Narrative:

At about XA30 local time we were dispatched to a scene call (air ambulance) with fire department in the vicinity of a 4200 ft peak about 12 mi west of ZZZ. The page indicated that this was a suicidal person with carbon monoxide exposure in a vehicle. The WX at the time was reported by ASOS at ZZZ to be 2100 ft overcast but the WX was now clear and a visual check outside with night vision goggle indicated that the peak was visible from the airfield and stars were visible in the background. We proceeded to the coords given and contacted the fire department on the ground. At that time; we were told that they hadn't yet located the suicidal subject but had cell phone contact with him and wanted our assistance to find the subject's vehicle in the dark wilderness about 5 mi farther west. There was substantial ground fog in that area but using night vision goggles; we were able to locate the subject vehicle on the north side of the peak just above the fog line at about 3000 ft MSL. There was no suitable landing site for us so we orbited at about 4500 ft overhead while directing searchers on the ground to the site. As we orbited overhead; I kept one eye on the lights of the city to be sure the WX didn't catch us up there. The forecast was for lowering ceilings by daybreak. After orbiting for about 15 mins; we could see search vehicles getting close to the location but on one turn; I noticed the lights of the city beginning to get hazy; so immediately checked the ASOS. The report was that the ceiling had dropped to 1200 ft. It took about 2 mins more to direct searchers to the vehicle; then we immediately departed for the airport. While en route; the lights of the city and airport disappeared completely and we found ourselves on top of a solid overcast. I have been an IFR captain for 16 yrs in this same model of aircraft for a different company. When I came to this company they started me out as a VFR only pilot so I am not current IFR now and have not had the company IFR chkout. That is supposed to start next week. It was obvious that I would need an IFR approach to get back to the airport as the whole valley was now socked in. After consulting with my crew; we made the decision that that was the best avenue to proceed. We notified our dispatch of our intentions and that we would be declaring an emergency in order to be legal for this approach. I contacted center; explained the situation to the controller; declared an emergency and asked for vectors to final for the ILS. The remainder of the approach was uneventful. We broke out at 1200 ft MSL; canceled our clearance and proceeded back to our parking spot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A109 MAKES INST APCH WHILE NOT CURRENTLY QUALIFIED TO DO SO.

Narrative: AT ABOUT XA30 LCL TIME WE WERE DISPATCHED TO A SCENE CALL (AIR AMBULANCE) WITH FIRE DEPT IN THE VICINITY OF A 4200 FT PEAK ABOUT 12 MI W OF ZZZ. THE PAGE INDICATED THAT THIS WAS A SUICIDAL PERSON WITH CARBON MONOXIDE EXPOSURE IN A VEHICLE. THE WX AT THE TIME WAS RPTED BY ASOS AT ZZZ TO BE 2100 FT OVCST BUT THE WX WAS NOW CLR AND A VISUAL CHK OUTSIDE WITH NIGHT VISION GOGGLE INDICATED THAT THE PEAK WAS VISIBLE FROM THE AIRFIELD AND STARS WERE VISIBLE IN THE BACKGROUND. WE PROCEEDED TO THE COORDS GIVEN AND CONTACTED THE FIRE DEPT ON THE GND. AT THAT TIME; WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY HADN'T YET LOCATED THE SUICIDAL SUBJECT BUT HAD CELL PHONE CONTACT WITH HIM AND WANTED OUR ASSISTANCE TO FIND THE SUBJECT'S VEHICLE IN THE DARK WILDERNESS ABOUT 5 MI FARTHER W. THERE WAS SUBSTANTIAL GND FOG IN THAT AREA BUT USING NIGHT VISION GOGGLES; WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE SUBJECT VEHICLE ON THE N SIDE OF THE PEAK JUST ABOVE THE FOG LINE AT ABOUT 3000 FT MSL. THERE WAS NO SUITABLE LNDG SITE FOR US SO WE ORBITED AT ABOUT 4500 FT OVERHEAD WHILE DIRECTING SEARCHERS ON THE GND TO THE SITE. AS WE ORBITED OVERHEAD; I KEPT ONE EYE ON THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY TO BE SURE THE WX DIDN'T CATCH US UP THERE. THE FORECAST WAS FOR LOWERING CEILINGS BY DAYBREAK. AFTER ORBITING FOR ABOUT 15 MINS; WE COULD SEE SEARCH VEHICLES GETTING CLOSE TO THE LOCATION BUT ON ONE TURN; I NOTICED THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY BEGINNING TO GET HAZY; SO IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE ASOS. THE RPT WAS THAT THE CEILING HAD DROPPED TO 1200 FT. IT TOOK ABOUT 2 MINS MORE TO DIRECT SEARCHERS TO THE VEHICLE; THEN WE IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED FOR THE ARPT. WHILE ENRTE; THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY AND ARPT DISAPPEARED COMPLETELY AND WE FOUND OURSELVES ON TOP OF A SOLID OVCST. I HAVE BEEN AN IFR CAPT FOR 16 YRS IN THIS SAME MODEL OF ACFT FOR A DIFFERENT COMPANY. WHEN I CAME TO THIS COMPANY THEY STARTED ME OUT AS A VFR ONLY PLT SO I AM NOT CURRENT IFR NOW AND HAVE NOT HAD THE COMPANY IFR CHKOUT. THAT IS SUPPOSED TO START NEXT WEEK. IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT I WOULD NEED AN IFR APCH TO GET BACK TO THE ARPT AS THE WHOLE VALLEY WAS NOW SOCKED IN. AFTER CONSULTING WITH MY CREW; WE MADE THE DECISION THAT THAT WAS THE BEST AVENUE TO PROCEED. WE NOTIFIED OUR DISPATCH OF OUR INTENTIONS AND THAT WE WOULD BE DECLARING AN EMER IN ORDER TO BE LEGAL FOR THIS APCH. I CONTACTED CENTER; EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO THE CTLR; DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED FOR VECTORS TO FINAL FOR THE ILS. THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE BROKE OUT AT 1200 FT MSL; CANCELED OUR CLRNC AND PROCEEDED BACK TO OUR PARKING SPOT.

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.