Air carrier Captain reported an NMAC event during approach with a non-communicating Helicopter. After completing the RA maneuver and with stable approach criteria; the Captain continued the approach and a safe landing.

Date: 2025-04 · Aircraft: A319 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-nmac

Synopsis

Air carrier Captain reported an NMAC event during approach with a non-communicating Helicopter. After completing the RA maneuver and with stable approach criteria; the Captain continued the approach and a safe landing.

Narrative

We were just cleared to land on runway XXR in ZZZ. It was VFR and we were using RNAV (GPS) XXR for lateral and vertical guidance. I heard ZZZ tower ask a helicopter if they had the landing airbus insight then a brief pause and then tower said to the helicopter to pass behind the traffic. I could not hear the helicopters responses. At this point we were at or just prior to the FAF (ZZZZZ) with autopilot engaged and FINAL APP displayed on FMA (Flight mode Annunciator). Hearing tower ask the helicopter if they had traffic insight triggered me to look at TCAS. TCAS had a red target just past the FAF. At this time we are getting a traffic report from tower and I'm looking out the window on the right side of the aircraft. I immediately saw the helicopter and did not like what I saw so I immediately disconnected the autopilot and began a level off. Almost simultaneously we received a TCAS RA to level off and I had already had the aircraft in the green band displayed on the VSI. At this point we are just inside FAF the helicopter came in with approx 300 feet altitude according to what I feel I saw on TCAS. After the RA maneuver was complete and no longer displayed we continued the approach as we did not lose stable approach criteria.Cause: I would recommend that the FAA restrict helicopters to be outside active runway FAFs at a Max altitude of 500ft AGL. This should ensure at a minimum 500 feet clearance from any landing aircraft.

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