Narrative:

Departed boat (tuna boat) from sea for san diego area (brown field for customs, then on to gillespie field for crew change and scheduled maintenance. VFR flight plan was filed at XX00 am by company and was briefed about WX via radio phone by company who received their information from san FSS. WX reported: '1500' overcast, 10 mi visibility,' VFR. WX was VFR. At departure point approaching coastline it became marginal (400' overcast and patchy fog, 1-3 mi visibility). Pilot followed coastline to the bullring at tijuana, mexico. Ceiling then deteriorated to about 100-250' visibility approximately 1/4-a mi. Attempted to contact san FSS for WX advisory and local conditions, but due to low altitude could not make contact. Contacted beach tower, who reported, 'beach MCAS closed to VFR.' brown field open to VFR. Pilot then proceeded inland up to border fence toward brown field and began to lose contact flying conditions, so pilot made 180 degree turn and returned to sea. West of tijuana bullring and ent race track holding pattern, could not land on the beach because of customs laws. Could not land at beach MCAS because flying civil aircraft could not proceed to brown west/O SVFR clearance. Clearance for SVFR was issued. Pilot was assisted by excellent controllers from beach mcs and brown field and an attempt to land at brown was made, but approximately 2 mi from brown field visibility flight became impossible. Pilot then executed a 180 degree turn and regained contact flying conditions, declared an emergency and was assisted by beach and brown controllers. Back to beach MCAS for landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA HELICOPTER HAD TO DIVERT TO MIL ARPT WHEN WX AT DESCENT WENT TOO LOW TO CONTINUE FLT.

Narrative: DEPARTED BOAT (TUNA BOAT) FROM SEA FOR SAN DIEGO AREA (BROWN FIELD FOR CUSTOMS, THEN ON TO GILLESPIE FIELD FOR CREW CHANGE AND SCHEDULED MAINT. VFR FLT PLAN WAS FILED AT XX00 AM BY COMPANY AND WAS BRIEFED ABOUT WX VIA RADIO PHONE BY COMPANY WHO RECEIVED THEIR INFO FROM SAN FSS. WX RPTED: '1500' OVCST, 10 MI VISIBILITY,' VFR. WX WAS VFR. AT DEP POINT APCHING COASTLINE IT BECAME MARGINAL (400' OVCST AND PATCHY FOG, 1-3 MI VISIBILITY). PLT FOLLOWED COASTLINE TO THE BULLRING AT TIJUANA, MEXICO. CEILING THEN DETERIORATED TO ABOUT 100-250' VISIBILITY APPROX 1/4-A MI. ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT SAN FSS FOR WX ADVISORY AND LCL CONDITIONS, BUT DUE TO LOW ALT COULD NOT MAKE CONTACT. CONTACTED BEACH TWR, WHO RPTED, 'BEACH MCAS CLOSED TO VFR.' BROWN FIELD OPEN TO VFR. PLT THEN PROCEEDED INLAND UP TO BORDER FENCE TOWARD BROWN FIELD AND BEGAN TO LOSE CONTACT FLYING CONDITIONS, SO PLT MADE 180 DEG TURN AND RETURNED TO SEA. W OF TIJUANA BULLRING AND ENT RACE TRACK HOLDING PATTERN, COULD NOT LAND ON THE BEACH BECAUSE OF CUSTOMS LAWS. COULD NOT LAND AT BEACH MCAS BECAUSE FLYING CIVIL ACFT COULD NOT PROCEED TO BROWN W/O SVFR CLRNC. CLRNC FOR SVFR WAS ISSUED. PLT WAS ASSISTED BY EXCELLENT CTLRS FROM BEACH MCS AND BROWN FIELD AND AN ATTEMPT TO LAND AT BROWN WAS MADE, BUT APPROX 2 MI FROM BROWN FIELD VIS FLT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE. PLT THEN EXECUTED A 180 DEG TURN AND REGAINED CONTACT FLYING CONDITIONS, DECLARED AN EMER AND WAS ASSISTED BY BEACH AND BROWN CTLRS. BACK TO BEACH MCAS FOR LNDG.

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.