Narrative:

I am a pilot of a bell helicopter and dropped off a patient at XXX hospital in XXX city under part 135. When I landed there the visibility was 10 mi and the ceiling around 7000 ft. We were at the hospital for about 45 mins. By this time it is dark outside and starting to snow. It is still VFR and the XXX ASOS said 3 mi and 1900 ft ceiling. The medical crew (3 on this flight) and I took off heading east towards ZZZ to our home base in YYY, us, which is about 9 mi ene of the ZZZ airport. The visibility progressively got worse but the ZZZ airport was reporting 5 mi and ceiling well above 1000 ft. I can't remember the ceiling altitude but they were VFR. It got to the point where the snow got heavy and I could not see in front anymore but we could still see the occasional lights below us. I called up ZZZ approach, I think, about 25 mi northwest of them but I'm not sure. At this point I'm pretty nervous from the shock of inadvertent IMC. I advise them I was now in IMC and needed their assistance. They wanted to give me an IFR clearance but I did not think I could legally accept that due to not being IFR current. We practice IMC and approachs each quarter and I am instrument rated, just not current. We are a VFR EMS program. I can't remember the exact conversation or the order and was concentrating on flying the aircraft. ZZZ approach gave me a special VFR into the class C airspace, I thought. There seems to be some confusion there. At first I was wanting to get the lighted area of the city and may be able to make it back to our base due to the visibility being better there. But the visibility came down very quickly with the ceiling and snow. ZZZ approach suggested following the localizer for runway 9 and then maybe proceeding to our base. I decided not to do that and requested the ILS runway 9 approach but I did not want to climb to the 2000 ft altitude due to possible icing in the clouds. I initially was at 2000 ft when I first called them but dropped to 1500 ft due to the ceiling coming down and possible ice. They gave me radar vectors to the localizer for runway 9. At some point they said the visibility was down to 1/4 to 1/2 mi and the ceiling was dropping to either 600 or 800 ft, I can't be sure. They canceled my special VFR but did not say why. I think it was due to the visibility dropping below the 1 mi minimum for helicopter SVFR. Now I am in IMC in controled airspace, without a clearance and not instrument current. I followed the localizer for runway 9 and landed. The tower told me to give them a call. I should have declared an emergency. In my mind I did when I called for assistance but did not say it verbally.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMC IN VFR FLT PERFORMED BY AN EMS PLT IN ROTARY WINGED TFC INCIDENT THAT REQUIRED A FLT ASSIST AND DIVERSION TO ALTERNSYR ARPT NEAR ZZZ, UNITED STATES.

Narrative: I AM A PLT OF A BELL HELI AND DROPPED OFF A PATIENT AT XXX HOSPITAL IN XXX CITY UNDER PART 135. WHEN I LANDED THERE THE VISIBILITY WAS 10 MI AND THE CEILING AROUND 7000 FT. WE WERE AT THE HOSPITAL FOR ABOUT 45 MINS. BY THIS TIME IT IS DARK OUTSIDE AND STARTING TO SNOW. IT IS STILL VFR AND THE XXX ASOS SAID 3 MI AND 1900 FT CEILING. THE MEDICAL CREW (3 ON THIS FLT) AND I TOOK OFF HEADING E TOWARDS ZZZ TO OUR HOME BASE IN YYY, US, WHICH IS ABOUT 9 MI ENE OF THE ZZZ ARPT. THE VISIBILITY PROGRESSIVELY GOT WORSE BUT THE ZZZ ARPT WAS RPTING 5 MI AND CEILING WELL ABOVE 1000 FT. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE CEILING ALT BUT THEY WERE VFR. IT GOT TO THE POINT WHERE THE SNOW GOT HVY AND I COULD NOT SEE IN FRONT ANYMORE BUT WE COULD STILL SEE THE OCCASIONAL LIGHTS BELOW US. I CALLED UP ZZZ APCH, I THINK, ABOUT 25 MI NW OF THEM BUT I'M NOT SURE. AT THIS POINT I'M PRETTY NERVOUS FROM THE SHOCK OF INADVERTENT IMC. I ADVISE THEM I WAS NOW IN IMC AND NEEDED THEIR ASSISTANCE. THEY WANTED TO GIVE ME AN IFR CLRNC BUT I DID NOT THINK I COULD LEGALLY ACCEPT THAT DUE TO NOT BEING IFR CURRENT. WE PRACTICE IMC AND APCHS EACH QUARTER AND I AM INST RATED, JUST NOT CURRENT. WE ARE A VFR EMS PROGRAM. I CAN'T REMEMBER THE EXACT CONVERSATION OR THE ORDER AND WAS CONCENTRATING ON FLYING THE ACFT. ZZZ APCH GAVE ME A SPECIAL VFR INTO THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, I THOUGHT. THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME CONFUSION THERE. AT FIRST I WAS WANTING TO GET THE LIGHTED AREA OF THE CITY AND MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE IT BACK TO OUR BASE DUE TO THE VISIBILITY BEING BETTER THERE. BUT THE VISIBILITY CAME DOWN VERY QUICKLY WITH THE CEILING AND SNOW. ZZZ APCH SUGGESTED FOLLOWING THE LOC FOR RWY 9 AND THEN MAYBE PROCEEDING TO OUR BASE. I DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT AND REQUESTED THE ILS RWY 9 APCH BUT I DID NOT WANT TO CLB TO THE 2000 FT ALT DUE TO POSSIBLE ICING IN THE CLOUDS. I INITIALLY WAS AT 2000 FT WHEN I FIRST CALLED THEM BUT DROPPED TO 1500 FT DUE TO THE CEILING COMING DOWN AND POSSIBLE ICE. THEY GAVE ME RADAR VECTORS TO THE LOC FOR RWY 9. AT SOME POINT THEY SAID THE VISIBILITY WAS DOWN TO 1/4 TO 1/2 MI AND THE CEILING WAS DROPPING TO EITHER 600 OR 800 FT, I CAN'T BE SURE. THEY CANCELED MY SPECIAL VFR BUT DID NOT SAY WHY. I THINK IT WAS DUE TO THE VISIBILITY DROPPING BELOW THE 1 MI MINIMUM FOR HELI SVFR. NOW I AM IN IMC IN CTLED AIRSPACE, WITHOUT A CLRNC AND NOT INST CURRENT. I FOLLOWED THE LOC FOR RWY 9 AND LANDED. THE TWR TOLD ME TO GIVE THEM A CALL. I SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER. IN MY MIND I DID WHEN I CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE BUT DID NOT SAY IT VERBALLY.

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.