An lmt helicopter pilot went into IMC on a VFR flight plan. He obtained an IFR clearance and landed ...

Attributes
ACN	225357
Time
Date	199211
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : xyz
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : straight in enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 4160 flight time type : 160
ASRS Report	225357
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

An small transport helicopter pilot on an EMS mission inadvertently got into IMC on a VFR flight plan. He was in the mountainous area near city. The reporter checked the WX with FSS twice before the flight and again at his pickup stop. Higher ceilings than he later encountered were forecast for the entire journey. The plan was to fly from hospital a to pick up at hospital B with a hospital C as the destination. The patient was picked up, but the trip returned and off-loaded the patient because of bad WX ahead. On the return to hospital a, there was more WX lowering rapidly. The reporter went into the WX and obtained a clearance to the ZZZ ILS. The aircraft landed safely. The initial encounter with the WX was at 4500 ft MSL. The aircraft climbed to 6000 ft MSL prior to the ZZZ ILS using radar vectors for navigation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states his recovery from this WX encounter was not difficult due to his instrument training in the military and instrument currency that he maintains on his own. This EMS program is not IFR. Reporter states that all EMS pilots should be required to have IFR rating and currency even if it is not used regularly in their operations.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN LMT HELI PLT WENT INTO IMC ON A VFR FLT PLAN. HE OBTAINED AN IFR CLRNC AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY.

Narrative: AN SMT HELI PLT ON AN EMS MISSION INADVERTENTLY GOT INTO IMC ON A VFR FLT PLAN. HE WAS IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREA NEAR CITY. THE RPTR CHKED THE WX WITH FSS TWICE BEFORE THE FLT AND AGAIN AT HIS PICKUP STOP. HIGHER CEILINGS THAN HE LATER ENCOUNTERED WERE FORECAST FOR THE ENTIRE JOURNEY. THE PLAN WAS TO FLY FROM HOSPITAL A TO PICK UP AT HOSPITAL B WITH A HOSPITAL C AS THE DEST. THE PATIENT WAS PICKED UP, BUT THE TRIP RETURNED AND OFF-LOADED THE PATIENT BECAUSE OF BAD WX AHEAD. ON THE RETURN TO HOSPITAL A, THERE WAS MORE WX LOWERING RAPIDLY. THE RPTR WENT INTO THE WX AND OBTAINED A CLRNC TO THE ZZZ ILS. THE ACFT LANDED SAFELY. THE INITIAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE WX WAS AT 4500 FT MSL. THE ACFT CLBED TO 6000 FT MSL PRIOR TO THE ZZZ ILS USING RADAR VECTORS FOR NAV. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HIS RECOVERY FROM THIS WX ENCOUNTER WAS NOT DIFFICULT DUE TO HIS INST TRAINING IN THE MIL AND INST CURRENCY THAT HE MAINTAINS ON HIS OWN. THIS EMS PROGRAM IS NOT IFR. RPTR STATES THAT ALL EMS PLTS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE IFR RATING AND CURRENCY EVEN IF IT IS NOT USED REGULARLY IN THEIR OPS.

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.

An lmt helicopter pilot went into IMC on a VFR flight plan. He obtained an IFR clearance and landed successfully.