A COAST GUARD HELI WAS BLOCKING THE RPTR'S TAXI RTE TO THE END OF THE RWY. THE RPTR WAS USING THE GND CTL FREQ TO TAXI OUT WHEN THE TWR CLOSED RATHER THAN THE CTAF. WHEN THE RPTR SQUEEZED BY THE HELI TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY AT AN INTXN THE HELI PLT ASKED THE RPTR TO COME UP ON THE CTAF FREQ AND COMPLAINED ABOUT HIS TAXIING SO CLOSE TO THE HELI.

Date: 1996-03 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

Anomalies: conflict-ground-conflict|less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

A COAST GUARD HELI WAS BLOCKING THE RPTR'S TAXI RTE TO THE END OF THE RWY. THE RPTR WAS USING THE GND CTL FREQ TO TAXI OUT WHEN THE TWR CLOSED RATHER THAN THE CTAF. WHEN THE RPTR SQUEEZED BY THE HELI TO TAXI ONTO THE RWY AT AN INTXN THE HELI PLT ASKED THE RPTR TO COME UP ON THE CTAF FREQ AND COMPLAINED ABOUT HIS TAXIING SO CLOSE TO THE HELI.

Narrative

ON MAR/TUE/96 AT XA45 LCL; I HAD WHAT I CONSIDER A SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT ON A TXWY WITH A COAST GUARD HELI. IT HAPPENED AT ISLA GRANDE ARPT (SAN JUAN; PR) AT THE S TXWY; RWY 9. AT THIS TIME OF THE DAY THE ARPT IS UNCTLED AND I WAS RPTING MY INTENTIONS TO TAXI (FROM THE RAMP TO THE RWY) IN THE BLIND ON 121.7 (GND FREQ). THERE ARE ONLY 2 EXITS OR INTXNS AT THE END OF THE S TXWY AVAILABLE IN ORDER TO USE RWY 9. TO MY SURPRISE THERE WAS A COAST GUARD HELI BLOCKING (IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TXWY HDG E) BLOCKING THE END INTXN AND LEAVING A TIGHT SPACE OF AROUND 100 FT FOR FIXED WING ACFT TO ENTER THE OTHER INTXN. THIS ROOM TO TAXI WAS JUDGED BY ME AS SAFE AND I RADIOED MY INTENTIONS AGAIN IN 121.7 ALONG WITH BOTH OF MY LNDG LIGHTS ON. MY WINGTIP CLRED THE HELI'S ROTOR AREA BY MORE THAN 40 FT. I TAXIED VERY SLOW AND OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE TXWY TO AVOID ANY DIRECT CONFLICT WITH THE HELI. SUDDENLY A VOICE CALLED ME ON 121.7 TELLING ME TO CONTACT THE COAST GUARD HELI ON 118.7. THE HELI'S CREW ASKED ME IF I THOUGHT I WAS A LITTLE CLOSE TO THEM. I TOLD THEM I HAD NO OTHER CHOICE AND WHAT I DID WAS WITH THE HIGHEST CAUTION. THEIR REPLY ON THE FREQ WAS BULLS___. MY NEXT ACTION WAS NOT TO CONTINUE AN ARGUMENT AND TO PROCEED WITH A TKOF ON RWY 9 WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROB. I BELIEVE THERE WAS A COM PROB. I WAS ON A GND FREQ 121.7 XMITTING MY INTENTIONS AT ALL TIMES BUT THE HELI WAS IN THE 'AIR' ON TWR FREQ ON 118.7 AND STILL THE ARPT WAS UNCTLED. BUT MY QUESTION IS WHY THE HELI WAS PARKED IN THE TXWY BLOCKING FIXED WING ACFT WITH SO MUCH AVAILABLE GRASS/RAMP AREA TO TAXI BY?

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