Narrative:

On a helicopter tour as I was en route to an intermediate destination, I encountered WX such that I was not able to continue. I landed in an area of large fields away from people and structures to allow the WX to clear. 4 aircraft were on this flight separated by approximately 2-5 mi from each other. The other 3 completed their tour without incident. My route of flight was different than theirs because my aircraft did not have floats. I elected to stay inland while the other 3 went shoreline. My route was more direct. At 12 mi I could see my intermediate destination (a volcanic vent with volcanic smoke raising into the sky). It was straight ahead. At that time I had an overcast sky and it was high enough to maintain my required 1500 ft AGL (sfar 71) and cloud clearance. Because of noise abatement procedure in the area I could not fly straight to my destination. I was required to use a corridor between subdivisions. The corridor was to my left front approximately 4 mi. I turned towards the corridor and it started to become obscured with misty rain and clouds. I turned back to view my intermediate destination and could still see it with no restrs. To the right of my original route is the slopes of mauna LOA -- a volcanic mountain rising to approximately 14000 ft MSL. I knew the clouds above me would meet that slope, so I could not go in that direction. I told my passenger that the tour was canceled. I decided to circle at my present location, which was an area of open fields. As I circled the ceiling started to drop. When I attempted to go back in the direction I had come, the ceiling had come down so low I felt I would go below my required 1500 ft AGL. The system seemed to be moving very fast. Listening to ATIS at hilo airport, which was approximately 12 mi away, I heard visibility reported at 10 mi. I elected to land in the open field to wait out the WX. After approximately 5 mins the WX began to clear. I departed the open field en route to hilo airport. There I would fuel and start my tour over again. I completed that tour with no other incidents. Because of the restrs of sfar 71 and the noise abatement procedures we follow here in hawaii, and the lack of emergency floats on the aircraft, I was put in a position of compromising safety. If I could have continued on a direct course to the vent I would not have encountered the WX that I did. There was no damage to the aircraft or property.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TOUR HELI PLT RPT ON THE DELAY OF HIS TOUR DUE TO WX NEAR VOLCANO IN HAWAII. RPTR CITES THE DIFFICULTIES INVOLVED IN BEING IN COMPLIANCE WITH SFAR 71, IT BEING TOO ALL-INCLUSIVE AND RESTRICTIVE FOR FULL COMPLIANCE.

Narrative: ON A HELI TOUR AS I WAS ENRTE TO AN INTERMEDIATE DEST, I ENCOUNTERED WX SUCH THAT I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTINUE. I LANDED IN AN AREA OF LARGE FIELDS AWAY FROM PEOPLE AND STRUCTURES TO ALLOW THE WX TO CLR. 4 ACFT WERE ON THIS FLT SEPARATED BY APPROX 2-5 MI FROM EACH OTHER. THE OTHER 3 COMPLETED THEIR TOUR WITHOUT INCIDENT. MY RTE OF FLT WAS DIFFERENT THAN THEIRS BECAUSE MY ACFT DID NOT HAVE FLOATS. I ELECTED TO STAY INLAND WHILE THE OTHER 3 WENT SHORELINE. MY RTE WAS MORE DIRECT. AT 12 MI I COULD SEE MY INTERMEDIATE DEST (A VOLCANIC VENT WITH VOLCANIC SMOKE RAISING INTO THE SKY). IT WAS STRAIGHT AHEAD. AT THAT TIME I HAD AN OVCST SKY AND IT WAS HIGH ENOUGH TO MAINTAIN MY REQUIRED 1500 FT AGL (SFAR 71) AND CLOUD CLRNC. BECAUSE OF NOISE ABATEMENT PROC IN THE AREA I COULD NOT FLY STRAIGHT TO MY DEST. I WAS REQUIRED TO USE A CORRIDOR BTWN SUBDIVISIONS. THE CORRIDOR WAS TO MY L FRONT APPROX 4 MI. I TURNED TOWARDS THE CORRIDOR AND IT STARTED TO BECOME OBSCURED WITH MISTY RAIN AND CLOUDS. I TURNED BACK TO VIEW MY INTERMEDIATE DEST AND COULD STILL SEE IT WITH NO RESTRS. TO THE R OF MY ORIGINAL RTE IS THE SLOPES OF MAUNA LOA -- A VOLCANIC MOUNTAIN RISING TO APPROX 14000 FT MSL. I KNEW THE CLOUDS ABOVE ME WOULD MEET THAT SLOPE, SO I COULD NOT GO IN THAT DIRECTION. I TOLD MY PAX THAT THE TOUR WAS CANCELED. I DECIDED TO CIRCLE AT MY PRESENT LOCATION, WHICH WAS AN AREA OF OPEN FIELDS. AS I CIRCLED THE CEILING STARTED TO DROP. WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO GO BACK IN THE DIRECTION I HAD COME, THE CEILING HAD COME DOWN SO LOW I FELT I WOULD GO BELOW MY REQUIRED 1500 FT AGL. THE SYS SEEMED TO BE MOVING VERY FAST. LISTENING TO ATIS AT HILO ARPT, WHICH WAS APPROX 12 MI AWAY, I HEARD VISIBILITY RPTED AT 10 MI. I ELECTED TO LAND IN THE OPEN FIELD TO WAIT OUT THE WX. AFTER APPROX 5 MINS THE WX BEGAN TO CLR. I DEPARTED THE OPEN FIELD ENRTE TO HILO ARPT. THERE I WOULD FUEL AND START MY TOUR OVER AGAIN. I COMPLETED THAT TOUR WITH NO OTHER INCIDENTS. BECAUSE OF THE RESTRS OF SFAR 71 AND THE NOISE ABATEMENT PROCS WE FOLLOW HERE IN HAWAII, AND THE LACK OF EMER FLOATS ON THE ACFT, I WAS PUT IN A POS OF COMPROMISING SAFETY. IF I COULD HAVE CONTINUED ON A DIRECT COURSE TO THE VENT I WOULD NOT HAVE ENCOUNTERED THE WX THAT I DID. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE ACFT OR PROPERTY.

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.