Narrative:

Pilot noted band of light precipitation on the radar viewed with aviation sentry product; precipitation was trending decreasing intensity when viewed in motion and no metars noted in vicinity of precipitation or anywhere near route of flight below company minimums for night-aided cross county (1;000/3). At no point prior in shift had pilot noted any weather minimums below company minimums in flying area. Company risk assessment performed with result of bravo. Flight accepted with a lift time of after midnight. No un-forecast weather or other weather related issues noted during first leg. [We] landed at the landing zone (lz) eighteen minutes after takeoff. Prior to lifting at this lz checked metars on phone with aviation weather application and direct dial AWOS: destination XX38Z 6SM; RA br OVC013 12/11; alternate one XX35Z 7SM; RA OVC018 13/10; alternate two XX35Z 7SM RA BKN024 BKN030 OVC036 11/09; alternate three XX35Z 7SM; RA BKN026 OVC035 12/08 (only those metars updated from previous at time prior to lift.) lifted lz XX50; no un-forecast weather or other weather related issues noted during second leg. [We] landed twenty nine minutes later. Reposition aircraft for fuel. Prior to lift checked metars on phone with aviation weather application and direct dial AWOS: weather about the same a before. Lifted with pilot; flight medic; flight nurse and 1;000 pounds (approximately 1+45) fuel on board. Enroute pilot noticed a defined band of precipitation (light to heavy) via garmin 530 nexrad running north-south approximately on the midpoint of return leg to our destination. Pilot decided to deviate to the north and pass through band of light precipitation several miles south and west of a local airport. [We] notified communications center of deviation. Pilot and flight crew operating aided. Pass through precipitation with no noted decrease of ceiling or visibility. Continued flight west for hospital. At one point the aircraft was positioned one to three miles south of a local airport at approximately 1;700 MSL. Pilot noted some lowering of ceiling; still observed to be above VFR and company minimums. Pilot start slight descent (<100 ft). Again pilot noted some lowering of ceiling. Pilot immediately started left hand turn and determined a course of action to land at [a nearby airport] which was in sight off right side of aircraft approximately 30 seconds prior. Midway through turn (autopilot engaged and turn commenced with heading function) pilot lost visual reference with ground and ground based lights. Pilot noticed anti-collision light reflection visible through side windows in peripheral vision. Pilot immediately engaged GA (go around) function on autopilot. Aircraft became level in a 70 KT climb on a heading of approximately 180. Transponder was set to 7700. Pilot notified flight crew that IMC had been entered and IMC procedure was being followed and aircraft stable and secure. Communication radio was set to TRACON during cruise phase of flight and almost immediately after 7700 code. TRACON attempted to contact aircraft with our callsign. Pilot answered and notified TRACON of declaration of emergency; fuel and souls on board; and that aircraft stable and secure. Pilot then notified TRACON of intent to fly aircraft to ILS 31 (per IMC procedure) at major airport. Pilot [was] given IFR clearance to that airport; with an altitude of 3;000. Pilot did not ask for vectors to nearest VFR conditions (per IMC procedure) for following reasons: 1. Determined that flying area was under a broken-overcast sky of which aircraft was on top of in VMC conditions and did not want to attempt a non-instrument maneuver to get back below ceiling somewhere other than the airport area. 2. Aircraft was set-up on an extended right-base leg for the ILS 31. 3. Aircraft capable of flying coupled ILS approach with autopilot 4. Airport reporting VFR conditions below the ceiling. Pilot notified company communications center of situation and current position. On base leg tower requested pilot enter assigned transponder code; pilot complied. Tower then asked if pilot request cancel the emergency; pilot decline. Pilot [was] given approach clearance and aircraft flown autopilot-coupled approach to runway 31. Aircraft went through a broken layer of clouds on approach and runway environment in site approximately halfway down final approach segment. At termination of approach with aircraft in an air-taxi on runway 31 environment; tower gave report of ceiling ovc 090; with sct 007. Pilot elected to reposition aircraft to a facility just north of airport in VFR conditions. I would like to provide two suggestions for avoiding recurrence of this event on a personal level: 1. Potential existed at the first sign of ceiling lowering to divert to a nearby airport in VFR conditions and land aircraft to re-evaluate weather picture while on the ground. This would have occurred had the 180 turn been able to be completed. 2. Potential existed for a phone call to be made to FSS or company dispatch to get a better view of the overall weather situation on route of flight and to determine if any specific weather conditions had changed regionally since time of flight request.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A helicopter pilot flying at night in overcast conditions carefully monitored the weather in order to remain VFR but ultimately entered IMC; declared an emergency and was vectored to an ILS.

