HELI INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI HAS NMAC WITH EXPERIMENTAL JET PLT USING NON STANDARD TFC PATTERN PROCS.

Date: 1995-11 · Aircraft: Robinson R22 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far

Synopsis

HELI INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI HAS NMAC WITH EXPERIMENTAL JET PLT USING NON STANDARD TFC PATTERN PROCS.

Narrative

MY STUDENT WAS ATTEMPTING A NORMAL APCH TO LNDG ON HELIPAD 1. WHILE WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL TO THE S OF THE FIELD; N TFC; AN EXPERIMENTAL JET FROM A GROUP; ANNOUNCED HE WAS LINED UP WITH RWY 31 AND WOULD EXECUTE A 'L BREAK.' I REALIZED THAT A CONFLICT WAS IMMINENT AND RADIOED A POS RPT TO ALERT THE JET. HE REQUESTED OUR ALT BUT INSTEAD OF TERMINATING; CONTINUED TO EXECUTE A HIGH SPD LOW PASS AT 200 FT AGL; 1000 FT MSL AND THEN BROKE L FROM RWY 31; DIRECTLY TOWARDS OUR HELI. I WAS FORCED TO EXECUTE AN EMER AUTOROTATION TO AVOID A COLLISION AND THEN EXECUTE A GAR. THE GROUP CONTINUES TO OPERATE DANGEROUSLY AND WITH IMPUNITY AS DO MANY PLTS AT THIS ARPT. FOR EXAMPLE THOSE WHO CONSISTENTLY FLY INSTRUMENT APCHS FAR BELOW MINIMUMS. MANY PLTS' ATTITUDE IS THAT UNCTLED MEANS UNREGULATED. EVERYBODY SEEMS WELL AWARE AND MY PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS WITH PERSONNEL AT THE SAN JOSE FSDO MAKE IT CLR THAT THE FAA HAS NO BUDGET FOR ENFORCEMENT AND THEREFORE ANYTHING GOES. THE SIT WILL REMAIN UNTIL AN ACCIDENT AND/OR LOSS OF LIFE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THERE IS A FAIRLY LARGE CONTINGENT OF GROUP PLTS IN THE AREA. THEY CLRLY DO NOT FOLLOW THE FARS; BUT USE SOME MIL APCH PROCS IN THE PATTERN. A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE CALLBACK; ONE OF THEM WAS MAKING TOUCH AND GO TKOFS AND LNDGS ON A TXWY. THERE ARE CONSISTENT VIOLATIONS OF THE FARS. RPTR INDICATES THE ARPT MGR WORKS VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN GOOD ARPT CONDITIONS BUT HE HAS NO ENFORCEMENT PWR REGARDING THIS SORT OF ACTIVITY. RPTR STATES IT HAS BEEN MADE VERY CLR TO HIM THAT THE FAA BUDGET JUST DOES NOT ALLOW THE FSDO REPS TO TAKE THE TIME TO CHK UNLESS THERE IS AN EXTREME SIT. RPTR IS A FLT INSTRUCTOR AND FEELS THIS IS A DIFFICULT TEACHING ENVIRONMENT WHEN NO ONE SEEMS TO RESPECT THE FARS. IT IS TRULY A FREE FOR ALL. THERE ARE MANY TIMES WHEN ACFT DEPART IN FOG; FLY INTO THE AREA OVER 250 KTS; AND DSND WELL BELOW MINIMUMS ON IFR APCH. HE FEELS IT IS GETTING DANGEROUS. HOT LINE WAS SUGGESTED.

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