Narrative:

I received a call early that morning to inform me of a flight to chadron to transport a patient back to hospital in rapid city. When I arrived at the airport, I called huron FSS for the latest WX, forecasts, NOTAMS and any other pertinent information involving this flight. I remember that there was a chance in the forecast for rapid city's WX to go below VFR minimums, so I filed not only a VFR round robin, but also an IFR flight plan from cdr to rap. We proceeded to cdr and the flight team went to the hospital to evaluate and prepare our patient for transport while I waited at the airport. Within 1 hour, the team returned and we loaded our patient. As soon as we departed cdr, I could see everything still appeared to be good VFR (which I found later to be the case, regardless of what the rapid city ASOS was calling it). I could see rapid city, ellsworth AFB, and both rotating beacons. About 30 mi out, I listened to the rapid city ASOS and to my surprise was calling the WX 100 and 1/4 mi. I then contacted ellsworth approach asking them for the latest rap and ellsworth WX to verify what I had heard. The ellsworth approach controller informed me rap was 100 and 1/4 mi and that ellsworth was ceiling unlimited and 5 mi. I then asked to land at ellsworth, thinking we could contact ambulance and have them meet us there. The approach controller told me that the tower was closed and that the only way I could land there was if I declared an emergency, so I told him we had a patient on board needing to get to hospital and if that's what we needed to do, I would do so. They began coordinating to get the tower open. In the meantime, I asked the flight nurse to get a hold of ambulance or dispatch to have them meet us at the base. I also continued to monitor the ASOS at rapid city, and within a couple of mins the visibility came up to 1/2 mi, so I advised ellsworth of that and requested a landing at rapid city. They then gave me vectors for the ILS to runway 32. I then asked the nurse to have ambulance return to a rapid city destination. As soon as I keyed up the runway lights some 9 mi out, I could see that (as I had seen earlier) there really was no fog on the field and had the runway in sight and landed visually without a problem. I canceled on the ground with ellsworth and told them of actual conditions and that I had the field in sight 9 mi out. In conclusion, I think that either the position of the ASOS WX reading equipment or the equipment itself played a role in this scenario and also the fact that the only way we can make use of our military airfields in a life threatening situation in the middle of the night is to declare an emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN AIR AMBULANCE FLT DECLARED AN EMER IN ORDER TO LAND AT NEARBY ELLSWORTH AFB WHICH WAS CLR, AND HIS DEST ARPT (RAP) WAS BELOW WX MINIMUMS. HOWEVER, HE CANCELED THAT PLAN WHEN A SUBSEQUENT WX RPT OF RAP INDICATED MINIMUMS.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A CALL EARLY THAT MORNING TO INFORM ME OF A FLT TO CHADRON TO TRANSPORT A PATIENT BACK TO HOSPITAL IN RAPID CITY. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT, I CALLED HURON FSS FOR THE LATEST WX, FORECASTS, NOTAMS AND ANY OTHER PERTINENT INFO INVOLVING THIS FLT. I REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS A CHANCE IN THE FORECAST FOR RAPID CITY'S WX TO GO BELOW VFR MINIMUMS, SO I FILED NOT ONLY A VFR ROUND ROBIN, BUT ALSO AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM CDR TO RAP. WE PROCEEDED TO CDR AND THE FLT TEAM WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO EVALUATE AND PREPARE OUR PATIENT FOR TRANSPORT WHILE I WAITED AT THE ARPT. WITHIN 1 HR, THE TEAM RETURNED AND WE LOADED OUR PATIENT. AS SOON AS WE DEPARTED CDR, I COULD SEE EVERYTHING STILL APPEARED TO BE GOOD VFR (WHICH I FOUND LATER TO BE THE CASE, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE RAPID CITY ASOS WAS CALLING IT). I COULD SEE RAPID CITY, ELLSWORTH AFB, AND BOTH ROTATING BEACONS. ABOUT 30 MI OUT, I LISTENED TO THE RAPID CITY ASOS AND TO MY SURPRISE WAS CALLING THE WX 100 AND 1/4 MI. I THEN CONTACTED ELLSWORTH APCH ASKING THEM FOR THE LATEST RAP AND ELLSWORTH WX TO VERIFY WHAT I HAD HEARD. THE ELLSWORTH APCH CTLR INFORMED ME RAP WAS 100 AND 1/4 MI AND THAT ELLSWORTH WAS CEILING UNLIMITED AND 5 MI. I THEN ASKED TO LAND AT ELLSWORTH, THINKING WE COULD CONTACT AMBULANCE AND HAVE THEM MEET US THERE. THE APCH CTLR TOLD ME THAT THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND THAT THE ONLY WAY I COULD LAND THERE WAS IF I DECLARED AN EMER, SO I TOLD HIM WE HAD A PATIENT ON BOARD NEEDING TO GET TO HOSPITAL AND IF THAT'S WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, I WOULD DO SO. THEY BEGAN COORDINATING TO GET THE TWR OPEN. IN THE MEANTIME, I ASKED THE FLT NURSE TO GET A HOLD OF AMBULANCE OR DISPATCH TO HAVE THEM MEET US AT THE BASE. I ALSO CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE ASOS AT RAPID CITY, AND WITHIN A COUPLE OF MINS THE VISIBILITY CAME UP TO 1/2 MI, SO I ADVISED ELLSWORTH OF THAT AND REQUESTED A LNDG AT RAPID CITY. THEY THEN GAVE ME VECTORS FOR THE ILS TO RWY 32. I THEN ASKED THE NURSE TO HAVE AMBULANCE RETURN TO A RAPID CITY DEST. AS SOON AS I KEYED UP THE RWY LIGHTS SOME 9 MI OUT, I COULD SEE THAT (AS I HAD SEEN EARLIER) THERE REALLY WAS NO FOG ON THE FIELD AND HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT AND LANDED VISUALLY WITHOUT A PROB. I CANCELED ON THE GND WITH ELLSWORTH AND TOLD THEM OF ACTUAL CONDITIONS AND THAT I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT 9 MI OUT. IN CONCLUSION, I THINK THAT EITHER THE POS OF THE ASOS WX READING EQUIP OR THE EQUIP ITSELF PLAYED A ROLE IN THIS SCENARIO AND ALSO THE FACT THAT THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAKE USE OF OUR MIL AIRFIELDS IN A LIFE THREATENING SIT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT IS TO DECLARE AN EMER.

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.