Atx small transport helicopter VFR in IMC on an EMS flight.

Attributes
ACN	161894
Time
Date	199010
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 130
ASRS Report	161894
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Called for patient flight to ZZZ. WX was marginal but acceptable. Landed at ZZZ with no problem. Upon departure and climb out flew into clouds at about 1000' MSL. Due to rising terrain in vicinity and limited visibility references anyway, I performed maximum performance climb and came to a heading that would avoid terrain. Just as I was calling ZZZ approach for an IFR clearance, I broke out at 1800' MSL. Continued flight with no further incident. Contributing factors to entering IMC conditions were the darkness, low light illumination, ragged ceiling. Could probably have used a shallower rate climb and departure to make the imminent penetration easier to detect.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT HELICOPTER VFR IN IMC ON AN EMS FLT.

Narrative: CALLED FOR PATIENT FLT TO ZZZ. WX WAS MARGINAL BUT ACCEPTABLE. LANDED AT ZZZ WITH NO PROB. UPON DEP AND CLBOUT FLEW INTO CLOUDS AT ABOUT 1000' MSL. DUE TO RISING TERRAIN IN VICINITY AND LIMITED VIS REFS ANYWAY, I PERFORMED MAX PERFORMANCE CLB AND CAME TO A HDG THAT WOULD AVOID TERRAIN. JUST AS I WAS CALLING ZZZ APCH FOR AN IFR CLRNC, I BROKE OUT AT 1800' MSL. CONTINUED FLT WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO ENTERING IMC CONDITIONS WERE THE DARKNESS, LOW LIGHT ILLUMINATION, RAGGED CEILING. COULD PROBABLY HAVE USED A SHALLOWER RATE CLB AND DEP TO MAKE THE IMMINENT PENETRATION EASIER TO DETECT.

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.