AN EMS HELI WAS FORCED TO FLY SINGLE PLT IN IMC TO COMPLETE HIS MISSION.

Date: 1995-10 · Aircraft: MBB-BK 117 All Series · Phase: approach

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|inflight-event-encounter-weather-turbulence|other-unspecified

Synopsis

AN EMS HELI WAS FORCED TO FLY SINGLE PLT IN IMC TO COMPLETE HIS MISSION.

Narrative

OPERATING A BK117 AS A HOSPITAL BASED 135 NON SCHEDULED CARRIER; CERTIFIED AS SINGLE PLT VFR OR DUAL PLT IFR. DURING SHIFT CHANGE; RECEIVED TELEPHONIC WX BRIEF AS WELL AS COMPUTER GENERATED DUAT BRIEF FROM NWS AT APPROX XA00 LCL. WX BRIEF WAS FOR A 75 MI RADIUS OF ARPT XYZ AND INCLUDED SYNOPSIS; AREA FORECASTS; SIGMETS; SA; FT; WINDS ALOFT; NOTAMS. FORECASTS INDICATED VFR CONDITIONS FOR ENTIRE SHIFT OF 12 HRS. AT APPROX XH10 LCL; WE WERE DISPATCHED TO TRANSPORT A PATIENT FROM XYZ TO ZZZ APPROX 160 NM. WE DEPARTED ARPT XYZ WITH SKY CONDITIONS CLR; VISIBILITY UNRESTR. NO CURRENT OBSERVATIONS AVAILABLE WITHIN 60 NM OF ZZZ AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT. FLT PROCEEDED S WHERE UNFORECASTED WX WAS ENCOUNTERED. ALT WAS INCREASED FROM 2500 FT MSL TO 3500 FT MSL IN ORDER TO REMAIN VFR. AT APPROX XI30 LCL AND 35 MI N OF ZZZ; I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED AN IFR CLRNC INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS DECISION WAS BASED ON FUEL REMAINING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO TURN BACK. CLRNC WAS GIVEN FOR THE VOR/DME 17 APCH AT ZZZ. THE APCH WAS EXECUTED AND ACTUAL IMC CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED FOR APPROX 2 MINS. WE BROKE OUT AT APPROX 700 FT MSL AND THE ACFT WAS LANDED SAFELY AT ZZZ. MEDICAL CREW RETURNED TO XYZ AFTER COMPLETION OF TRANSFER AT APPROX XK40 LCL. SA INDICATED 5 MI VISIBILITY; 16 MI BROKEN AND 4 MI IN FOG. I FILED ANOTHER IFR FLT PLAN DIRECT. WE DEPARTED ZZZ AT XL15 LCL WITH A SVFR CLRNC. APPROX 12 MI N OF ZZZ; I ACTIVATED THE IFR FLT PLAN IN ORDER TO GO VFR ON TOP. THE ENTIRE FLT BACK WAS CONDUCTED VFR ON TOP. UPON ARR AT XYZ; CLRNC WAS GIVEN BY CTR TO EXPECT ILS RWY 13 APCH. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AND WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT XYZ APCH. CONTACT WAS MADE BY XYZ AND WE WERE CLRED FOR VOR/DME 4 APCH AT XYZ. AGAIN; IMC CONDITIONS WERE ENCOUNTERED DURING FINAL APCH LEG. WE BROKE OUT 200 FT ABOVE MDA AND LANDED AGAIN SAFELY AT XYZ. THIS MISSION WAS OPERATED SINGLE PLT. I SHOULD HAVE RECONFIRMED MY WX PRIOR TO DEP FROM XYZ. SAFETY WAS PRIMARY CONSIDERATION IN ASKING FOR IFR CLRNCS. VIOLATIONS OF FARS CONCERNING SINGLE PLT IFR FLT WAS NOT INTENTIONAL; BUT AT THE TIME IT WAS THE REALITY I WAS FACED WITH.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.