Narrative:

En route to hospital to pick up passenger, WX at airport was 800 ft and 5 mi. Nearest WX to the east was 1500 ft, 7 mi. Hospital is directly in the middle. Over halfway to hospital we entered IMC conditions and requested radar vectors for the ILS runway 32 approach back into airport then we picked up moderate rime icing. Aircraft does not have deicing capabilities, however since we were IMC and just 20 mi from the airport, I elected to stay at 2500 ft MSL for the approach. The aircraft would only fly at about 100 KTS compared to 150 KTS, so I figured the icing had to be moderate or so. On final we broke out (VMC) and landed the aircraft. The aircraft had significant ice on blades and fuselage. Looking back I should have been more prudent about the WX since airport had low ceilings about 1-2 hours earlier than the flight, also since it was extremely dark, I should have been flying at a lower speed, so that I would have had more reaction time and never would have gone IMC. I consider myself lucky that all went well, and I will certainly never forget that gut wrenching feeling of picking up the ice on the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SK76 FLIES VFR INTO IMC IN ZZZ, US, AIRSPACE. DURING THE SHORT FLT, ICING BECOMES MODERATE SO THE HELI RETURNS TO DEP STATION WITH ICE ON ITS ROTARY BLADES AND AIRFRAME.

Narrative: ENRTE TO HOSPITAL TO PICK UP PAX, WX AT ARPT WAS 800 FT AND 5 MI. NEAREST WX TO THE E WAS 1500 FT, 7 MI. HOSPITAL IS DIRECTLY IN THE MIDDLE. OVER HALFWAY TO HOSPITAL WE ENTERED IMC CONDITIONS AND REQUESTED RADAR VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 32 APCH BACK INTO ARPT THEN WE PICKED UP MODERATE RIME ICING. ACFT DOES NOT HAVE DEICING CAPABILITIES, HOWEVER SINCE WE WERE IMC AND JUST 20 MI FROM THE ARPT, I ELECTED TO STAY AT 2500 FT MSL FOR THE APCH. THE ACFT WOULD ONLY FLY AT ABOUT 100 KTS COMPARED TO 150 KTS, SO I FIGURED THE ICING HAD TO BE MODERATE OR SO. ON FINAL WE BROKE OUT (VMC) AND LANDED THE ACFT. THE ACFT HAD SIGNIFICANT ICE ON BLADES AND FUSELAGE. LOOKING BACK I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PRUDENT ABOUT THE WX SINCE ARPT HAD LOW CEILINGS ABOUT 1-2 HRS EARLIER THAN THE FLT, ALSO SINCE IT WAS EXTREMELY DARK, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLYING AT A LOWER SPD, SO THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD MORE REACTION TIME AND NEVER WOULD HAVE GONE IMC. I CONSIDER MYSELF LUCKY THAT ALL WENT WELL, AND I WILL CERTAINLY NEVER FORGET THAT GUT WRENCHING FEELING OF PICKING UP THE ICE ON THE ACFT.

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.