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An EMS AS350 on a night evacuate/evacuation mission aborted because of low clouds at the mission site area.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 632297 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200409 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : zzz.vor |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 800 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | AS 350 Astar/Ecureuil |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 632297 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | other personnel |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : clearance non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Inadvertent IMC event, WX just above minima prescribed in table, night cross country. Failed to maintain cloud clearance in class G airspace below 1200 ft AGL. VFR aeronautical helicopter operation. Based on ground lights around and ahead of aircraft, visibility and cloud clearance were both still good. Immediately after this decision had been made with the aircraft in straight and level flight on course at 800 ft AGL, aircraft entered an unseen cloud and ground reference was rapidly lost. Pilot transitioned to instruments and initiated a straight ahead climb. Approximately 15-20 seconds later, the aircraft emerged from the cloud tops and a VMC turn was made back to clear conditions. Mission was canceled and aircraft returned to base. Approximately 2-3 mins after the incident occurred, ground agency called to say that WX had deteriorated at the scene.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMS AS350 ON A NIGHT EVAC MISSION ABORTED BECAUSE OF LOW CLOUDS AT THE MISSION SITE AREA.
Narrative: INADVERTENT IMC EVENT, WX JUST ABOVE MINIMA PRESCRIBED IN TABLE, NIGHT XCOUNTRY. FAILED TO MAINTAIN CLOUD CLRNC IN CLASS G AIRSPACE BELOW 1200 FT AGL. VFR AERO HELI OP. BASED ON GND LIGHTS AROUND AND AHEAD OF ACFT, VISIBILITY AND CLOUD CLRNC WERE BOTH STILL GOOD. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS DECISION HAD BEEN MADE WITH THE ACFT IN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT ON COURSE AT 800 FT AGL, ACFT ENTERED AN UNSEEN CLOUD AND GND REF WAS RAPIDLY LOST. PLT TRANSITIONED TO INSTS AND INITIATED A STRAIGHT AHEAD CLB. APPROX 15-20 SECONDS LATER, THE ACFT EMERGED FROM THE CLOUD TOPS AND A VMC TURN WAS MADE BACK TO CLR CONDITIONS. MISSION WAS CANCELED AND ACFT RETURNED TO BASE. APPROX 2-3 MINS AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED, GND AGENCY CALLED TO SAY THAT WX HAD DETERIORATED AT THE SCENE.
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.