Rotary winged traffic goes IMC in VFR flight when cloud clearance was obscured in night operation.

Attributes
ACN	174082
Time
Date	199103
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : hzl airport : avp
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : avp
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	174082
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During a night flight from 8n8 to avp I encountered IFR conditions at 2500'. I transitioned to INS, completed a 180 degree turn. Flew to an area approximately 3 mi from point of IMC conditions and descended slightly to re-encounter VFR conditions. My perception was that ceilings were slightly higher than I encountered. Performance may have been deteriorated due to the time of day and the fact that I had been awakened from sleep to complete this flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROTARY WINGED TRAFFIC GOES IMC IN VFR FLT WHEN CLOUD CLRNC WAS OBSCURED IN NIGHT OPERATION.

Narrative: DURING A NIGHT FLT FROM 8N8 TO AVP I ENCOUNTERED IFR CONDITIONS AT 2500'. I TRANSITIONED TO INS, COMPLETED A 180 DEG TURN. FLEW TO AN AREA APPROX 3 MI FROM POINT OF IMC CONDITIONS AND DSNDED SLIGHTLY TO RE-ENCOUNTER VFR CONDITIONS. MY PERCEPTION WAS THAT CEILINGS WERE SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN I ENCOUNTERED. PERFORMANCE MAY HAVE BEEN DETERIORATED DUE TO THE TIME OF DAY AND THE FACT THAT I HAD BEEN AWAKENED FROM SLEEP TO COMPLETE THIS FLT.

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.