37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 268638 |
Time | |
Date | 199404 |
Day | Sat |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | airport : bvy |
State Reference | MA |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | IMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | tower : bvy tower : ewr |
Operator | general aviation : instructional |
Make Model Name | Helicopter |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
Flight Phase | cruise other cruise other other |
Route In Use | enroute : direct |
Flight Plan | None |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | Other |
Function | flight crew : single pilot |
Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 450 |
ASRS Report | 268638 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | government : faa |
Function | controller : local |
Qualification | controller : non radar |
Events | |
Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
Resolutory Action | other |
Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Weather |
Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Apr/xx/94, got WX briefing from bridgeport WX service XA35 am for a VFR flight from falmoth (5b6) through bos to bvy, approximately a 45 min flight. Departed approximately XB10. WX predicted to deteriorate around XX00 am at the destination. Transitioned through otis AFB (fmh), nzw, and bos VFR. Checked bvy ATIS, they had just gone IFR due to heavy rain. Called tower 5 mi out and requested a SVFR. It was approved as requested. At about 3 mi out, the visibility diminished, a very strong downpour. Visibility was very poor. Looked for an alternate place to land and wait for visibility to improve. Saw a large field, did a low reconnaissance to check safety from people, wires, and obstacles. I landed and immediately called bvy tower. They were not receiving any transmission clearly, but I could hear them. We tried for a min to communicate but no success so I immediately shut the helicopter down and went to a house near by and called the bvy tower. Within 10 mins, the rain subsided, the visibility improved and I called bvy tower back by phone, they again approved a SVFR for me to continue into the area. As soon as I was airborne, I had radar contact and landed at bvy about XX30 am. The airport was nervous because of the loss of contact for that 5 to 8 min period. The main causes were the huge downpour restricting my visibility. Safety first then communicate but they weren't receiving my transmission. Time lapse till I got to the phone.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: EMER OFF ARPT LNDG MADE BY ROTARY WINGED ACFT DUE TO TERMINAL AREA WX.
Narrative: APR/XX/94, GOT WX BRIEFING FROM BRIDGEPORT WX SVC XA35 AM FOR A VFR FLT FROM FALMOTH (5B6) THROUGH BOS TO BVY, APPROX A 45 MIN FLT. DEPARTED APPROX XB10. WX PREDICTED TO DETERIORATE AROUND XX00 AM AT THE DEST. TRANSITIONED THROUGH OTIS AFB (FMH), NZW, AND BOS VFR. CHKED BVY ATIS, THEY HAD JUST GONE IFR DUE TO HVY RAIN. CALLED TWR 5 MI OUT AND REQUESTED A SVFR. IT WAS APPROVED AS REQUESTED. AT ABOUT 3 MI OUT, THE VISIBILITY DIMINISHED, A VERY STRONG DOWNPOUR. VISIBILITY WAS VERY POOR. LOOKED FOR AN ALTERNATE PLACE TO LAND AND WAIT FOR VISIBILITY TO IMPROVE. SAW A LARGE FIELD, DID A LOW RECONNAISSANCE TO CHK SAFETY FROM PEOPLE, WIRES, AND OBSTACLES. I LANDED AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED BVY TWR. THEY WERE NOT RECEIVING ANY XMISSION CLRLY, BUT I COULD HEAR THEM. WE TRIED FOR A MIN TO COMMUNICATE BUT NO SUCCESS SO I IMMEDIATELY SHUT THE HELI DOWN AND WENT TO A HOUSE NEAR BY AND CALLED THE BVY TWR. WITHIN 10 MINS, THE RAIN SUBSIDED, THE VISIBILITY IMPROVED AND I CALLED BVY TWR BACK BY PHONE, THEY AGAIN APPROVED A SVFR FOR ME TO CONTINUE INTO THE AREA. AS SOON AS I WAS AIRBORNE, I HAD RADAR CONTACT AND LANDED AT BVY ABOUT XX30 AM. THE ARPT WAS NERVOUS BECAUSE OF THE LOSS OF CONTACT FOR THAT 5 TO 8 MIN PERIOD. THE MAIN CAUSES WERE THE HUGE DOWNPOUR RESTRICTING MY VISIBILITY. SAFETY FIRST THEN COMMUNICATE BUT THEY WEREN'T RECEIVING MY XMISSION. TIME LAPSE TILL I GOT TO THE PHONE.
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.