Low altitude civil flight. Below sfar limit.

Attributes
ACN	299108
Time
Date	199503
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : vpp
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 2200 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	299108
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

In the last few months we had no rain and very little cloud cover. I made calls to FSS and got the WX and report was beautiful WX so the flight was scheduled XA00 am. I did the volcano half of the flight and headed around the north end of the island and encountered bad WX so I dropped down below the 1500 ft minimum set by sfar 71 to safely get my passenger back to kona airport. As soon as the WX improved, I returned to 1500 ft AGL. Please remember that the hamalua coast or the northeast side of the island has no WX reporting system. At this point, it was better for me to finish the flight than to turn around. Fuel is a big concern when there are very few fuel stops. I know that what was done was not dangerous, but this sfar 71 does not allow for reasoning for a pilot to make good and safe judgement. It only worries the pilot to obey in fear of losing his or her license when we should be worrying about the flight, safe landing spots, separation of aircraft and instruments. This law was never thought out and properly studied on the WX patterns here in hawaii.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW ALT CIVIL FLT. BELOW SFAR LIMIT.

Narrative: IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS WE HAD NO RAIN AND VERY LITTLE CLOUD COVER. I MADE CALLS TO FSS AND GOT THE WX AND RPT WAS BEAUTIFUL WX SO THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED XA00 AM. I DID THE VOLCANO HALF OF THE FLT AND HEADED AROUND THE N END OF THE ISLAND AND ENCOUNTERED BAD WX SO I DROPPED DOWN BELOW THE 1500 FT MINIMUM SET BY SFAR 71 TO SAFELY GET MY PAX BACK TO KONA ARPT. AS SOON AS THE WX IMPROVED, I RETURNED TO 1500 FT AGL. PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE HAMALUA COAST OR THE NE SIDE OF THE ISLAND HAS NO WX RPTING SYS. AT THIS POINT, IT WAS BETTER FOR ME TO FINISH THE FLT THAN TO TURN AROUND. FUEL IS A BIG CONCERN WHEN THERE ARE VERY FEW FUEL STOPS. I KNOW THAT WHAT WAS DONE WAS NOT DANGEROUS, BUT THIS SFAR 71 DOES NOT ALLOW FOR REASONING FOR A PLT TO MAKE GOOD AND SAFE JUDGEMENT. IT ONLY WORRIES THE PLT TO OBEY IN FEAR OF LOSING HIS OR HER LICENSE WHEN WE SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT THE FLT, SAFE LNDG SPOTS, SEPARATION OF ACFT AND INSTS. THIS LAW WAS NEVER THOUGHT OUT AND PROPERLY STUDIED ON THE WX PATTERNS HERE IN HAWAII.

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.