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Helicopter pilot conducting air taxi operations on oil platform inadvertently enters rainshower (IMC) in ZHU area.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 450366 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199909 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zhu.artcc |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Mixed |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude climbout : initial |
| Route In Use | departure : vfr |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 450366 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : non radar |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
While conducting offshore air taxi operations in the gulf of mexico, I inadvertently flew my BH206L-3 helicopter into IMC WX. A rain storm approached rapidly from the south while I sat at idle on the top deck heliport filling out my manifest paperwork. Unaware of this I took off to the north intending to turn left and land on the platforms lower (south side) heliport. During a climbing turn from 300-500 ft, I encountered rain on the wind screen which obscured my visibility. I entered an unusual attitude which I recovered from. I contacted the intracoastal phi flight following and communicated that I was IMC. I turned the aircraft to the north and flew straight and level till I broke out of the clouds. At that time I was 4 1/2 - 5 mi north of the original platform at 1200-1500 ft MSL with the beach in sight. I filed a present position flight plan to phi intracoastal heliport, arriving there at XA45. I had no customers on board and did not damage the aircraft.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: HELI PLT CONDUCTING AIR TAXI OPS ON OIL PLATFORM INADVERTENTLY ENTERS RAINSHOWER (IMC) IN ZHU AREA.
Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING OFFSHORE AIR TAXI OPS IN THE GULF OF MEXICO, I INADVERTENTLY FLEW MY BH206L-3 HELI INTO IMC WX. A RAIN STORM APCHED RAPIDLY FROM THE S WHILE I SAT AT IDLE ON THE TOP DECK HELIPORT FILLING OUT MY MANIFEST PAPERWORK. UNAWARE OF THIS I TOOK OFF TO THE N INTENDING TO TURN L AND LAND ON THE PLATFORMS LOWER (S SIDE) HELIPORT. DURING A CLBING TURN FROM 300-500 FT, I ENCOUNTERED RAIN ON THE WIND SCREEN WHICH OBSCURED MY VISIBILITY. I ENTERED AN UNUSUAL ATTITUDE WHICH I RECOVERED FROM. I CONTACTED THE INTRACOASTAL PHI FLT FOLLOWING AND COMMUNICATED THAT I WAS IMC. I TURNED THE ACFT TO THE N AND FLEW STRAIGHT AND LEVEL TILL I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS. AT THAT TIME I WAS 4 1/2 - 5 MI N OF THE ORIGINAL PLATFORM AT 1200-1500 FT MSL WITH THE BEACH IN SIGHT. I FILED A PRESENT POS FLT PLAN TO PHI INTRACOASTAL HELIPORT, ARRIVING THERE AT XA45. I HAD NO CUSTOMERS ON BOARD AND DID NOT DAMAGE 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.