AN LMT HELI PLT WENT INTO IMC ON A VFR FLT PLAN. HE OBTAINED AN IFR CLRNC AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY.

Narrative

AN SMT HELI PLT ON AN EMS MISSION INADVERTENTLY GOT INTO IMC ON A VFR FLT PLAN. HE WAS IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREA NEAR CITY. THE RPTR CHKED THE WX WITH FSS TWICE BEFORE THE FLT AND AGAIN AT HIS PICKUP STOP. HIGHER CEILINGS THAN HE LATER ENCOUNTERED WERE FORECAST FOR THE ENTIRE JOURNEY. THE PLAN WAS TO FLY FROM HOSPITAL A TO PICK UP AT HOSPITAL B WITH A HOSPITAL C AS THE DEST. THE PATIENT WAS PICKED UP; BUT THE TRIP RETURNED AND OFF-LOADED THE PATIENT BECAUSE OF BAD WX AHEAD. ON THE RETURN TO HOSPITAL A; THERE WAS MORE WX LOWERING RAPIDLY. THE RPTR WENT INTO THE WX AND OBTAINED A CLRNC TO THE ZZZ ILS. THE ACFT LANDED SAFELY. THE INITIAL ENCOUNTER WITH THE WX WAS AT 4500 FT MSL. THE ACFT CLBED TO 6000 FT MSL PRIOR TO THE ZZZ ILS USING RADAR VECTORS FOR NAV. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES HIS RECOVERY FROM THIS WX ENCOUNTER WAS NOT DIFFICULT DUE TO HIS INST TRAINING IN THE MIL AND INST CURRENCY THAT HE MAINTAINS ON HIS OWN. THIS EMS PROGRAM IS NOT IFR. RPTR STATES THAT ALL EMS PLTS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE IFR RATING AND CURRENCY EVEN IF IT IS NOT USED REGULARLY IN THEIR OPS.