ARPT TFC INTERFERES WITH RPTR EMS HELI.
Synopsis
ARPT TFC INTERFERES WITH RPTR EMS HELI.
Narrative
AN EMS HELI WAS DISPATCHED TO THE ZZZ ARPT WHERE A PARACHUTIST HAD MISSED HIS DROP ZONE; AND DSNDED INTO A HEAVILY WOODED AREA NEAR THE ARPT (APPROX 1/2 MI N OF THE RWY THRESHOLD). WHEN THE HELI ARRIVED OVER THE ARPT; THERE WERE MULTIPLE; SMALL FIXED WING ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN. WE ANNOUNCED OURSELVES AS AN EMS ACFT THAT WOULD BE ORBITING OVERHEAD; LOCATE THE LNDG ZONE SETUP BY THE GND RESCUE TEAM. PLT ASKED THE CESSNA TFC IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE EMER SIT. AN ACFT RESPONDED WITH 'YES; WE ARE AWARE OF THE SIT.' A SMALL ACFT IN THE PATTERN CONTINUED FLYING AROUND THE PATTERN AND TRAINING WITH NO REGARD TO THE EMER SIT WITHIN THE TFC PATTERN. AFTER A FEW MINS OF AVOIDING THE FIXED WING TFC; WE REQUESTED OVER UNICOM FREQ THAT ALL ACFT CLR THE ATA SO WE COULD LOCATE AND RECON THE EMER LNDG ZONE SETUP BY THE GND RESCUE TEAM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 3 SMALL; SINGLE ENG; FIXED WING ACFT WERE SIGHTED BY THE EMS CREW DURING THE SEARCH FOR THE LNDG ZONE. ALL THE ACFT APPARENTLY DISREGARDED THE EMS HELI UNTIL THE INSISTENT REQUEST TO CLR THE ARPT AREA WAS MADE BY THE PLT OF THE EMS HELI. THE ACFT'S CONTINUED OP WITHIN THE ARPT TFC PATTERN HINDERED AND DELAYED THE EMS HELI CREW IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES. THE INACTION OF THE PVT PLTS OPERATING AT THE ARPT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH THE EMS OPERATOR. CORRECTIVE ACTION: THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE AWARENESS TRAINING IN THE EMER SIT IN AND AROUND UNCTLED ARPTS. CREATE AN EMPHASIS ON AIRSPACE PRIORITIES OR ACFT PERFORMANCE EMER RESCUE OR SEARCH OPS IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.