Narrative:

Departed the hospital in town at XA33 local in jan 1997. The WX was thin scattered with about 6 mi visibility and my base was reporting clear and 5 mi visibility, temperature 16 degrees C, dewpoint 15 degrees C, and wind 200 degrees at 10 KTS. My initial plan was to stay below the scattered layer which was about 1500 ft MSL and return to my base. I expected the WX to improve as we flew east. It did not, so I turned south to follow lower terrain out of the town's area. I began to encounter thin scattered clouds at 1200 ft MSL. With the WX at my base still reporting clear, I elected to climb through the thin scattered layer of clouds rather than continue low level. The scattered layer bases were at 1500 ft and tops at 1800 ft. I climbed to 3500 ft MSL and flew east towards my base and continued to check on the WX below. It was thin scattered with lights visible through it. At about 22 NM (9 mins) out, the level below turned solid to broken. I looked behind me and that was solid, too. I called approach and the tower said my base was still clear. At 8 mi out I asked for the WX again because I could only see a glow and occasionally some ground lights. The tower reported the WX as still clear then stopped and said that WX was moving in from the west rapidly. The WX then went to 700 ft broken and 5 mi in mist. I continued to occasionally see ground lights through the layer. I was concerned the WX would deteriorate further. I declared an emergency and was cleared for an ILS to runway 4R. After requesting approach information, I asked to be vectored back out to reintercept the localizer due to high ground speed and not comfortable with the approach. I entered the cloud layer at about 1800 ft and broke out at about 800 ft MSL. The cabin crew reported ground lights visible throughout the descent. I stayed on the instruments in order to not become disoriented or get vertigo. In retrospect, I should have stayed below the cloud layer and continued to my base, even though the reported and forecasted WX there indicated the climb would be a better course of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMS HELI FLC FINDS THEMSELVES OVER A RAPIDLY THICKENING UNDERCAST IN AN ACFT THIS IS NOT, APPARENTLY, CERTIFIED FOR IFR. THEY HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMER TO MAKE AN ILS APCH TO THEIR HOME BASE.

Narrative: DEPARTED THE HOSPITAL IN TOWN AT XA33 LCL IN JAN 1997. THE WX WAS THIN SCATTERED WITH ABOUT 6 MI VISIBILITY AND MY BASE WAS RPTING CLR AND 5 MI VISIBILITY, TEMP 16 DEGS C, DEWPOINT 15 DEGS C, AND WIND 200 DEGS AT 10 KTS. MY INITIAL PLAN WAS TO STAY BELOW THE SCATTERED LAYER WHICH WAS ABOUT 1500 FT MSL AND RETURN TO MY BASE. I EXPECTED THE WX TO IMPROVE AS WE FLEW E. IT DID NOT, SO I TURNED S TO FOLLOW LOWER TERRAIN OUT OF THE TOWN'S AREA. I BEGAN TO ENCOUNTER THIN SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 1200 FT MSL. WITH THE WX AT MY BASE STILL RPTING CLR, I ELECTED TO CLB THROUGH THE THIN SCATTERED LAYER OF CLOUDS RATHER THAN CONTINUE LOW LEVEL. THE SCATTERED LAYER BASES WERE AT 1500 FT AND TOPS AT 1800 FT. I CLBED TO 3500 FT MSL AND FLEW E TOWARDS MY BASE AND CONTINUED TO CHK ON THE WX BELOW. IT WAS THIN SCATTERED WITH LIGHTS VISIBLE THROUGH IT. AT ABOUT 22 NM (9 MINS) OUT, THE LEVEL BELOW TURNED SOLID TO BROKEN. I LOOKED BEHIND ME AND THAT WAS SOLID, TOO. I CALLED APCH AND THE TWR SAID MY BASE WAS STILL CLR. AT 8 MI OUT I ASKED FOR THE WX AGAIN BECAUSE I COULD ONLY SEE A GLOW AND OCCASIONALLY SOME GND LIGHTS. THE TWR RPTED THE WX AS STILL CLR THEN STOPPED AND SAID THAT WX WAS MOVING IN FROM THE W RAPIDLY. THE WX THEN WENT TO 700 FT BROKEN AND 5 MI IN MIST. I CONTINUED TO OCCASIONALLY SEE GND LIGHTS THROUGH THE LAYER. I WAS CONCERNED THE WX WOULD DETERIORATE FURTHER. I DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS CLRED FOR AN ILS TO RWY 4R. AFTER REQUESTING APCH INFO, I ASKED TO BE VECTORED BACK OUT TO REINTERCEPT THE LOC DUE TO HIGH GND SPD AND NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE APCH. I ENTERED THE CLOUD LAYER AT ABOUT 1800 FT AND BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 800 FT MSL. THE CABIN CREW RPTED GND LIGHTS VISIBLE THROUGHOUT THE DSCNT. I STAYED ON THE INSTS IN ORDER TO NOT BECOME DISORIENTED OR GET VERTIGO. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE STAYED BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER AND CONTINUED TO MY BASE, EVEN THOUGH THE RPTED AND FORECASTED WX THERE INDICATED THE CLB WOULD BE A BETTER COURSE OF ACTION.

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.