Helicopter atx pilot failed to maintain VFR when approaching to land under an SVFR clearance at cont...

Attributes
ACN	542292
Time
Date	200203
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : hub.vor
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : i90.tracon tower : hou.tower
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12800 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	542292
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory controller : provided flight assist flight crew : exited penetrated airspace
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Weather ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Flight continued into deteriorating WX conditions by pilot with a lot of WX time in the offshore oil industry but little time in ATC and WX conditions. Pilot had established communication with approximately 30 mi out and was cleared SVFR to destination airport. When handed off to intervening airport by approach, I can only feel that destination airport had not been advised of my intentions. Destination airport asked twice what my intentions were when I contacted them. Each time I asked for an SVFR arrival the tower operator advised me the field was IFR. Noting the deteriorating WX, I advised tower that I was reversing course and leaving the area. Tower handed me off to approach for exiting the class B airspace. During this time, I had monitored, on my other radio, an aircraft on instrument approach to the airport, not having time to tune and talk to approach, as one radio was tuned to destination airport and the other to the intervening airport. I initiated holding over a major highway intersection. By the time I tuned to approach they were already giving me a heading to fly to avoid the aircraft on approach. As I was already in a turn, I maintained it to the heading called for by approach. I feel there was poor communication between approach, intervening tower, and destination tower. My not being as current on ATC procedures as I could be is a contributing factor.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI ATX PLT FAILED TO MAINTAIN VFR WHEN APCHING TO LAND UNDER AN SVFR CLRNC AT CTLED ARPT WITH DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS. HE REVERSED HIS COURSE AND DEPARTED THE AREA VFR USING ROADS FOR PILOTAGE.

Narrative: FLT CONTINUED INTO DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS BY PLT WITH A LOT OF WX TIME IN THE OFFSHORE OIL INDUSTRY BUT LITTLE TIME IN ATC AND WX CONDITIONS. PLT HAD ESTABLISHED COM WITH APPROX 30 MI OUT AND WAS CLRED SVFR TO DEST ARPT. WHEN HANDED OFF TO INTERVENING ARPT BY APCH, I CAN ONLY FEEL THAT DEST ARPT HAD NOT BEEN ADVISED OF MY INTENTIONS. DEST ARPT ASKED TWICE WHAT MY INTENTIONS WERE WHEN I CONTACTED THEM. EACH TIME I ASKED FOR AN SVFR ARR THE TWR OPERATOR ADVISED ME THE FIELD WAS IFR. NOTING THE DETERIORATING WX, I ADVISED TWR THAT I WAS REVERSING COURSE AND LEAVING THE AREA. TWR HANDED ME OFF TO APCH FOR EXITING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. DURING THIS TIME, I HAD MONITORED, ON MY OTHER RADIO, AN ACFT ON INST APCH TO THE ARPT, NOT HAVING TIME TO TUNE AND TALK TO APCH, AS ONE RADIO WAS TUNED TO DEST ARPT AND THE OTHER TO THE INTERVENING ARPT. I INITIATED HOLDING OVER A MAJOR HWY INTXN. BY THE TIME I TUNED TO APCH THEY WERE ALREADY GIVING ME A HDG TO FLY TO AVOID THE ACFT ON APCH. AS I WAS ALREADY IN A TURN, I MAINTAINED IT TO THE HDG CALLED FOR BY APCH. I FEEL THERE WAS POOR COM BTWN APCH, INTERVENING TWR, AND DEST TWR. MY NOT BEING AS CURRENT ON ATC PROCS AS I COULD BE IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR.

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.

Helicopter atx pilot failed to maintain VFR when approaching to land under an SVFR clearance at controled airport with deteriorating WX conditions. He reversed his course and departed the area VFR using roads for pilotage.