Narrative:

On feb/wed/03 at approximately XA40, I inadvertently flew into IMC and had to declare an emergency to receive IFR handling for a PAR approach into msy. After stopping and shutting down at 4 different offshore production platforms conducting my passenger/customers business of testing gas flow meters in MVFR WX, we departed XC55 en route to our home base of schriever, la. Starting at approximately 80 mi offshore, we were in cruise flight to the northeast beneath an overcast layer of clouds. The nearer that we got to the la land mass, the WX conditions appeared to be deteriorating. At approximately 60 mi from schriever and 20 mi from the beach, I measured a ceiling of 600 ft and GPS visibility to boats and structures along our route of between 2.1 to 2.5 mi. We appeared to be flying inside the 'ping pong ball,' good surface reference but all white haze surrounded us with no visible horizon, with the sky and water blending together at a little more than 2 mi ahead of us. About 5 mins later, I was flying at 400 ft AGL, a couple of hundred ft below the ceiling when suddenly I found my aircraft actually hitting some lower clouds. I descended to 300 ft, hit some more clouds and decided to make a 180 degree turn to escape a bad situation. While in a level standard rate r-hand turn, I apparently ran into some even lower clouds and found myself totally in IMC with no visual reference to the water. Rather than continue my turn, which I saw was now too steep and descending, I did as trained. I transitioned to instrument flight. I leveled the wings, applied climb power, maintained a constant heading and climb airspeed and initiated a climb. At 2500 ft, I broke out of the clouds into a clear area between cloud layers. I continued on toward schriever, hoping that over the land mass about 4 or 5 mins ahead some open broken areas would begin to appear. This was not to be. In fact, the conditions got worse. Being between 2 complete overcast layers with very ragged and uneven surfaces truly tested my abilities. Several times the angled cloud surfaces had me in the 'leans' and 'altered planes of reference' illusion. Fighting to maintain equilibrium while trying to remain in the clear air between the layers the clouds squeezed me further east and up to 2800 ft. I enlisted the aid of my front seat passenger, having him look up and change aircraft radio frequencys. This was a wise move. Passenger made a good copilot. He switched frequencys for me and he alerted me when I had drifted off heading or altitude. Helicopters are difficult instrument flight platforms. Not having to remove my hands from the controls or shifting my vision to look up flight information was a big help. I contacted new orleans approach when I was about 19 mi southeast of houma airport advising them that I was inadvertent IMC and needed help. Msy approach had me hold in a circling pattern till they could identify me with an issued transponder code. Once I was positively idented, they vectored me 360 degrees and 3000 ft. They offered me a VOR or ADF approach into houma. I could not see the display in my VOR and I had no houma approach plates, so I requested a precision approach. The only airports that could give me a precision approach were msy and btr. Approach advised that the msy precision approach was presently below minimums and would I accept baton rouge? I advised approach that I had insufficient fuel to make btr. Approach asked, 'are you declaring an emergency so that we can try to get you into new orleans?' I stated 'yes sir, I'm declaring am emergency, please give me vectors for the precision approach into new orleans.' approach gave vectors of 030 degrees then 060 degrees, then with the final controller a frequency change, and a descent to 2000 ft and a vector of 090 degrees. While on this last assigned vector and still wholly flying on instruments, my passenger started yelling that they could see the ground. I transitioned to looking outside and had sufficient cloud clearance to make a circling descent to VFR conditions below the overcast layer. I called new orleans approach and advised that I was no longer in an emergency condition and that I could safely proceed VFR to my destination of schriever. Approach verified that I was no longer in an emergency situation and as soon as I exited class B airspace, they had me squawk VFR. I thanked them profusely and proceeded to schriever without incident. As this is a VFR only aircraft, I really got myself into a pickle. Fortunately, on jan/tue/03, I did receive my annual part 135 check ride with a company check airman. We did discuss inadvertent IMC procedures and we did fly under the hood for approximately 30 mins. We shot 2 IFR approachs into lake charles regional airport. The recently performed instrument work was a definite aide in my ability to control a bad situation. CRM was also a positive, enlisting the aid of a passenger helped me a lot. Starting immediately, I will carry instrument approach plates for my local airports and I would assert that this might possibly be a suggestion for all part 135 operators in the gulf due to the rapidly changing WX conditions. I thought that this could never happen to me, as I am constantly checking my ceilings and visibility. When it did happen to me, it happened fast, so I would urge all pilots in the gulf to try to stay instrument proficient.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VFR HELI ENCOUNTERS IMC, DECLARES EMER.

