Narrative:

While transporting a critically injured patient from an accident scene on highway, the WX conditions went from 1500 ft and 6 SM down to about 400 ft and 1 SM. At this point, flying a VFR helicopter, I decided to land at milfac X so I could arrange ground transportation for my patient and not punch into the clouds. I had had trouble with my #1 VHF radio earlier, so I switched my selector to the #2 VHF radio and I didn't realize that I had switched to airport B instead of milfac X tower. I made the call to milfac X tower declaring a WX and medical emergency and I requested to land immediately and asked the tower to call 911 and request an ambulance code 1 to their ramp, for my patient. Airport B tower responded to my radio call without identing themselves as airport B tower and asked if I had an LOA. I responded no, I did not have an agreement with milfac X. Airport B tower still didn't identify themselves and told me I was clear to land on C pad. I responded that I was not familiar with milfac X, but that I had the tower in sight at approximately 1/4 mi east of me and her response was 'roger, we do not have you in sight.' I continued my approach avoiding all runways and landed my helicopter 400 yards west of the tower on milfac X ramp. The airfield manager informed me that their tower never talked to us. This was the first indication to myself and my crew that we were not talking to milfac X tower and that we had not been cleared to land there. At this point, I asked the airfield manager to send us an ambulance for my patient code 1 which he did. All of the military personnel were very helpful and understood why I landed there -- to ensure my patient could continue on to the hospital with the least amount of delay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMS HELI PLT FLYING AN AS355 NEAR ARPT B WITH A PATIENT ON BOARD LANDS AT MILFAC X WITHOUT CLRNC DUE TO WX.

Narrative: WHILE TRANSPORTING A CRITICALLY INJURED PATIENT FROM AN ACCIDENT SCENE ON HWY, THE WX CONDITIONS WENT FROM 1500 FT AND 6 SM DOWN TO ABOUT 400 FT AND 1 SM. AT THIS POINT, FLYING A VFR HELI, I DECIDED TO LAND AT MILFAC X SO I COULD ARRANGE GND TRANSPORTATION FOR MY PATIENT AND NOT PUNCH INTO THE CLOUDS. I HAD HAD TROUBLE WITH MY #1 VHF RADIO EARLIER, SO I SWITCHED MY SELECTOR TO THE #2 VHF RADIO AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT I HAD SWITCHED TO ARPT B INSTEAD OF MILFAC X TWR. I MADE THE CALL TO MILFAC X TWR DECLARING A WX AND MEDICAL EMER AND I REQUESTED TO LAND IMMEDIATELY AND ASKED THE TWR TO CALL 911 AND REQUEST AN AMBULANCE CODE 1 TO THEIR RAMP, FOR MY PATIENT. ARPT B TWR RESPONDED TO MY RADIO CALL WITHOUT IDENTING THEMSELVES AS ARPT B TWR AND ASKED IF I HAD AN LOA. I RESPONDED NO, I DID NOT HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH MILFAC X. ARPT B TWR STILL DIDN'T IDENT THEMSELVES AND TOLD ME I WAS CLR TO LAND ON C PAD. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH MILFAC X, BUT THAT I HAD THE TWR IN SIGHT AT APPROX 1/4 MI E OF ME AND HER RESPONSE WAS 'ROGER, WE DO NOT HAVE YOU IN SIGHT.' I CONTINUED MY APCH AVOIDING ALL RWYS AND LANDED MY HELI 400 YARDS W OF THE TWR ON MILFAC X RAMP. THE AIRFIELD MGR INFORMED ME THAT THEIR TWR NEVER TALKED TO US. THIS WAS THE FIRST INDICATION TO MYSELF AND MY CREW THAT WE WERE NOT TALKING TO MILFAC X TWR AND THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO LAND THERE. AT THIS POINT, I ASKED THE AIRFIELD MGR TO SEND US AN AMBULANCE FOR MY PATIENT CODE 1 WHICH HE DID. ALL OF THE MIL PERSONNEL WERE VERY HELPFUL AND UNDERSTOOD WHY I LANDED THERE -- TO ENSURE MY PATIENT COULD CONTINUE ON TO THE HOSPITAL WITH THE LEAST AMOUNT OF DELAY.

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.