Narrative: Pilot noted band of light precipitation on the radar viewed with Aviation Sentry product; precipitation was trending decreasing intensity when viewed in motion and no METARS noted in vicinity of precipitation or anywhere near route of flight below company minimums for Night-Aided Cross County (1;000/3). At no point prior in shift had pilot noted any weather minimums below company minimums in flying area. Company risk assessment performed with result of Bravo. Flight accepted with a lift time of after midnight. No un-forecast weather or other weather related issues noted during first leg. [We] landed at the Landing Zone (LZ) eighteen minutes after takeoff. Prior to lifting at this LZ checked METARS on phone with aviation weather application and direct dial AWOS: destination XX38Z 6SM; RA BR OVC013 12/11; alternate one XX35Z 7SM; RA OVC018 13/10; alternate two XX35Z 7SM RA BKN024 BKN030 OVC036 11/09; alternate three XX35Z 7SM; RA BKN026 OVC035 12/08 (Only those METARS updated from previous at time prior to lift.) Lifted LZ XX50; no un-forecast weather or other weather related issues noted during second leg. [We] landed twenty nine minutes later. Reposition aircraft for fuel. Prior to lift checked METARS on phone with aviation weather application and direct dial AWOS: weather about the same a before. Lifted with pilot; flight medic; flight nurse and 1;000 LBS (approximately 1+45) fuel on board. Enroute pilot noticed a defined band of precipitation (light to heavy) via Garmin 530 Nexrad running North-South approximately on the midpoint of return leg to our destination. Pilot decided to deviate to the north and pass through band of light precipitation several miles south and west of a local airport. [We] notified Communications Center of deviation. Pilot and flight crew operating aided. Pass through precipitation with no noted decrease of ceiling or visibility. Continued flight west for hospital. At one point the aircraft was positioned one to three miles south of a local airport at approximately 1;700 MSL. Pilot noted some lowering of ceiling; still observed to be above VFR and company minimums. Pilot start slight descent (<100 FT). Again pilot noted some lowering of ceiling. Pilot immediately started left hand turn and determined a course of action to land at [a nearby airport] which was in sight off right side of aircraft approximately 30 seconds prior. Midway through turn (autopilot engaged and turn commenced with heading function) pilot lost visual reference with ground and ground based lights. Pilot noticed anti-collision light reflection visible through side windows in peripheral vision. Pilot immediately engaged GA (go around) function on autopilot. Aircraft became level in a 70 KT climb on a heading of approximately 180. Transponder was set to 7700. Pilot notified flight crew that IMC had been entered and IMC procedure was being followed and aircraft stable and secure. Communication radio was set to TRACON during cruise phase of flight and almost immediately after 7700 code. TRACON attempted to contact aircraft with our callsign. Pilot answered and notified TRACON of declaration of emergency; fuel and souls on board; and that aircraft stable and secure. Pilot then notified TRACON of intent to fly aircraft to ILS 31 (per IMC procedure) at major airport. Pilot [was] given IFR clearance to that airport; with an altitude of 3;000. Pilot did not ask for vectors to nearest VFR conditions (per IMC procedure) for following reasons: 1. Determined that flying area was under a broken-overcast sky of which aircraft was on top of in VMC conditions and did not want to attempt a non-instrument maneuver to get back below ceiling somewhere other than the airport area. 2. Aircraft was set-up on an extended right-base leg for the ILS 31. 3. Aircraft capable of flying coupled ILS approach with autopilot 4. Airport reporting VFR conditions below the ceiling. Pilot notified Company Communications Center of situation and current position. On base leg Tower requested pilot enter assigned transponder code; pilot complied. Tower then asked if pilot request cancel the emergency; pilot decline. Pilot [was] given approach clearance and aircraft flown autopilot-coupled approach to Runway 31. Aircraft went through a broken layer of clouds on approach and runway environment in site approximately halfway down final approach segment. At termination of approach with aircraft in an air-taxi on Runway 31 environment; Tower gave report of ceiling OVC 090; with SCT 007. Pilot elected to reposition aircraft to a facility just north of airport in VFR conditions. I would like to provide two suggestions for avoiding recurrence of this event on a personal level: 1. Potential existed at the first sign of ceiling lowering to divert to a nearby airport in VFR conditions and land aircraft to re-evaluate weather picture while on the ground. This would have occurred had the 180 turn been able to be completed. 2. Potential existed for a phone call to be made to FSS or Company Dispatch to get a better view of the overall weather situation on route of flight and to determine if any specific weather conditions had changed regionally since time of flight request.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.