Pilot of charter rotary wing craft wrongly assumes flight following while landing as a precaution an...

Attributes
ACN	448650
Time
Date	199909
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl single value : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Weather Elements	Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern approach : visual arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	448650
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departed palmer, ma, at approximately XA25, VFR for avp. Upon departure, contacted bdl approach for flight following. Given squawk and thought radar contact after identify. Transitioned over westfield on heading 267 degrees from palmer between 600-800 ft AGL. About 5 mi southwest of barnes, encountered rain and lowering visibility and ceilings. Did a 180 degree turn and informed bdl would proceed to westover seemed clrer to the south. However, since I had made a r-hand turn, it put me closer to barnes after resetting my map and navaids. Requested barnes as an airport and bdl gave me frequency change to tower 118.9. Contacted tower and informed cleared to land. However, airport was IFR and I was already inside their airspace. Requested SVFR to proceed. Given clearance to land. Landed without incident. Waited about 1 1/2 hours for rain to move through then proceeded VFR to destination. Talked with tower on phone and they had not received handoff from bdl. I believed that I was in radar contact with bdl since my departure from palmer and had not heard a termination of service. Did feel that the WX had gone to IFR in the rain showers which caused me to do a 180 degree turn around to maintain my VFR conditions. Was never in clouds and had visibility below 4 mi. Was surprised that barnes was IFR since bdl did not advise me of this condition prior to telling me to contact them since they were informed on initial contact that I was VFR for advisories en route through the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF CHARTER ROTARY WING CRAFT WRONGLY ASSUMES FLT FOLLOWING WHILE LNDG AS A PRECAUTION AND WAITING FOR VMC TO OCCUR AT Y90.

Narrative: DEPARTED PALMER, MA, AT APPROX XA25, VFR FOR AVP. UPON DEP, CONTACTED BDL APCH FOR FLT FOLLOWING. GIVEN SQUAWK AND THOUGHT RADAR CONTACT AFTER IDENT. TRANSITIONED OVER WESTFIELD ON HDG 267 DEGS FROM PALMER BTWN 600-800 FT AGL. ABOUT 5 MI SW OF BARNES, ENCOUNTERED RAIN AND LOWERING VISIBILITY AND CEILINGS. DID A 180 DEG TURN AND INFORMED BDL WOULD PROCEED TO WESTOVER SEEMED CLRER TO THE S. HOWEVER, SINCE I HAD MADE A R-HAND TURN, IT PUT ME CLOSER TO BARNES AFTER RESETTING MY MAP AND NAVAIDS. REQUESTED BARNES AS AN ARPT AND BDL GAVE ME FREQ CHANGE TO TWR 118.9. CONTACTED TWR AND INFORMED CLRED TO LAND. HOWEVER, ARPT WAS IFR AND I WAS ALREADY INSIDE THEIR AIRSPACE. REQUESTED SVFR TO PROCEED. GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WAITED ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS FOR RAIN TO MOVE THROUGH THEN PROCEEDED VFR TO DEST. TALKED WITH TWR ON PHONE AND THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED HDOF FROM BDL. I BELIEVED THAT I WAS IN RADAR CONTACT WITH BDL SINCE MY DEP FROM PALMER AND HAD NOT HEARD A TERMINATION OF SVC. DID FEEL THAT THE WX HAD GONE TO IFR IN THE RAIN SHOWERS WHICH CAUSED ME TO DO A 180 DEG TURN AROUND TO MAINTAIN MY VFR CONDITIONS. WAS NEVER IN CLOUDS AND HAD VISIBILITY BELOW 4 MI. WAS SURPRISED THAT BARNES WAS IFR SINCE BDL DID NOT ADVISE ME OF THIS CONDITION PRIOR TO TELLING ME TO CONTACT THEM SINCE THEY WERE INFORMED ON INITIAL CONTACT THAT I WAS VFR FOR ADVISORIES ENRTE THROUGH THE AREA.

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.

Pilot of charter rotary wing craft wrongly assumes flight following while landing as a precaution and waiting for VMC to occur at Y90.