Narrative:

I was the duty pilot for an EMS helicopter service. I was dispatched for a patient pick up at an area hospital around XA00. A quick map recon showed a VFR route in and out and the flight was accepted and launched. The first leg was uneventful to ZZZ, the second leg to ZZZ1 is where things went wrong. When I dialed in ZZZ1, we had just turned into the setting sun and I mis-dialed ZZZ2 instead. I knew the heading and distance were incorrect so I picked up a 250-260 degree heading to stay clear of the washington area and began to troubleshoot my error. Things became additionally complicated by a loss of communication with my dispatch. Between those problems, I thought I had a good ground track and had identified a landmark that showed me on course and clear. When I got the proper identification entered, it showed me just north of ndy. I knew that I was inside the 30 mile arc and at that point, I could see my destination which I knew was clear so I continued in and landed. As I touched down, a black hawk circled overhead. I came up on 121.5 and talked with the air marshall and told him who I was and what I was doing. I asked if I could reposition to ZZZ3 to refuel and he said yes. He then came back and asked for my tail number, said he knew who we were and what we were doing, said goodbye and left the area. I returned to the hospital and picked up my crew and patient. There was a message to call ATC on a land line so I did and gave them my name, tail #, etc, and returned via ZZZ1. I did try washington approach on the way out but got no response. In my haste to provide a quick response and transport a sick patient expeditiously, I did not plan preflight as well as I should have and I didn't use all of the resources that were available to me when I had problems. With hindsight, I realize that approach control could have helped me immensely, and if I had the same flight tomorrow I would handle it very differently and use of all those resources.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SINGLE PLT OF BK117C HELO ON A LIFEGUARD FLT PENETRATES THE DCADIZ WHEN HE FAILS TO PROGRAM HIS NAV EQUIP FOR THE APPROPRIATE DEST.

Narrative: I WAS THE DUTY PLT FOR AN EMS HELICOPTER SERVICE. I WAS DISPATCHED FOR A PATIENT PICK UP AT AN AREA HOSPITAL AROUND XA00. A QUICK MAP RECON SHOWED A VFR ROUTE IN AND OUT AND THE FLT WAS ACCEPTED AND LAUNCHED. THE FIRST LEG WAS UNEVENTFUL TO ZZZ, THE SECOND LEG TO ZZZ1 IS WHERE THINGS WENT WRONG. WHEN I DIALED IN ZZZ1, WE HAD JUST TURNED INTO THE SETTING SUN AND I MIS-DIALED ZZZ2 INSTEAD. I KNEW THE HDG AND DISTANCE WERE INCORRECT SO I PICKED UP A 250-260 DEG HDG TO STAY CLEAR OF THE WASHINGTON AREA AND BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT MY ERROR. THINGS BECAME ADDITIONALLY COMPLICATED BY A LOSS OF COMMUNICATION WITH MY DISPATCH. BETWEEN THOSE PROBS, I THOUGHT I HAD A GOOD GROUND TRACK AND HAD IDENTIFIED A LANDMARK THAT SHOWED ME ON COURSE AND CLEAR. WHEN I GOT THE PROPER ID ENTERED, IT SHOWED ME JUST N OF NDY. I KNEW THAT I WAS INSIDE THE 30 MILE ARC AND AT THAT POINT, I COULD SEE MY DESTINATION WHICH I KNEW WAS CLEAR SO I CONTINUED IN AND LANDED. AS I TOUCHED DOWN, A BLACK HAWK CIRCLED OVERHEAD. I CAME UP ON 121.5 AND TALKED WITH THE AIR MARSHALL AND TOLD HIM WHO I WAS AND WHAT I WAS DOING. I ASKED IF I COULD REPOSITION TO ZZZ3 TO REFUEL AND HE SAID YES. HE THEN CAME BACK AND ASKED FOR MY TAIL NUMBER, SAID HE KNEW WHO WE WERE AND WHAT WE WERE DOING, SAID GOODBYE AND LEFT THE AREA. I RETURNED TO THE HOSPITAL AND PICKED UP MY CREW AND PATIENT. THERE WAS A MESSAGE TO CALL ATC ON A LAND LINE SO I DID AND GAVE THEM MY NAME, TAIL #, ETC, AND RETURNED VIA ZZZ1. I DID TRY WASHINGTON APCH ON THE WAY OUT BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. IN MY HASTE TO PROVIDE A QUICK RESPONSE AND TRANSPORT A SICK PATIENT EXPEDITIOUSLY, I DID NOT PLAN PREFLT AS WELL AS I SHOULD HAVE AND I DIDN'T USE ALL OF THE RESOURCES THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO ME WHEN I HAD PROBS. WITH HINDSIGHT, I REALIZE THAT APCH CTL COULD HAVE HELPED ME IMMENSELY, AND IF I HAD THE SAME FLT TOMORROW I WOULD HANDLE IT VERY DIFFERENTLY AND USE OF ALL THOSE RESOURCES.

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.