTORCRAFT SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT INSTANT XFER FROM OUTSIDE TO INSIDE.

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.