Narrative:

I was on an EMS to a landing zone near the xyz VOR. The area forecast called for 10 scattered/broken 45 broken 60. Visibility ocnl 3-5 F. 16-18 Z being 20 scattered 45 broken/overcast. Visibility ocnl 3-5 fh. I was cleared through abc TCA at 800 ft heading 340 degrees. Abc was VFR. Approximately 6 mi north of abc we departed the TCA with a frequency change to def. My intended route would take me over def and west of XXX to the accident, a 15 min leg. South of def there is a ridge line of 500 ft north, 1 at 1000 ft, my highest MEA was 2000 ft. A scud layer was on the ridge line south of def at approximately 800 ft. The def ATIS reported VFR with 14 scattered and 12. I elected to climb above the scud to 2000 ft, cross def's air traffic area, then descend over the scene. I was influenced in this by complaints of low flying in this area which had prompted a company directive (WX and ATC clrncs permitting) to as a min expeditiously climb to 1000 ft AGL and maintain that altitude until descent into the landing zone. I crossed the ridge line at 1400 ft climbing and was cleared by def through the air traffic area at 2000 ft. Over def my plan fell apart. The scud turned to broken to overcast. At this point I should have reversed course but I did not, instead electing to continue expecting the cloud layer to open. This required my climbing. The cloud layer did not open and I found myself between the cloud tops and the TCA floor in its northwest corner. The cloud layer looked lower to the west. I flew in that direction. Before reaching a scattered layer, highway, I crossed into the lower reaches of the TCA, 3000 ft floor in the area. I did not observe any conflicting traffic and my exposure in the TCA lasted just a few mins. These 2 points when stacked against the location of the infraction. I operated within the TCA in an area of both departure and approach routing and near the localizer course for YYY.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF EMS HELI FLT INADVERTENTLY CROSSED INTO A TCA WHEN ENCOUNTERING WX TO REMAIN VFR.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN EMS TO A LNDG ZONE NEAR THE XYZ VOR. THE AREA FORECAST CALLED FOR 10 SCATTERED/BROKEN 45 BROKEN 60. VISIBILITY OCNL 3-5 F. 16-18 Z BEING 20 SCATTERED 45 BROKEN/OVCST. VISIBILITY OCNL 3-5 FH. I WAS CLRED THROUGH ABC TCA AT 800 FT HDG 340 DEGS. ABC WAS VFR. APPROX 6 MI N OF ABC WE DEPARTED THE TCA WITH A FREQ CHANGE TO DEF. MY INTENDED RTE WOULD TAKE ME OVER DEF AND W OF XXX TO THE ACCIDENT, A 15 MIN LEG. S OF DEF THERE IS A RIDGE LINE OF 500 FT N, 1 AT 1000 FT, MY HIGHEST MEA WAS 2000 FT. A SCUD LAYER WAS ON THE RIDGE LINE S OF DEF AT APPROX 800 FT. THE DEF ATIS RPTED VFR WITH 14 SCATTERED AND 12. I ELECTED TO CLB ABOVE THE SCUD TO 2000 FT, CROSS DEF'S ATA, THEN DSND OVER THE SCENE. I WAS INFLUENCED IN THIS BY COMPLAINTS OF LOW FLYING IN THIS AREA WHICH HAD PROMPTED A COMPANY DIRECTIVE (WX AND ATC CLRNCS PERMITTING) TO AS A MIN EXPEDITIOUSLY CLB TO 1000 FT AGL AND MAINTAIN THAT ALT UNTIL DSCNT INTO THE LNDG ZONE. I CROSSED THE RIDGE LINE AT 1400 FT CLBING AND WAS CLRED BY DEF THROUGH THE ATA AT 2000 FT. OVER DEF MY PLAN FELL APART. THE SCUD TURNED TO BROKEN TO OVCST. AT THIS POINT I SHOULD HAVE REVERSED COURSE BUT I DID NOT, INSTEAD ELECTING TO CONTINUE EXPECTING THE CLOUD LAYER TO OPEN. THIS REQUIRED MY CLBING. THE CLOUD LAYER DID NOT OPEN AND I FOUND MYSELF BTWN THE CLOUD TOPS AND THE TCA FLOOR IN ITS NW CORNER. THE CLOUD LAYER LOOKED LOWER TO THE W. I FLEW IN THAT DIRECTION. BEFORE REACHING A SCATTERED LAYER, HIGHWAY, I CROSSED INTO THE LOWER REACHES OF THE TCA, 3000 FT FLOOR IN THE AREA. I DID NOT OBSERVE ANY CONFLICTING TFC AND MY EXPOSURE IN THE TCA LASTED JUST A FEW MINS. THESE 2 POINTS WHEN STACKED AGAINST THE LOCATION OF THE INFRACTION. I OPERATED WITHIN THE TCA IN AN AREA OF BOTH DEP AND APCH ROUTING AND NEAR THE LOC COURSE FOR YYY.

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.