EMS helicopter flies close to prohibited area.

Attributes
ACN	250562
Time
Date	199308
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	250562
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying a helicopter owned by the department of public safety and operated by the state police. Writer was PIC during an EMS flight from abc hospital to xyz hospital. Writer was on a 288 degree heading and approximately 3 mi north of the north edge of prohibited area. Writer was in communication with xyz approach and was handed off to ZZZ, 120.75. Writer asked ZZZ if EMS flight could take up a heading of 240 degrees and fly toward xyz hospital without violating the prohibited area. Writer was told that he could. Writer took that heading and was looking for the hospital, the LORAN being used as well as visual navigation. Writer was not familiar with the hospital and was scanning the area for the pad. ZZZ told writer that the tower had been alerted that helicopter was within 1 mi of the prohibited area. Writer had been paying close attention to prohibited area and turned more to the west from his 240 degree heading, thinking that helicopter was out of prohibited area. Writer then saw the observatory, approximately 1 mi away, while flying toward the river, in an effort to find the hospital as there was a spinal injury patient onboard and the LORAN was evidently off target. When writer found the hospital pad, the LORAN showed the pad .8 mi to the of the pad's actual location. The tower told writer that they had mr. X on the phone. Writer told the tower that he was circling the hospital pad, trying to contact the hospital to confirm that helicopter was at the correct location. When writer landed, he went into the hospital and called the police on landline and advised them what he had done and the circumstances, giving his name, rank and affiliation (the state police). Now that writer knows exactly where the hospital is, in the future, it is his intention to take the helicopter route to avoid this happening again. Writer had not been in the area in more than a yr and had never been to this particular hospital. Writer did check the sectional before leaving theh abc hospital.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS HELI FLIES CLOSE TO PROHIBITED AREA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A HELI OWNED BY THE DEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND OPERATED BY THE STATE POLICE. WRITER WAS PIC DURING AN EMS FLT FROM ABC HOSPITAL TO XYZ HOSPITAL. WRITER WAS ON A 288 DEG HDG AND APPROX 3 MI N OF THE N EDGE OF PROHIBITED AREA. WRITER WAS IN COM WITH XYZ APCH AND WAS HANDED OFF TO ZZZ, 120.75. WRITER ASKED ZZZ IF EMS FLT COULD TAKE UP A HDG OF 240 DEGS AND FLY TOWARD XYZ HOSPITAL WITHOUT VIOLATING THE PROHIBITED AREA. WRITER WAS TOLD THAT HE COULD. WRITER TOOK THAT HDG AND WAS LOOKING FOR THE HOSPITAL, THE LORAN BEING USED AS WELL AS VISUAL NAV. WRITER WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE HOSPITAL AND WAS SCANNING THE AREA FOR THE PAD. ZZZ TOLD WRITER THAT THE TWR HAD BEEN ALERTED THAT HELI WAS WITHIN 1 MI OF THE PROHIBITED AREA. WRITER HAD BEEN PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO PROHIBITED AREA AND TURNED MORE TO THE W FROM HIS 240 DEG HDG, THINKING THAT HELI WAS OUT OF PROHIBITED AREA. WRITER THEN SAW THE OBSERVATORY, APPROX 1 MI AWAY, WHILE FLYING TOWARD THE RIVER, IN AN EFFORT TO FIND THE HOSPITAL AS THERE WAS A SPINAL INJURY PATIENT ONBOARD AND THE LORAN WAS EVIDENTLY OFF TARGET. WHEN WRITER FOUND THE HOSPITAL PAD, THE LORAN SHOWED THE PAD .8 MI TO THE OF THE PAD'S ACTUAL LOCATION. THE TWR TOLD WRITER THAT THEY HAD MR. X ON THE PHONE. WRITER TOLD THE TWR THAT HE WAS CIRCLING THE HOSPITAL PAD, TRYING TO CONTACT THE HOSPITAL TO CONFIRM THAT HELI WAS AT THE CORRECT LOCATION. WHEN WRITER LANDED, HE WENT INTO THE HOSPITAL AND CALLED THE POLICE ON LANDLINE AND ADVISED THEM WHAT HE HAD DONE AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES, GIVING HIS NAME, RANK AND AFFILIATION (THE STATE POLICE). NOW THAT WRITER KNOWS EXACTLY WHERE THE HOSPITAL IS, IN THE FUTURE, IT IS HIS INTENTION TO TAKE THE HELI RTE TO AVOID THIS HAPPENING AGAIN. WRITER HAD NOT BEEN IN THE AREA IN MORE THAN A YR AND HAD NEVER BEEN TO THIS PARTICULAR HOSPITAL. WRITER DID CHK THE SECTIONAL BEFORE LEAVING THEH ABC HOSPITAL.

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.