Narrative:

I picked up 2 burn patients at XXX hospital in xyz, to transport to the burn center in abc. Having previously checked WX prior to departing abc, I checked the hospital's WX radar. The radar showed a line of thunderstorms stretching from just south of ZZZ to just west of LLL. The line appeared to be about 8 mi wide. Based on my analysis of the WX reports and the radar picture, I determined that I could track east of the line of thunderstorms to a point southeast of ZZZ and then proceed direct to abc. I filed IFR to abc to maintain positive ATC contact and preclude the possibility of problems with low mountain obscurations. I fully expected to complete the flight in VMC conditions. I departed the hospital helipad VFR and called ZZZ approach for my IFR clearance. I was cleared direct to abc with an assigned altitude of 6000 ft MSL. The controller gave me an update on the line of thunderstorms and authority/authorized to deviation as necessary east of course to avoid WX. Based on my aircraft's WX radar and stormscope indications, I requested a southerly heading. The controller informed me of the requirement to climb to 9000 ft on that heading and I acknowledged the clearance. The controller pointed out that he was painting a cell just ahead and to my right. He asked if I had WX radar or stormscope capabilities. I informed him that I did and that I was painting the storm. My radar and stormscope indicated that a southerly track would keep me clear of the storm. I climb through a scattered layer at both 6000 ft and 8000 ft. As I passed through 8400 ft I encountered a moderate rain shower that did not appear on my radar. My flight visibility was significantly reduced. Within seconds of encountering the rain shower, my #2 VHF communication radio emitted very loud static. Concerned with the possibility of encountering ice, I leveled off at 8500 ft and attempted to contact approach. Unable to do so, I elected to make a turn to the east using the autoplt coupled in the heading mode. During the turn I attempted to select the appropriate ATC frequency on the #1 VHF communication radio. While my attention was diverted to the radio, I felt the aircraft's angle of bank increase and the nose pitch up. As I returned my attention to the pilot's ADI I noticed the afcs caution light illuminated, an off flag displayed on the pilot's ADI, and the airspeed decreasing rapidly through 60 KIAS. Unable to read the standby attitude indicator because of dim lighting, I shifted my focus to the copilot's ADI. The copilot's ADI indicated a greater than standard rate-of- turn and an excessive nose up attitude. I immediately initiated recovery procedures. During recovery I descended through 8000 ft on a southerly heading. Clearing the rain and in VMC conditions I continued descending and called ATC to report the problem. Still getting static, I selected the appropriate ATC radio frequency on the #1 VHF communication radio. Immediately I heard ATC calling to inform me that my altitude would not allow continuation on an IFR clearance and asking what my intentions were. In the ensuing dialogue I did a poor job of communicating my desire to return to xyz while maintaining an option of completing the flight on an IFR clearance if VMC conditions could not be maintained. Terrain did not permit landing at our current location. After some confusion, I canceled IFR and returned to xyz VFR. During the return trip, I found the circuit breaker for the pilot's attitude system had popped. I reset the circuit breaker and the pilot's attitude system returned to normal operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS HELI ATTEMPTING TO TRANSPORT BURN PATIENTS TO A BURN CTR HOSPITAL ENCOUNTERED WX ENRTE RESULTING IN TEMPORARY LOSS OF CTL AS WELL AS DEVIATING FROM ALT. DUE TO WX HE