Narrative:

I departed ZZZ1 in an R-22 helicopter on what I anticipated to be an uneventful, non-stop flight to ZZZ2. WX reports and radar at that time showed some precipitation along the route, moving to the east. Similar reports had been issued friday when I flew to ZZZ1 from ZZZ2 with beautiful WX all along the way. Leaving ZZZ1, the skies were overcast with no precipitation, and I had an uneventful flight to just south of yazoo city. Then ceilings began to drop, therefore, I slowed down and followed I-49 south. My initial plan had been to fly non-stop to ZZZ2 but with the poor WX and approximately 1/2 tank of fuel, I decided it would be best to got into hawkins and wait it out. I called the tower several times and got no answer. I thought that was odd as I had been into hawkins several times, but I thought perhaps maybe on sunday afternoon the tower is not open, and I switched to the CTAF frequency, made several calls to traffic in the area. I believed I was clear of jackson airspace so I made no attempt to contact them. No response was received from any traffic. Although ceilings were low I had more than 3 mi visibility. I proceeded and landed on the runway uneventfully, taxied to the ramp, and asked to be topped off. As I was walking into the terminal building, the ATC manager approached me and told me I was VFR rated and flying in IFR WX. I explained that my understanding that helicopters can fly in IFR WX so long as they can maintain good visibility. He further stated that I had not called the tower for permission to land. I told him I had called the tower several times without response, and then reverted to the CTAF without response several times. He asked what frequency I was calling and I told him I was calling the frequency indicated on my chart, 120.0. He indicated the tower frequency had changed, and wanted to know what chart I was using. I told him I was using the mississippi aeronautical chart for 2003-2004. I had picked up a new chart prior to departure. I chose that chart because it had the whole route on 1 map and is easy to handle in the small cockpit of an R-22 by myself. He indicated a citation jet approaching had to veer off. Apparently he was told the mississippi aeronautical chart was not good for navigation. I've talked to my flight instructor. He has offered to provide additional safety training to me particularly in regard to airspace and rules regarding controled airports. On the back of the chart it has the basic VFR WX minimums which say 'a helicopter may be operated clear of clouds if operated at a speed that allows the pilot adequate opportunity to see any air traffic or obstruction in time to avoid a collision.' I believe I was doing this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: R-22 PLT FAILS TO CONTACT TWR AND CAUSES TFC CONFLICT WHEN DIVERTING TO LAND IN MVFR AT HKC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED ZZZ1 IN AN R-22 HELI ON WHAT I ANTICIPATED TO BE AN UNEVENTFUL, NON-STOP FLT TO ZZZ2. WX RPTS AND RADAR AT THAT TIME SHOWED SOME PRECIP ALONG THE RTE, MOVING TO THE E. SIMILAR RPTS HAD BEEN ISSUED FRIDAY WHEN I FLEW TO ZZZ1 FROM ZZZ2 WITH BEAUTIFUL WX ALL ALONG THE WAY. LEAVING ZZZ1, THE SKIES WERE OVCST WITH NO PRECIP, AND I HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO JUST S OF YAZOO CITY. THEN CEILINGS BEGAN TO DROP, THEREFORE, I SLOWED DOWN AND FOLLOWED I-49 S. MY INITIAL PLAN HAD BEEN TO FLY NON-STOP TO ZZZ2 BUT WITH THE POOR WX AND APPROX 1/2 TANK OF FUEL, I DECIDED IT WOULD BE BEST TO GOT INTO HAWKINS AND WAIT IT OUT. I CALLED THE TWR SEVERAL TIMES AND GOT NO ANSWER. I THOUGHT THAT WAS ODD AS I HAD BEEN INTO HAWKINS SEVERAL TIMES, BUT I THOUGHT PERHAPS MAYBE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON THE TWR IS NOT OPEN, AND I SWITCHED TO THE CTAF FREQ, MADE SEVERAL CALLS TO TFC IN THE AREA. I BELIEVED I WAS CLR OF JACKSON AIRSPACE SO I MADE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THEM. NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED FROM ANY TFC. ALTHOUGH CEILINGS WERE LOW I HAD MORE THAN 3 MI VISIBILITY. I PROCEEDED AND LANDED ON THE RWY UNEVENTFULLY, TAXIED TO THE RAMP, AND ASKED TO BE TOPPED OFF. AS I WAS WALKING INTO THE TERMINAL BUILDING, THE ATC MGR APCHED ME AND TOLD ME I WAS VFR RATED AND FLYING IN IFR WX. I EXPLAINED THAT MY UNDERSTANDING THAT HELIS CAN FLY IN IFR WX SO LONG AS THEY CAN MAINTAIN GOOD VISIBILITY. HE FURTHER STATED THAT I HAD NOT CALLED THE TWR FOR PERMISSION TO LAND. I TOLD HIM I HAD CALLED THE TWR SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT RESPONSE, AND THEN REVERTED TO THE CTAF WITHOUT RESPONSE SEVERAL TIMES. HE ASKED WHAT FREQ I WAS CALLING AND I TOLD HIM I WAS CALLING THE FREQ INDICATED ON MY CHART, 120.0. HE INDICATED THE TWR FREQ HAD CHANGED, AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT CHART I WAS USING. I TOLD HIM I WAS USING THE MISSISSIPPI AERO CHART FOR 2003-2004. I HAD PICKED UP A NEW CHART PRIOR TO DEP. I CHOSE THAT CHART BECAUSE IT HAD THE WHOLE RTE ON 1 MAP AND IS EASY TO HANDLE IN THE SMALL COCKPIT OF AN R-22 BY MYSELF. HE INDICATED A CITATION JET APCHING HAD TO VEER OFF. APPARENTLY HE WAS TOLD THE MISSISSIPPI AERO CHART WAS NOT GOOD FOR NAV. I'VE TALKED TO MY FLT INSTRUCTOR. HE HAS OFFERED TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SAFETY TRAINING TO ME PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO AIRSPACE AND RULES REGARDING CTLED ARPTS. ON THE BACK OF THE CHART IT HAS THE BASIC VFR WX MINIMUMS WHICH SAY 'A HELI MAY BE OPERATED CLR OF CLOUDS IF OPERATED AT A SPD THAT ALLOWS THE PLT ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE ANY AIR TFC OR OBSTRUCTION IN TIME TO AVOID A COLLISION.' I BELIEVE I WAS DOING THIS.

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.