SMT HELI WAS CONVERGING WITH ANOTHER HELI WHILE ON APCH TO A MANHATTEN HELIPORT. THE OTHER HELI HAD THE RIGHT-OF- WAY BUT HE CHOSE TO YIELD. FLC PLANNING INFLT. FLC WORKLOAD.
Synopsis
SMT HELI WAS CONVERGING WITH ANOTHER HELI WHILE ON APCH TO A MANHATTEN HELIPORT. THE OTHER HELI HAD THE RIGHT-OF- WAY BUT HE CHOSE TO YIELD. FLC PLANNING INFLT. FLC WORKLOAD.
Narrative
FLT FROM TEB TO 6N4 (OR 60TH ST -- A MANHATTAN HELIPORT). OUR FLT PATH TAKES US FROM TEB TO THE N END OF CENTRAL PARK; THEN TO THE 'NORTH TIP' OF ROOSEVELT ISLAND FOLLOWED BY A R TURN ALONG THE EASTERN EDGE OF THE EAST RIVER; FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER R TURN AT 'BIG ALLIS' (A GROUP OF 3 PWR PLANT SMOKE STACKS) ONTO THE FINAL APCH BACK ACROSS THE EAST RIVER TO 60TH ST HELIPORT. OUR ALT XING MANHATTAN WAS 1200 FT MSL WITH OUR DSCNT BEGINNING AFTER PASSING CENTRAL PARK. THE SIC WAS ON THE LGA TWR FREQ AND WAS ADVISED OF ANOTHER HELI AT 10 O'CLOCK AND WHEN TFC WAS ACKNOWLEDGED; RADAR SVC WAS TERMINATED AS WE ENTERED THE EAST RIVER EXCLUSION AREA. THIS AREA WAS DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE VFR HELI AND SEAPLANE TFC IN AND OUT OF THE VARIOUS LNDG SITES ON THE RIVER. 123.05 IS THE ADVISORY FREQ IN THIS AREA. THE PIC CALLED 60TH ST AT CENTRAL PARK TO ADVISE THEM OF OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND AND PICK UP PAX. 60TH ST INSTRUCTED US TO CALL FINAL. OUR PRELNDG PROC WAS COMPLETE BY THE TIME WE PASSED THE 'NORTH TIP;' INCLUDING SLOWING TO 120 KTS FOR GEAR EXTENSION. THE OTHER HELI WAS AT THE SAME ALT AND CONVERGING FROM OUR L ON A SWBOUND COURSE 200-300 MI INLAND OF THE E EDGE OF THE EAST RIVER. THEY APPEARED TO BE AT CRUISE AIRSPD (140 KTS) WITH RETRACTED LNDG GEAR. NO RADIO CALL WAS HEARD FROM THEM ON 123.05 UP TO THIS POINT. AT THIS TIME; WE ASSUMED THE OTHER ACFT WAS GOING TO CONTINUE SBOUND TO ANOTHER HELIPORT OR DEST. JUST PAST THE 'NORTH TIP' WE CALLED 60TH ST AGAIN AND THEY SAID THAT OUR PAX HAD ARRIVED AND TO LAND AT THE TRANSIT SPOT. STILL NO CALL FROM THE OTHER ACFT WAS HEARD. AT THIS POINT THE OTHER ACFT WAS PASSING US ON OUR L SIDE; DECELERATING AND FINALLY EXTENDING ITS GEAR AS IT BEGAN TO TURN R IN FRONT OF OUR PATH. IT THEN BECAME NECESSARY FOR US TO ALSO TURN R; JUST SHORT OF THE BIG ALLIS SMOKE STACKS. THE OTHER ACFT FINALLY CALLED 60TH ST AND SAID THAT THEY WERE TURNING S TO ENTER THE HOLDING AREA JUST S OF THE QUEENSBORO BRIDGE. WE CONTINUED OUR APCH TO THE TRANSIT SPOT. IN HINDSIGHT; IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS INTENT ON ARRIVING AT 60TH ST BEFORE US. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THEY CALLED 60TH ST BEFORE WE ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT WITH SAME. IF THAT WAS THE CASE; 60TH ST DID NOT PASS THAT INFO ON TO US. IT IS NORMAL PROC FOR THE HELIPORT TO ADVISE OF OTHER ACFT IN THE AREA AND TO ISSUE LNDG PRIORITIES WHEN MORE THAN 1 ACFT INTENDS TO LAND AT NEAR THE SAME TIME. OTHER ISSUES THAT APPLY TO THIS SIT ARE: 1) FLT TIME FROM TEB TO 6N4 IS 5 MINS. AN AFTER TKOF PROC; A PRELNDG PROC; 3 FREQ CHANGES FROM A CLASS D TO CLASS B TO A HELIPORT ADVISORY; AND NORMALLY HVY TFC CREATES A BUSY COCKPIT. 2) THE KNOWLEDGE THAT OUR PAX ARE STANDING BY AND THE DESIRE TO PROVIDE FLAWLESS SVC TO THEM CAN CREATE A RUSHED ATMOSPHERE. THE OTHER ACFT DID THE RIGHT THING IN THIS SIT BY DEFUSING THE PROB BY BREAKING OFF FROM THEIR APCH. WE COULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING EARLIER TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME RESULT. BETTER COMS BTWN THE 3 OF US WOULD HAVE ALSO SOLVED THE PROB.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.