Pilot of a sight-seeing tour helicopter descended below the floor of sfar due to low cloud ceilings.

Attributes
ACN	296056
Time
Date	199502
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bkh airport : lih
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	296056
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was conducting an air tour 1000 ft AGL in waimea canyon on kauai, and under all cloud clrncs of far part 91. Kona winds caused the ceilings and visibility to drop behind me and forced me to exit out of the canyon to the northeast. Sudden and unforecasted WX above me and behind me now forced me to go below sfar 71 altitudes and far part 91 cloud clrncs. In order to maintain VMC and not go IMC I continued up the northeast vent of the canyon to the area of the kalalau valley lookout but below 1000 ft AGL. (Our tour company has a 1000 ft deviation to sfar 71.) I crossed over the kalalau valley and down into it where sfar 71 and part 91 clrncs could be maintained and continued on with the air tour. We have a very limited WX reporting system for the interior of the island of kauai where all of our tour flying is done. I judge the WX from the previous flight but it can change so fast as it closed in on me during this flight. If I had a better way of forecasting the WX at the time of my sfar 71 deviation I would have not conducted the air tour during the conditions I was placed in due to the sudden and unforeseen WX that I had to deal with.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A SIGHT-SEEING TOUR HELI DSNDED BELOW THE FLOOR OF SFAR DUE TO LOW CLOUD CEILINGS.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING AN AIR TOUR 1000 FT AGL IN WAIMEA CANYON ON KAUAI, AND UNDER ALL CLOUD CLRNCS OF FAR PART 91. KONA WINDS CAUSED THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY TO DROP BEHIND ME AND FORCED ME TO EXIT OUT OF THE CANYON TO THE NE. SUDDEN AND UNFORECASTED WX ABOVE ME AND BEHIND ME NOW FORCED ME TO GO BELOW SFAR 71 ALTS AND FAR PART 91 CLOUD CLRNCS. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN VMC AND NOT GO IMC I CONTINUED UP THE NE VENT OF THE CANYON TO THE AREA OF THE KALALAU VALLEY LOOKOUT BUT BELOW 1000 FT AGL. (OUR TOUR COMPANY HAS A 1000 FT DEV TO SFAR 71.) I CROSSED OVER THE KALALAU VALLEY AND DOWN INTO IT WHERE SFAR 71 AND PART 91 CLRNCS COULD BE MAINTAINED AND CONTINUED ON WITH THE AIR TOUR. WE HAVE A VERY LIMITED WX RPTING SYS FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE ISLAND OF KAUAI WHERE ALL OF OUR TOUR FLYING IS DONE. I JUDGE THE WX FROM THE PREVIOUS FLT BUT IT CAN CHANGE SO FAST AS IT CLOSED IN ON ME DURING THIS FLT. IF I HAD A BETTER WAY OF FORECASTING THE WX AT THE TIME OF MY SFAR 71 DEV I WOULD HAVE NOT CONDUCTED THE AIR TOUR DURING THE CONDITIONS I WAS PLACED IN DUE TO THE SUDDEN AND UNFORESEEN WX THAT I HAD TO DEAL WITH.

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.