Narrative:

Ferrying a boeing 234 helicopter from newport, or, to fortuna, ca, in marginal WX, stopped for fuel and WX brief at cresent city, ca. WX was good VFR at cresent city and arcata with rain showers in the area. 2000 ft ceilings and visibility 5-10 mi. After passing arcata the WX dropped low enough that we were unable to go inland to fortuna. The FSS at arcata was just recently shut down. None of my current charts or flight guide showed any new CTAF frequencys. Called oakland FSS for WX and they were unable to contact the WX observer at arcata. At 5 mi I could see the airport and told FSS that I had better than 1000 ft ceiling and 3 mi and was landing at arcata. He acknowledged but called back when I was over the numbers of runway 2 and said the WX observer had just called in with 1400 ft ceiling and 2 1/2 mi visibility. I told him I had landed. I never was able to get the new CTAF until the next day's departure. Closure of the arcata FSS creates a real problem by not allowing pilots access to real time WX and the ability to get a clearance into the class east airspace when the WX goes down in a hurry. There is no ASOS, just hourly observations. Also this field is quite busy with 2 regional carriers operating in and out. At the time we were landing there was no traffic and we landed on the cross runway and taxied into the ramp. I could have done more preflight planning which might have kept me out of this situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B234 HELI ENCOUNTERS WX AND UNABLE TO CONTINUE DSNDS AND LANDS AT NON TWR ARPT. EFFORTS TO OBTAIN REAL WX INFO WAS DIFFICULT SINCE FSS AT ARCATA HAS BEEN CLOSED.

Narrative: FERRYING A BOEING 234 HELI FROM NEWPORT, OR, TO FORTUNA, CA, IN MARGINAL WX, STOPPED FOR FUEL AND WX BRIEF AT CRESENT CITY, CA. WX WAS GOOD VFR AT CRESENT CITY AND ARCATA WITH RAIN SHOWERS IN THE AREA. 2000 FT CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY 5-10 MI. AFTER PASSING ARCATA THE WX DROPPED LOW ENOUGH THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO GO INLAND TO FORTUNA. THE FSS AT ARCATA WAS JUST RECENTLY SHUT DOWN. NONE OF MY CURRENT CHARTS OR FLT GUIDE SHOWED ANY NEW CTAF FREQS. CALLED OAKLAND FSS FOR WX AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT THE WX OBSERVER AT ARCATA. AT 5 MI I COULD SEE THE ARPT AND TOLD FSS THAT I HAD BETTER THAN 1000 FT CEILING AND 3 MI AND WAS LNDG AT ARCATA. HE ACKNOWLEDGED BUT CALLED BACK WHEN I WAS OVER THE NUMBERS OF RWY 2 AND SAID THE WX OBSERVER HAD JUST CALLED IN WITH 1400 FT CEILING AND 2 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. I TOLD HIM I HAD LANDED. I NEVER WAS ABLE TO GET THE NEW CTAF UNTIL THE NEXT DAY'S DEP. CLOSURE OF THE ARCATA FSS CREATES A REAL PROB BY NOT ALLOWING PLTS ACCESS TO REAL TIME WX AND THE ABILITY TO GET A CLRNC INTO THE CLASS E AIRSPACE WHEN THE WX GOES DOWN IN A HURRY. THERE IS NO ASOS, JUST HOURLY OBSERVATIONS. ALSO THIS FIELD IS QUITE BUSY WITH 2 REGIONAL CARRIERS OPERATING IN AND OUT. AT THE TIME WE WERE LNDG THERE WAS NO TFC AND WE LANDED ON THE CROSS RWY AND TAXIED INTO THE RAMP. I COULD HAVE DONE MORE PREFLT PLANNING WHICH MIGHT HAVE KEPT ME OUT OF THIS SIT.

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.