Narrative: ON FEB/WED/03 AT APPROX XA40, I INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO IMC AND HAD TO DECLARE AN EMER TO RECEIVE IFR HANDLING FOR A PAR APCH INTO MSY. AFTER STOPPING AND SHUTTING DOWN AT 4 DIFFERENT OFFSHORE PRODUCTION PLATFORMS CONDUCTING MY PAX/CUSTOMERS BUSINESS OF TESTING GAS FLOW METERS IN MVFR WX, WE DEPARTED XC55 ENRTE TO OUR HOME BASE OF SCHRIEVER, LA. STARTING AT APPROX 80 MI OFFSHORE, WE WERE IN CRUISE FLT TO THE NE BENEATH AN OVCST LAYER OF CLOUDS. THE NEARER THAT WE GOT TO THE LA LAND MASS, THE WX CONDITIONS APPEARED TO BE DETERIORATING. AT APPROX 60 MI FROM SCHRIEVER AND 20 MI FROM THE BEACH, I MEASURED A CEILING OF 600 FT AND GPS VISIBILITY TO BOATS AND STRUCTURES ALONG OUR RTE OF BTWN 2.1 TO 2.5 MI. WE APPEARED TO BE FLYING INSIDE THE 'PING PONG BALL,' GOOD SURFACE REF BUT ALL WHITE HAZE SURROUNDED US WITH NO VISIBLE HORIZON, WITH THE SKY AND WATER BLENDING TOGETHER AT A LITTLE MORE THAN 2 MI AHEAD OF US. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER, I WAS FLYING AT 400 FT AGL, A COUPLE OF HUNDRED FT BELOW THE CEILING WHEN SUDDENLY I FOUND MY ACFT ACTUALLY HITTING SOME LOWER CLOUDS. I DSNDED TO 300 FT, HIT SOME MORE CLOUDS AND DECIDED TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN TO ESCAPE A BAD SIT. WHILE IN A LEVEL STANDARD RATE R-HAND TURN, I APPARENTLY RAN INTO SOME EVEN LOWER CLOUDS AND FOUND MYSELF TOTALLY IN IMC WITH NO VISUAL REF TO THE WATER. RATHER THAN CONTINUE MY TURN, WHICH I SAW WAS NOW TOO STEEP AND DSNDING, I DID AS TRAINED. I TRANSITIONED TO INST FLT. I LEVELED THE WINGS, APPLIED CLB PWR, MAINTAINED A CONSTANT HDG AND CLB AIRSPD AND INITIATED A CLB. AT 2500 FT, I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS INTO A CLR AREA BTWN CLOUD LAYERS. I CONTINUED ON TOWARD SCHRIEVER, HOPING THAT OVER THE LAND MASS ABOUT 4 OR 5 MINS AHEAD SOME OPEN BROKEN AREAS WOULD BEGIN TO APPEAR. THIS WAS NOT TO BE. IN FACT, THE CONDITIONS GOT WORSE. BEING BTWN 2 COMPLETE OVCST LAYERS WITH VERY RAGGED AND UNEVEN SURFACES TRULY TESTED MY ABILITIES. SEVERAL TIMES THE ANGLED CLOUD SURFACES HAD ME IN THE 'LEANS' AND 'ALTERED PLANES OF REF' ILLUSION. FIGHTING TO MAINTAIN EQUILIBRIUM WHILE TRYING TO REMAIN IN THE CLR AIR BTWN THE LAYERS THE CLOUDS SQUEEZED ME FURTHER E AND UP TO 2800 FT. I ENLISTED THE AID OF MY FRONT SEAT PAX, HAVING HIM LOOK UP AND CHANGE ACFT RADIO FREQS. THIS WAS A WISE MOVE. PAX MADE A GOOD COPLT. HE SWITCHED FREQS FOR ME AND HE ALERTED ME WHEN I HAD DRIFTED OFF HDG OR ALT. HELIS ARE DIFFICULT INST FLT PLATFORMS. NOT HAVING TO REMOVE MY HANDS FROM THE CTLS OR SHIFTING MY VISION TO LOOK UP FLT INFO WAS A BIG HELP. I