Originally Posted by
Robbiee
I don't get it. He filed a flight plan in IFR conditions in a VFR only helicopter
The preliminary report doesn’t say this. Conditions were VFR (400 ft ceiling, viz 3 Nm) but below VMC minima. Usually „ops normal“ for helicopters. But as he was within a control zone, he had to request Special VFR clearance.
Problem maybe was more lack of depth perception over water combined with very low hours (just 100 HR TTRW).
In any case, his flight over water out of gliding distance from shore was probably illegal in the first place.