TFC WATCH RPTR IN HELI HAD CONFLICT WITH TFC APCHING ORD ARPT.

Date: 1991-08 · Aircraft: Helicopter

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict|deviation-track-heading-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance

Synopsis

TFC WATCH RPTR IN HELI HAD CONFLICT WITH TFC APCHING ORD ARPT.

Narrative

ACFT WAS ON TFC WATCH AS SMA X TRANSPONDER CODE XXX UNDER CTL OF O'HARE TWR. HELI WAS CLRED FROM THE WOODFIELD RPTING POINT INBOUND ON THE WOODFIELD RTE; HOLD SHORT OF 22L. WE WERE ADVISED OF SMT TFC INBOUND ON 14; HOWEVER WE DID NOT RECEIVE ADVISORIES OF 2 MLG ON APCH. VISUAL CONTACT WAS MADE WITH THE FIRST MLG; HOWEVER; THE SECOND MLG WAS BEHIND AND TO THE L. CONTACT WAS MADE WHEN I STARTED A SLOW R HAND TURN TO CIRCLE ON THE WOODFIELD WHILE WAITING TURN TO TALK TO O'HARE. MLG RPTED US AS BENEATH THEM TO TWR AT THE TIME I MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH MLG OFF TO MY L SIDE. TWR STATED THAT ACTUAL WOODFIELD RTE WAS E OF HIGHWAY 90; HOWEVER THE RTE WAS CHARTED OVER THE HIGHWAY WHICH I WAS FOLLOWING. PROBLEM LIES IN FACT THAT AIRCREW USING THE HELI RTE CHART AND NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA WILL FOLLOW THE RTE AS DEPICTED. SECONDLY; I WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE TFC OFF TO MY L REAR. CIRCLE WAS MADE IN ATTEMPT TO REMAIN W OF CENTERLINE WHICH CARRIED ME FURTHER S OFF OF WHAT TWR SHOWED AS THE WOODFIELD RTE. CONFLICT WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN PLACE HAD THE RTE BEEN PROPERLY DEPICTED ON THE HELI RTE CHART AND WE HAD BEEN ADVISED OF TFC. WHILE IN THE MIL ASSIGNED TO THE DEFENSE MAPPING AGENCY I CHAIRED THE COMMITTEE TASKED TO DESIGN THE HELI RTE CHART SPECS. AT THAT TIME THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SHOW THE ACTUAL RTES SO AS NOT TO ADD TO CONFUSION AND REDUCE THE CTLR'S WORKLOAD. AT THE TIME THERE WAS NO DEFINITE TIME FOR REPRINT OF THE CHARTS. UPDATES WERE TO BE MADE WHEN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OCCURRED. IF CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE THAT ARE ADDRESSED IN LETTERS OF AGREEMENT THIS DOES NOT HELP THE OUT OF TOWN PLT STAY IN HIS AIRSPACE. I WOULD RECOMMEND THE CHART BE REVISED WHEN SUCH CHANGES EXIST.

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