Narrative:

While flying an EMS helicopter; I contacted approach control and was granted permission to enter the active stadium tfr to land to pick up a patient at the hospital rooftop helipad. The hospital helipad is about 3 NM from the stadium and the tfr must be entered in order to conduct a safe approach into the wind and land. Upon my departure I was unable to contact approach control from the hospital rooftop (which is quite normal); so I lifted off the helipad in lifeguard status and attempted to contact them in the air to inform them that I was departing the tfr. After several attempts; I was finally able to make positive communication with approach when I reached an altitude of approximately 1500 ft MSL. The ATC controller was very nice and apologized for the delayed communications and explained that radio communications are many times unreadable at those lower altitudes. Later that evening I was returning to the hospital with another patient on board and once again in lifeguard status. My flight was extremely short; only 8 mins of en route flight time and I remained at altitudes of 800-1000 ft MSL for the entire route in regard to the safety of the patient on board; who was sensitive to pressure and oxygen changes. After about 3 attempts; I was unable to contact approach to enter and land within the stadium tfr. Climbing to altitude would delay my flight and also add pressure to my patient's lungs; making the flight not only longer; but also making it more difficult for the patient to breathe. I continued on my flight path for the safety of my patient; made a blind radio call of my intentions to enter the tfr and land at the hospital within the tfr; then descended for my approach to the helipad. I entered and landed within the stadium tfr without making positive communications with approach. I was in lifeguard status. The safety and survival of my patient depended on a quick arrival. I do know of many other occasions that other lifeguard flts have had difficulty making radio communications at those low altitudes especially when WX is involved and the helicopters are VFR and remaining beneath the cloud ceiling. This is definitely an issue being that there are several hospitals within the stadium tfr. The only fix to this dilemma might be to give lifeguard status aircraft an automatic clearance through this particular stadium tfr while talking on the common air-to-air frequency. Or; to allow EMS or emergency helicopters at these low altitudes to call approach from cell or satellite phones while in-flight to gain permission to enter the tfr (if this were a legal option while in low flight; many would utilize it). Cell phones have good reception in areas where radios do not.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS HELI PLT FORCED TO ENTER STADIUM TFR WITHOUT CONTACTING APPROPRIATE ATC CTL.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING AN EMS HELI; I CONTACTED APCH CTL AND WAS GRANTED PERMISSION TO ENTER THE ACTIVE STADIUM TFR TO LAND TO PICK UP A PATIENT AT THE HOSPITAL ROOFTOP HELIPAD. THE HOSPITAL HELIPAD IS ABOUT 3 NM FROM THE STADIUM AND THE TFR MUST BE ENTERED IN ORDER TO CONDUCT A SAFE APCH INTO THE WIND AND LAND. UPON MY DEP I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT APCH CTL FROM THE HOSPITAL ROOFTOP (WHICH IS QUITE NORMAL); SO I LIFTED OFF THE HELIPAD IN LIFEGUARD STATUS AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THEM IN THE AIR TO INFORM THEM THAT I WAS DEPARTING THE TFR. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS; I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO MAKE POSITIVE COM WITH APCH WHEN I REACHED AN ALT OF APPROX 1500 FT MSL. THE ATC CTLR WAS VERY NICE AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE DELAYED COMS AND EXPLAINED THAT RADIO COMS ARE MANY TIMES UNREADABLE AT THOSE LOWER ALTS. LATER THAT EVENING I WAS RETURNING TO THE HOSPITAL WITH ANOTHER PATIENT ON BOARD AND ONCE AGAIN IN LIFEGUARD STATUS. MY FLT WAS EXTREMELY SHORT; ONLY 8 MINS OF ENRTE FLT TIME AND I REMAINED AT ALTS OF 800-1000 FT MSL FOR THE ENTIRE RTE IN REGARD TO THE SAFETY OF THE PATIENT ON BOARD; WHO WAS SENSITIVE TO PRESSURE AND OXYGEN CHANGES. AFTER ABOUT 3 ATTEMPTS; I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT APCH TO ENTER AND LAND WITHIN THE STADIUM TFR. CLBING TO ALT WOULD DELAY MY FLT AND ALSO ADD PRESSURE TO MY PATIENT'S LUNGS; MAKING THE FLT NOT ONLY LONGER; BUT ALSO MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR THE PATIENT TO BREATHE. I CONTINUED ON MY FLT PATH FOR THE SAFETY OF MY PATIENT; MADE A BLIND RADIO CALL OF MY INTENTIONS TO ENTER THE TFR AND LAND AT THE HOSPITAL WITHIN THE TFR; THEN DSNDED FOR MY APCH TO THE HELIPAD. I ENTERED AND LANDED WITHIN THE STADIUM TFR WITHOUT MAKING POSITIVE COMS WITH APCH. I WAS IN LIFEGUARD STATUS. THE SAFETY AND SURVIVAL OF MY PATIENT DEPENDED ON A QUICK ARR. I DO KNOW OF MANY OTHER OCCASIONS THAT OTHER LIFEGUARD FLTS HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY MAKING RADIO COMS AT THOSE LOW ALTS ESPECIALLY WHEN WX IS INVOLVED AND THE HELIS ARE VFR AND REMAINING BENEATH THE CLOUD CEILING. THIS IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE BEING THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL HOSPITALS WITHIN THE STADIUM TFR. THE ONLY FIX TO THIS DILEMMA MIGHT BE TO GIVE LIFEGUARD STATUS ACFT AN AUTOMATIC CLRNC THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR STADIUM TFR WHILE TALKING ON THE COMMON AIR-TO-AIR FREQ. OR; TO ALLOW EMS OR EMER HELIS AT THESE LOW ALTS TO CALL APCH FROM CELL OR SATELLITE PHONES WHILE INFLT TO GAIN PERMISSION TO ENTER THE TFR (IF THIS WERE A LEGAL OPTION WHILE IN LOW FLT; MANY WOULD UTILIZE IT). CELL PHONES HAVE GOOD RECEPTION IN AREAS WHERE RADIOS DO NOT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.