EC130
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter VFR In IMC; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew Diverted
Human Factors; Weather
We were requested to respond to rendezvous with an ambulance at the Fire Department pad and were flying an EC130 B4 helicopter. Weather reports and forecasts indicated the weather should have been more than adequate for the flight. Visibility was hazier than our first flight but well above our local area minimums. We had a 13 minute turnaround time while loading the patient after which we goggled up and lifted off. It became clear during our departure that the visibility had deteriorated very quickly. Surface light reference was not as prevalent to the north as we were headed out of town so I turned to see if the conditions were any better toward the south but they weren't. I leveled the aircraft; assumed climb power and airspeed and notified the crew that we had entered IMC conditions. I told them that this was an emergency situation and asked them to refrain from unnecessary chatter. I took up an initial heading of 090 degrees which was the nearest cardinal heading and degoggled. I noted the Enroute Safe Altitude (ESA) field on the GARMIN 430 was 3;800 feet and told the crew of my intentions to climb to that altitude. Once established in a stable climb; I turned to a heading of 180 degrees. I was in the process of tuning the radio to declare an emergency with ATC when we popped out and almost immediately regained visual surface light reference to the south. I continued southbound; leveled off and advised the crew that I was goggling up as conditions were much better in that direction. Since we were back in VFR conditions; I did not contact ATC nor did I declare an emergency. At that time we decided it would be in the best interest of the patient to divert to a hospital in the direction that we were flying. We landed safely at the new receiving facility shortly thereafter and conducted a thorough debriefing upon the completion of the flight. The weather changed incredibly quickly while we were on the ground preparing the patient for transport but the degradation of visibility was not apparent from the LZ. Once the situation became apparent; the safest course of action in my opinion was to declare IMC and begin the emergency recovery procedure to a safe altitude. Looking back; perhaps I should have terminated the flight before arriving at the scene but the weather on the way in; although hazy; was above minimums.
EC130 pilot flew VFR to a patient pick up point; but upon departure after a 13 minute turnaround; encountered inadvertent IMC. Pilot climbed to Enroute Safe Altitude; regained VFR conditions and diverted to an alternate hospital.