What happened
A night-time emergency medical service (EMS) flight was dispatched to transport a patient from a hospital. Upon receiving dispatch orders, the pilot assessed the weather as being slightly hazy and reviewed local radar and surface weather reports. Based on this assessment, the pilot determined that conditions were suitable for visual flight rules (VFR) operations; however, the pilot did not listen to the airport's automated weather observing system (AWOS) broadcast prior to departure.
Shortly after takeoff, the helicopter entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC). The pilot elected to terminate the flight and initiated a right turn back toward the departure airport. During this maneuver, the pilot experienced difficulty maintaining level flight and noted that the aircraft appeared to be climbing slightly. The pilot believed the attitude indicator was providing a false indication, noting it appeared stuck at an angle of approximately 30 degrees, though the circuit breaker for the instrument had not tripped.
After observing ground lighting to the left, the pilot initiated a left turn toward the lights. GPS data indicated the aircraft departed north, performed a climbing right turn, and then a climbing left turn, reaching a maximum altitude of approximately 1,035 feet above ground level (agl). The pilot reported seeing two houses before impact and attempted to steer between them. The helicopter impacted two pine trees, utility lines, a residential structure, another tree, and a garage, traveling approximately 325 feet before coming to a stop.
The investigation
The investigation examined the weather conditions and aircraft instrumentation. While the pilot held an instrument rating, the aircraft was not certified for flight in IMC. At the time of the accident, the pilot had logged 26 hours of instrument experience since being hired in 1989, with only 13 hours flown in the preceding 90 days and none of those hours occurring in IMC.
Weather data from the airport's AWOS showed that approximately one hour before the accident, the sky was overcast at 400 feet agl with a visibility of 3 statute miles and mist. Two minutes after the crash, conditions were reported as overcast at 400 feet agl with a visibility of 2.5 statute miles. The attitude indicator was bench-tested following the accident, and no operational discrepancies were found.