HELI PLT ON SCENE DEP OF EMS MISSION HAS NMAC WITH AN UNLIGHTED TWR AT HIS 150 FT ALT. FORTUNATELY HIS NIGHTSUN LIT THE TWR AS HE SCANNED WITH IT SO HE WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE TWR.

Date: 1996-07 · Aircraft: Bell Helicopter 412 · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|other-unspecified

Synopsis

HELI PLT ON SCENE DEP OF EMS MISSION HAS NMAC WITH AN UNLIGHTED TWR AT HIS 150 FT ALT. FORTUNATELY HIS NIGHTSUN LIT THE TWR AS HE SCANNED WITH IT SO HE WAS ABLE TO AVOID THE TWR.

Narrative

ON TKOF FROM A NIGHT LNDG ON AN EMS SCENE I SWEPT MY NIGHTSUN ALONG MY FLT PATH DURING THE CLB. MY LIGHT (A NIGHT SUN; 30 MILLION CANDLEPOWER) FORTUNATELY ILLUMINATED A RECENTLY ERECTED CELLULAR TELEPHONE TWR. A NEARBY WATER TWR WHICH WAS ONLY SLIGHTLY TALLER WAS WELL ILLUMINATED. I SUSPECT THE CELL PHONE TWRS WERE INTENTIONALLY ERECTED TO LESS THAN 200 FT TO AVOID THE FAA REG REQUIRING PAINT AND HAZARD ILLUMINATION. THERE ARE SEVERAL NOW IN THE LCL AREA; ALL NEAR ROADS ON WHICH WE LAND; SO THEY POSE A PARTICULAR HAZARD TO EMS HELIS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT EVEN SINCE HIS RPT THERE HAVE BEEN MANY MORE OF THESE TWRS SPRINGING UP; PRACTICALLY OVERNIGHT. HE IS QUITE CONCERNED ABOUT HIS FELLOW HELI PLTS RUNNING INTO THESE AS THEY FLY AT THE LOW ALTS. HE USED TO WORK FOR THE STATE AND FREQUENTLY HAD PEOPLE CALL AND ASK HOW THEY COULD AVOID HAVING TO PLACE LIGHTS ON THE TWR THEY WERE CONSTRUCTING. WITH A 200 FT HT LIMIT; THEY WOULD BUILD IT 195 FT. HE IS SURE THAT IS WHAT IS OCCURRING NOW. BUT WITH SO MANY NEAR ROADS HE IS CONCERNED THAT HELIS ARE GOING TO HAVE PROBS AT NIGHT OR IN POOR WX CONDITIONS. HELI WAS A BELL 412. RPTR GAVE FULL PERMISSION TO USE WHATEVER WE NEEDED FROM HIS RPT TO FOLLOW UP AS WE SEE FIT. THE HOTLINE WAS RECOMMENDED.

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