Narrative:

We were departing from the west 30TH street heliport (nyc) intending to fly to albany, ny (IFR). The WX at lga was reported as 700 ft broken and 2 mi visibility. At approximately XX00 local we were notified that our passenger was en route to the heliport so the captain telephoned lga tower to request our IFR clearance. It was put on request and he was told to call back in 5 mins. He called back in 5 mins, got the clearance information and we all boarded the helicopter. As we went through our pre takeoff checklist, I saw the squawk code in the transponder, but I did not see the usual departure control frequency of 126.05. I asked the captain 'do you have the approach control frequency?' he said 'yes.' I asked if it was the 124.94 set as the backup frequency on the radio. He again said yes. It's an unusual frequency that I had never seen used before in the nyc area. At least I couldn't recall it being used, but I said to myself it must be something new, made for low altitude helicopters? We depart the heliport. At 500-600 ft MSL, I started to go into the cloud bases, I descended to 500-400 ft MSL. The captain was told to contact 124.95 at the george washington bridge (about 4 mi north of the heliport). He was waiting to make the call. At about 1 mi south of the bridge, I was seeing fewer ground lights on the manhattan shoreline. I went inadvertent IMC at about 500 ft MSL. I knew that the bridge was 1 mi ahead and that I must have 900-1000 ft to clear the bridge stanchions and adjacent building. I climbed to 1000 ft. In the meantime, the captain calls on 124.95 and after about 2 xmissions, we find that we must now go to 126.05 to get departure control. We did this and it took another 2 or 3 xmissions before we were cleared IFR to fly 040 degrees and climb to 2000 ft. At this point, things were normal, but prior to this we were in lga airspace and inadvertent IMC (not a good situation). As the PF of the helicopter, and doing what I had done many times before, I had a mindset that the controller on 124.95 was going to give us a heading and altitude almost immediately (since we had just told them on the telephone that we were leaving the heliport). I did not take the cautious approach of flying very slowly and I was not mentally prepared to do a 180 degree turn at 300 ft during this night flight. However, I will not be caught this way again!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI TAKES OFF DOWNTOWN HELIPORT AND GETS INTO CLOUDS PREMATURELY.

Narrative: WE WERE DEPARTING FROM THE WEST 30TH STREET HELIPORT (NYC) INTENDING TO FLY TO ALBANY, NY (IFR). THE WX AT LGA WAS RPTED AS 700 FT BROKEN AND 2 MI VISIBILITY. AT APPROX XX00 LCL WE WERE NOTIFIED THAT OUR PAX WAS ENRTE TO THE HELIPORT SO THE CAPT TELEPHONED LGA TWR TO REQUEST OUR IFR CLRNC. IT WAS PUT ON REQUEST AND HE WAS TOLD TO CALL BACK IN 5 MINS. HE CALLED BACK IN 5 MINS, GOT THE CLRNC INFO AND WE ALL BOARDED THE HELI. AS WE WENT THROUGH OUR PRE TKOF CHKLIST, I SAW THE SQUAWK CODE IN THE XPONDER, BUT I DID NOT SEE THE USUAL DEP CTL FREQ OF 126.05. I ASKED THE CAPT 'DO YOU HAVE THE APCH CTL FREQ?' HE SAID 'YES.' I ASKED IF IT WAS THE 124.94 SET AS THE BACKUP FREQ ON THE RADIO. HE AGAIN SAID YES. IT'S AN UNUSUAL FREQ THAT I HAD NEVER SEEN USED BEFORE IN THE NYC AREA. AT LEAST I COULDN'T RECALL IT BEING USED, BUT I SAID TO MYSELF IT MUST BE SOMETHING NEW, MADE FOR LOW ALT HELIS? WE DEPART THE HELIPORT. AT 500-600 FT MSL, I STARTED TO GO INTO THE CLOUD BASES, I DSNDED TO 500-400 FT MSL. THE CAPT WAS TOLD TO CONTACT 124.95 AT THE GEORGE WASHINGTON BRIDGE (ABOUT 4 MI N OF THE HELIPORT). HE WAS WAITING TO MAKE THE CALL. AT ABOUT 1 MI S OF THE BRIDGE, I WAS SEEING FEWER GND LIGHTS ON THE MANHATTAN SHORELINE. I WENT INADVERTENT IMC AT ABOUT 500 FT MSL. I KNEW THAT THE BRIDGE WAS 1 MI AHEAD AND THAT I MUST HAVE 900-1000 FT TO CLR THE BRIDGE STANCHIONS AND ADJACENT BUILDING. I CLBED TO 1000 FT. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CAPT CALLS ON 124.95 AND AFTER ABOUT 2 XMISSIONS, WE FIND THAT WE MUST NOW GO TO 126.05 TO GET DEP CTL. WE DID THIS AND IT TOOK ANOTHER 2 OR 3 XMISSIONS BEFORE WE WERE CLRED IFR TO FLY 040 DEGS AND CLB TO 2000 FT. AT THIS POINT, THINGS WERE NORMAL, BUT PRIOR TO THIS WE WERE IN LGA AIRSPACE AND INADVERTENT IMC (NOT A GOOD SIT). AS THE PF OF THE HELI, AND DOING WHAT I HAD DONE MANY TIMES BEFORE, I HAD A MINDSET THAT THE CTLR ON 124.95 WAS GOING TO GIVE US A HDG AND ALT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY (SINCE WE HAD JUST TOLD THEM ON THE TELEPHONE THAT WE WERE LEAVING THE HELIPORT). I DID NOT TAKE THE CAUTIOUS APCH OF FLYING VERY SLOWLY AND I WAS NOT MENTALLY PREPARED TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AT 300 FT DURING THIS NIGHT FLT. HOWEVER, I WILL NOT BE CAUGHT THIS WAY AGAIN!

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.