Narrative:

I operate an IFR helicopter in EMS operations. On the day of this occurrence the autoplt was MEL'ed due to anti-torque pedal creep in the coupled mode. This problem had been intermittent. On my previous 3 flts, this problem was not present. However, the MEL restr the aircraft to VFR only. At XA30 I departed hospital en route to ZZZ to pick up a pregnant woman pending a premature delivery. WX reports in the vicinity of the departure point and pick up point were well above my 500/1 and 800/2 VFR minimums (day/night respectively). In fact, ZZZ reported clear csf and 5 mi fog, xyz reported 1700 ft overcast and 7 mi and xyy clear below 12000 ft and 10 mi. Forecast for the area indicated generally 1500 ft overcast 5 mi fog with occasional 2 mi fog. Xyy AWOS continued to report clear below 12000 ft and better than 10 mi. Xyy is approximately 10 NM south of my pickup point. About 5 mi south of my pickup point I saw an area of unforecast ground fog spreading from over the pickup point to the northeast as far as I could see. I had the medical crew make arrangements to pick up the patient at a highway road wayside. Law enforcement secured the area. We picked up the patient and departed without further problems. I called my dispatcher and asked her to call the ASOS at xyz. (This ASOS has been in place for nearly 2 yrs but isn't certified yet. We use it as a source of information but not for planning or to execute approachs.) this ASOS reported 800 ft overcast and 5 mi fog. This didn't correspond with the in-flight conditions I encountered en route. I found myself descending to 500 ft AGL with a couple of mi visibility. I climbed in VFR to 4000 ft, called FSS to verify there was no ice forecast in the clouds. There wasn't. I then had the dispatcher call xyy to see if an observer was on duty, there was. I then elected to request an IFR clearance to execute the runway 34 approach at xyy. I did this then proceeded the 2.3 mi VFR to the hospital. Although reported visibility was 5 mi fog I found it to be closer to 1 1/2 - 2 mi fog. Prior to obtaining the clearance when I descended, I did so due to decreasing in-flight visibility. The clouds were still in front of me. Once I determined no ice was forecast I felt it would be safer to execute an IFR approach rather than 'scud run' to the hospital. (I would have to fly over a marsh area that routinely has lower clouds and visibility. This area is just north of my home hospital.) despite the MEL I still feel I conducted a much safer operation based on my knowledge of the local area and WX. 2 last notes: 1) I did pick up trace rime ice in the clouds during the approach. 2) the patient had started to deliver (which she did soon after we arrived at the hospital). If I had landed short rather than 'scud run' or go IFR, the medical crew would not only had the mom to care for but a 24 week premature baby.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WINGED TFC FLIES IMC IN VFR FLT DURING EMS SVC.

Narrative: I OPERATE AN IFR HELI IN EMS OPS. ON THE DAY OF THIS OCCURRENCE THE AUTOPLT WAS MEL'ED DUE TO ANTI-TORQUE PEDAL CREEP IN THE COUPLED MODE. THIS PROB HAD BEEN INTERMITTENT. ON MY PREVIOUS 3 FLTS, THIS PROB WAS NOT PRESENT. HOWEVER, THE MEL RESTR THE ACFT TO VFR ONLY. AT XA30 I DEPARTED HOSPITAL ENRTE TO ZZZ TO PICK UP A PREGNANT WOMAN PENDING A PREMATURE DELIVERY. WX RPTS IN THE VICINITY OF THE DEP POINT AND PICK UP POINT WERE WELL ABOVE MY 500/1 AND 800/2 VFR MINIMUMS (DAY/NIGHT RESPECTIVELY). IN FACT, ZZZ RPTED CLR CSF AND 5 MI FOG, XYZ RPTED 1700 FT OVCST AND 7 MI AND XYY CLR BELOW 12000 FT AND 10 MI. FORECAST FOR THE AREA INDICATED GENERALLY 1500 FT OVCST 5 MI FOG WITH OCCASIONAL 2 MI FOG. XYY AWOS CONTINUED TO RPT CLR BELOW 12000 FT AND BETTER THAN 10 MI. XYY IS APPROX 10 NM S OF MY PICKUP POINT. ABOUT 5 MI S OF MY PICKUP POINT I SAW AN AREA OF UNFORECAST GND FOG SPREADING FROM OVER THE PICKUP POINT TO THE NE AS FAR AS I COULD SEE. I HAD THE MEDICAL CREW MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO PICK UP THE PATIENT AT A HWY ROAD WAYSIDE. LAW ENFORCEMENT SECURED THE AREA. WE PICKED UP THE PATIENT AND DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. I CALLED MY DISPATCHER AND ASKED HER TO CALL THE ASOS AT XYZ. (THIS ASOS HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR NEARLY 2 YRS BUT ISN'T CERTIFIED YET. WE USE IT AS A SOURCE OF INFO BUT NOT FOR PLANNING OR TO EXECUTE APCHS.) THIS ASOS RPTED 800 FT OVCST AND 5 MI FOG. THIS DIDN'T CORRESPOND WITH THE INFLT CONDITIONS I ENCOUNTERED ENRTE. I FOUND MYSELF DSNDING TO 500 FT AGL WITH A COUPLE OF MI VISIBILITY. I CLBED IN VFR TO 4000 FT, CALLED FSS TO VERIFY THERE WAS NO ICE FORECAST IN THE CLOUDS. THERE WASN'T. I THEN HAD THE DISPATCHER CALL XYY TO SEE IF AN OBSERVER WAS ON DUTY, THERE WAS. I THEN ELECTED TO REQUEST AN IFR CLRNC TO EXECUTE THE RWY 34 APCH AT XYY. I DID THIS THEN PROCEEDED THE 2.3 MI VFR TO THE HOSPITAL. ALTHOUGH RPTED VISIBILITY WAS 5 MI FOG I FOUND IT TO BE CLOSER TO 1 1/2 - 2 MI FOG. PRIOR TO OBTAINING THE CLRNC WHEN I DSNDED, I DID SO DUE TO DECREASING INFLT VISIBILITY. THE CLOUDS WERE STILL IN FRONT OF ME. ONCE I DETERMINED NO ICE WAS FORECAST I FELT IT WOULD BE SAFER TO EXECUTE AN IFR APCH RATHER THAN 'SCUD RUN' TO THE HOSPITAL. (I WOULD HAVE TO FLY OVER A MARSH AREA THAT ROUTINELY HAS LOWER CLOUDS AND VISIBILITY. THIS AREA IS JUST N OF MY HOME HOSPITAL.) DESPITE THE MEL I STILL FEEL I CONDUCTED A MUCH SAFER OP BASED ON MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE LCL AREA AND WX. 2 LAST NOTES: 1) I DID PICK UP TRACE RIME ICE IN THE CLOUDS DURING THE APCH. 2) THE PATIENT HAD STARTED TO DELIVER (WHICH SHE DID SOON AFTER WE ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL). IF I HAD LANDED SHORT RATHER THAN 'SCUD RUN' OR GO IFR, THE MEDICAL CREW WOULD NOT ONLY HAD THE MOM TO CARE FOR BUT A 24 WK PREMATURE BABY.

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.