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S76 flight crew departs into marginal WX VFR instead of IFR to avoid delays associated with heavy traffic.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 692678 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200604 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lga.airport |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl single value : 900 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : lga.tower tower : ane.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | S-76/S-76 Mark II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | departure other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 692678 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I departed ewr VFR instead of activating IFR flight plan due to high volume of fixed wing IFR departures. WX reports along my route called for improving ceilings and visibility. I flew helicopter route up hudson river and saw lower ceilings than expected. Upon transition across yonkers; outside of lga class B airspace; encountered low ceilings and visibility. My copilot; who was flying; chose to climb to avoid CFIT. I called lga tower and requested IFR climb. They immediately gave me a heading; altitude and transponder code. As I had an IFR plan in the system; ATC activated that plan. Lga tower acted without hesitation to help make up for my flying VFR into deteriorating IMC. I should have requested IFR clearance sooner instead of pushing on in marginal night conditions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: S76 FLT CREW DEPARTS INTO MARGINAL WX VFR INSTEAD OF IFR TO AVOID DELAYS ASSOCIATED WITH HVY TFC.
Narrative: I DEPARTED EWR VFR INSTEAD OF ACTIVATING IFR FLT PLAN DUE TO HIGH VOLUME OF FIXED WING IFR DEPS. WX RPTS ALONG MY RTE CALLED FOR IMPROVING CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY. I FLEW HELI RTE UP HUDSON RIVER AND SAW LOWER CEILINGS THAN EXPECTED. UPON TRANSITION ACROSS YONKERS; OUTSIDE OF LGA CLASS B AIRSPACE; ENCOUNTERED LOW CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY. MY COPLT; WHO WAS FLYING; CHOSE TO CLB TO AVOID CFIT. I CALLED LGA TWR AND REQUESTED IFR CLB. THEY IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME A HDG; ALT AND XPONDER CODE. AS I HAD AN IFR PLAN IN THE SYS; ATC ACTIVATED THAT PLAN. LGA TWR ACTED WITHOUT HESITATION TO HELP MAKE UP FOR MY FLYING VFR INTO DETERIORATING IMC. I SHOULD HAVE REQUESTED IFR CLRNC SOONER INSTEAD OF PUSHING ON IN MARGINAL NIGHT CONDITIONS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.