EMS HELI PLT AVOIDED TFC CONFLICT AT SAV.

Date: 1999-03 · Aircraft: MBB Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: descent

Anomalies: conflict-airborne-conflict

Synopsis

EMS HELI PLT AVOIDED TFC CONFLICT AT SAV.

Narrative

5 MI FROM SAV ARPT; APCH CTL INSTRUCTED ME TO FLY DIRECTLY OVER RWY INTXN AND CONTACT TWR. I CONTACTED TWR. HE GAVE ME NO TA'S. DIRECTLY OVER THE RWY; I SAW 2 C130'S AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS AND A LITTLE LOWER (LATER FOUND OUT THEY WERE AT 1000 FT). THE C130'S HAD BEEN CLRED FOR A MIDFIELD BREAK TO LAND ON RWY 9. I FOUND THIS OUT AFTER SEEING THE FIRST C130 START HIS BREAK RIGHT UNDERNEATH ME. AFTER SEEING THE SECOND C130 AT MY 12 O'CLOCK POS; I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE CLB FOR SEPARATION. I STRONGLY FEEL THAT THE TWR SHOULD NOT HAVE CLRED THE C130'S FOR THIS MANEUVER RIGHT UNDERNEATH ME. AT NO TIME DID THE TWR ADVISE ME OF THE CONFLICTING TFC. APPROX 30 SECONDS LATER; THE TWR ASKED IF I HAD TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK. I SAID I HAD TFC AT 2 O'CLOCK; AT WHICH TIME I NOTICED THE KING AIR TURNING DIRECTLY INTO ME. THE TFC WAS LESS THAN 500 FT AWAY. I INITIATED AN IMMEDIATE CLB WITH AT LEAST 45 DEGS NOSE UP TO AVOID THE KING AIR. DURING THE CLB; TWR ADVISED ME TO START AN IMMEDIATE CLB TO AVOID THE KING AIR. WITHIN 1 MI I HAD 3 NEAR MISSES. TWR AT NO TIME TRIED TO ALERT ME OF ANY CONFLICTING TFC; EXCEPT FOR THE KING AIR WHICH CAME TOO LATE. THE C130'S MUST HAVE BEEN ON A UHF FREQ BECAUSE I NEVER HEARD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE TWR. WHEN I HEARD THE TWR CLR THE KING AIR TO LAND ON RWY 9; I KNEW THAT HE MAY CONFLICT WITH MY COURSE SO I BEGAN LOOKING FOR HIM. I SPOTTED HIM A LITTLE TOO LATE FOR MY COMFORT LEVEL. I FEEL THE TWR DID A TERRIBLY INADEQUATE JOB THIS NIGHT WHICH COULD HAVE ENDED IN TRAGEDY.

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