Narrative:

On saturday night, flying back from a pleasure/dinner flight from fullerton airport, ca, to van nuys airport, ca, I had to make a precautionary off-airport landing due to a 'master caution' warning light illuminating, and due to the addition of bad WX coming in. The total time of this flight was to be around 20-25 mins. At the time of departure (around XA00), the WX was clear and visibility at least 10 mi. On checking the ATIS at the destination airport, they were reporting VFR with 6 mi visibility. At about mid flight, the master caution light came on and began flashing. The manual states that the procedure for this light coming on is to land as soon as possible. The nearest airport to my current location was el monte airport, which was 5 mi away. I immediately turned to it, but there was a large cloud formation between me and that airport, and it was also just beginning to rain. I then turned toward the next closest alternate airport, santa monica airport, and got only a short way, but found the WX was also blocking my route of flight to that airport. I then turned back toward my original airport of departure (fullerton airport), and that direction was now becoming blocked by worsening visibilities. At this point, I didn't want to try to make it back to my original destination of van nuys airport with a caution light flashing and the WX worsening, so the safest and most prudent thing to do was to set down in a safe and open area, which was also away from any people or vehicles. Immediately below me was railroad yard, which was well lit and fenced off from any persons and vehicles. I made a normal landing to a large open section. I then located and walked to the main office and notified the manager on duty, as well as the local railroad police. They were all unaware that I had even landed there, but they were helpful, and let me use the phone to call for a taxi. After speaking with a helicopter mechanic by phone the next morning, I was told that if I reset the master caution light, that it would be safe to fly the aircraft back to my home airport for an inspection of the caution light at that time. I returned to the railroad yard the next morning. I let the manager and police know that I was going to take off, and they said that I was fine to take off at my discretion. I made a normal departure from the train yard and flew to my home airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI MAKES PRECAUTIONARY LNDG IN A LOS ANGELES RAILWAY YARD.

Narrative: ON SATURDAY NIGHT, FLYING BACK FROM A PLEASURE/DINNER FLT FROM FULLERTON ARPT, CA, TO VAN NUYS ARPT, CA, I HAD TO MAKE A PRECAUTIONARY OFF-ARPT LNDG DUE TO A 'MASTER CAUTION' WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATING, AND DUE TO THE ADDITION OF BAD WX COMING IN. THE TOTAL TIME OF THIS FLT WAS TO BE AROUND 20-25 MINS. AT THE TIME OF DEP (AROUND XA00), THE WX WAS CLR AND VISIBILITY AT LEAST 10 MI. ON CHKING THE ATIS AT THE DEST ARPT, THEY WERE RPTING VFR WITH 6 MI VISIBILITY. AT ABOUT MID FLT, THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON AND BEGAN FLASHING. THE MANUAL STATES THAT THE PROC FOR THIS LIGHT COMING ON IS TO LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE NEAREST ARPT TO MY CURRENT LOCATION WAS EL MONTE ARPT, WHICH WAS 5 MI AWAY. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO IT, BUT THERE WAS A LARGE CLOUD FORMATION BTWN ME AND THAT ARPT, AND IT WAS ALSO JUST BEGINNING TO RAIN. I THEN TURNED TOWARD THE NEXT CLOSEST ALTERNATE ARPT, SANTA MONICA ARPT, AND GOT ONLY A SHORT WAY, BUT FOUND THE WX WAS ALSO BLOCKING MY RTE OF FLT TO THAT ARPT. I THEN TURNED BACK TOWARD MY ORIGINAL ARPT OF DEP (FULLERTON ARPT), AND THAT DIRECTION WAS NOW BECOMING BLOCKED BY WORSENING VISIBILITIES. AT THIS POINT, I DIDN'T WANT TO TRY TO MAKE IT BACK TO MY ORIGINAL DEST OF VAN NUYS ARPT WITH A CAUTION LIGHT FLASHING AND THE WX WORSENING, SO THE SAFEST AND MOST PRUDENT THING TO DO WAS TO SET DOWN IN A SAFE AND OPEN AREA, WHICH WAS ALSO AWAY FROM ANY PEOPLE OR VEHICLES. IMMEDIATELY BELOW ME WAS RAILROAD YARD, WHICH WAS WELL LIT AND FENCED OFF FROM ANY PERSONS AND VEHICLES. I MADE A NORMAL LNDG TO A LARGE OPEN SECTION. I THEN LOCATED AND WALKED TO THE MAIN OFFICE AND NOTIFIED THE MGR ON DUTY, AS WELL AS THE LCL RAILROAD POLICE. THEY WERE ALL UNAWARE THAT I HAD EVEN LANDED THERE, BUT THEY WERE HELPFUL, AND LET ME USE THE PHONE TO CALL FOR A TAXI. AFTER SPEAKING WITH A HELI MECH BY PHONE THE NEXT MORNING, I WAS TOLD THAT IF I RESET THE MASTER CAUTION LIGHT, THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO FLY THE ACFT BACK TO MY HOME ARPT FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE CAUTION LIGHT AT THAT TIME. I RETURNED TO THE RAILROAD YARD THE NEXT MORNING. I LET THE MGR AND POLICE KNOW THAT I WAS GOING TO TAKE OFF, AND THEY SAID THAT I WAS FINE TO TAKE OFF AT MY DISCRETION. I MADE A NORMAL DEP FROM THE TRAIN YARD AND FLEW TO MY HOME ARPT.

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.