HAD TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: I PICKED UP 2 BURN PATIENTS AT XXX HOSPITAL IN XYZ, TO TRANSPORT TO THE BURN CTR IN ABC. HAVING PREVIOUSLY CHKED WX PRIOR TO DEPARTING ABC, I CHKED THE HOSPITAL'S WX RADAR. THE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF TSTMS STRETCHING FROM JUST S OF ZZZ TO JUST W OF LLL. THE LINE APPEARED TO BE ABOUT 8 MI WIDE. BASED ON MY ANALYSIS OF THE WX RPTS AND THE RADAR PICTURE, I DETERMINED THAT I COULD TRACK E OF THE LINE OF TSTMS TO A POINT SE OF ZZZ AND THEN PROCEED DIRECT TO ABC. I FILED IFR TO ABC TO MAINTAIN POSITIVE ATC CONTACT AND PRECLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF PROBS WITH LOW MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS. I FULLY EXPECTED TO COMPLETE THE FLT IN VMC CONDITIONS. I DEPARTED THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD VFR AND CALLED ZZZ APCH FOR MY IFR CLRNC. I WAS CLRED DIRECT TO ABC WITH AN ASSIGNED ALT OF 6000 FT MSL. THE CTLR GAVE ME AN UPDATE ON THE LINE OF TSTMS AND AUTH TO DEV AS NECESSARY E OF COURSE TO AVOID WX. BASED ON MY ACFT'S WX RADAR AND STORMSCOPE INDICATIONS, I REQUESTED A SOUTHERLY HEADING. THE CTLR INFORMED ME OF THE REQUIREMENT TO CLB TO 9000 FT ON THAT HEADING AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC. THE CTLR POINTED OUT THAT HE WAS PAINTING A CELL JUST AHEAD AND TO MY R. HE ASKED IF I HAD WX RADAR OR STORMSCOPE CAPABILITIES. I INFORMED HIM THAT I DID AND THAT I WAS PAINTING THE STORM. MY RADAR AND STORMSCOPE INDICATED THAT A SOUTHERLY TRACK WOULD KEEP ME CLR OF THE STORM. I CLB THROUGH A SCATTERED LAYER AT BOTH 6000 FT AND 8000 FT. AS I PASSED THROUGH 8400 FT I ENCOUNTERED A MODERATE RAIN SHOWER THAT DID NOT APPEAR ON MY RADAR. MY FLT VISIBILITY WAS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED. WITHIN SECONDS OF ENCOUNTERING THE RAIN SHOWER, MY #2 VHF COM RADIO EMITTED VERY LOUD STATIC. CONCERNED WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF ENCOUNTERING ICE, I LEVELED OFF AT 8500 FT AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APCH. UNABLE TO DO SO, I ELECTED TO MAKE A TURN TO THE E USING THE AUTOPLT COUPLED IN THE HEADING MODE. DURING THE TURN I ATTEMPTED TO SELECT THE APPROPRIATE ATC FREQ ON THE #1 VHF COM RADIO. WHILE MY ATTN WAS DIVERTED TO THE RADIO, I FELT THE ACFT'S ANGLE OF BANK INCREASE AND THE NOSE PITCH UP. AS I RETURNED MY ATTN TO THE PLT'S ADI I NOTICED THE AFCS CAUTION LIGHT ILLUMINATED, AN OFF FLAG DISPLAYED ON THE PLT'S ADI, AND THE AIRSPD DECREASING RAPIDLY THROUGH 60 KIAS. UNABLE TO READ THE STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR BECAUSE OF DIM LIGHTING, I SHIFTED MY FOCUS TO THE COPLT'S ADI. THE COPLT'S ADI INDICATED A GREATER THAN STANDARD RATE-OF- TURN AND AN EXCESSIVE NOSE UP ATTITUDE. I IMMEDIATELY INITIATED RECOVERY PROCS. DURING RECOVERY I DSNDED THROUGH 8000 FT ON A SOUTHERLY HEADING. CLRING THE RAIN AND IN VMC CONDITIONS I CONTINUED DSNDING AND CALLED ATC TO RPT THE PROB. STILL GETTING STATIC, I SELECTED THE APPROPRIATE ATC RADIO FREQ ON THE #1 VHF COM RADIO. IMMEDIATELY I HEARD ATC CALLING TO INFORM ME THAT MY ALT WOULD NOT ALLOW CONTINUATION ON AN IFR CLRNC AND ASKING WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE. IN THE ENSUING DIALOGUE I DID A POOR JOB OF COMMUNICATING MY DESIRE TO RETURN TO XYZ WHILE MAINTAINING AN OPTION OF COMPLETING THE FLT ON AN IFR CLRNC IF VMC CONDITIONS COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED. TERRAIN DID NOT PERMIT LNDG AT OUR CURRENT LOCATION. AFTER SOME CONFUSION, I CANCELED IFR AND RETURNED TO XYZ VFR. DURING THE RETURN TRIP, I FOUND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE PLT'S ATTITUDE SYS HAD POPPED. I RESET THE CIRCUIT BREAKER AND THE PLT'S ATTITUDE SYS RETURNED TO NORMAL OPS.

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.