CONTACTED NEW ORLEANS APCH WHEN I WAS ABOUT 19 MI SE OF HOUMA ARPT ADVISING THEM THAT I WAS INADVERTENT IMC AND NEEDED HELP. MSY APCH HAD ME HOLD IN A CIRCLING PATTERN TILL THEY COULD IDENT ME WITH AN ISSUED XPONDER CODE. ONCE I WAS POSITIVELY IDENTED, THEY VECTORED ME 360 DEGS AND 3000 FT. THEY OFFERED ME A VOR OR ADF APCH INTO HOUMA. I COULD NOT SEE THE DISPLAY IN MY VOR AND I HAD NO HOUMA APCH PLATES, SO I REQUESTED A PRECISION APCH. THE ONLY ARPTS THAT COULD GIVE ME A PRECISION APCH WERE MSY AND BTR. APCH ADVISED THAT THE MSY PRECISION APCH WAS PRESENTLY BELOW MINIMUMS AND WOULD I ACCEPT BATON ROUGE? I ADVISED APCH THAT I HAD INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO MAKE BTR. APCH ASKED, 'ARE YOU DECLARING AN EMER SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO GET YOU INTO NEW ORLEANS?' I STATED 'YES SIR, I'M DECLARING AM EMER, PLEASE GIVE ME VECTORS FOR THE PRECISION APCH INTO NEW ORLEANS.' APCH GAVE VECTORS OF 030 DEGS THEN 060 DEGS, THEN WITH THE FINAL CTLR A FREQ CHANGE, AND A DSCNT TO 2000 FT AND A VECTOR OF 090 DEGS. WHILE ON THIS LAST ASSIGNED VECTOR AND STILL WHOLLY FLYING ON INSTS, MY PAX STARTED YELLING THAT THEY COULD SEE THE GND. I TRANSITIONED TO LOOKING OUTSIDE AND HAD SUFFICIENT CLOUD CLRNC TO MAKE A CIRCLING DSCNT TO VFR CONDITIONS BELOW THE OVCST LAYER. I CALLED NEW ORLEANS APCH AND ADVISED THAT I WAS NO LONGER IN AN EMER CONDITION AND THAT I COULD SAFELY PROCEED VFR TO MY DEST OF SCHRIEVER. APCH VERIFIED THAT I WAS NO LONGER IN AN EMER SIT AND AS SOON AS I EXITED CLASS B AIRSPACE, THEY HAD ME SQUAWK VFR. I THANKED THEM PROFUSELY AND PROCEEDED TO SCHRIEVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. AS THIS IS A VFR ONLY ACFT, I REALLY GOT MYSELF INTO A PICKLE. FORTUNATELY, ON JAN/TUE/03, I DID RECEIVE MY ANNUAL PART 135 CHK RIDE WITH A COMPANY CHK AIRMAN. WE DID DISCUSS INADVERTENT IMC PROCS AND WE DID FLY UNDER THE HOOD FOR APPROX 30 MINS. WE SHOT 2 IFR APCHS INTO LAKE CHARLES REGIONAL ARPT. THE RECENTLY PERFORMED INST WORK WAS A DEFINITE AIDE IN MY ABILITY TO CTL A BAD SIT. CRM WAS ALSO A POSITIVE, ENLISTING THE AID OF A PAX HELPED ME A LOT. STARTING IMMEDIATELY, I WILL CARRY INST APCH PLATES FOR MY LCL ARPTS AND I WOULD ASSERT THAT THIS MIGHT POSSIBLY BE A SUGGESTION FOR ALL PART 135 OPERATORS IN THE GULF DUE TO THE RAPIDLY CHANGING WX CONDITIONS. I THOUGHT THAT THIS COULD NEVER HAPPEN TO ME, AS I AM CONSTANTLY CHKING MY CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY. WHEN IT DID HAPPEN TO ME, IT HAPPENED FAST, SO I WOULD URGE ALL PLTS IN THE GULF TO TRY TO STAY INST PROFICIENT.

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.