B757 HAS NMAC WITH PHOTO SEEKING HELI AND VIEWS THE EVENT ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS.
Synopsis
B757 HAS NMAC WITH PHOTO SEEKING HELI AND VIEWS THE EVENT ON THE NIGHTLY NEWS.
Narrative
AS FO I WAS THE PF AS WE APCHED THE EWR ARPT WITH HIGH THIN CLOUDS AND 6 MI VISIBILITY IN HAZE. 5 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER; WE WERE HANDED OFF TO EWR TWR WITH A CLRNC FOR THE ILS RWY 22L APCH AND INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN 180 KTS TO THE MARKER. I WAS HAND FLYING THE AIRPLANE (B757) AND SLIGHTLY HIGH ON THE GS DUE TO A SHORT TURN ONTO FINAL. THE CAPT CONTACTED THE TWR AND WE WERE CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 22L '180 DEGS TO THE MARKER. YOU HAVE 2 NEWS HELIS; 1 AT 11 O'CLOCK AND THE OTHER AT 1 O'CLOCK 6 MI. THEY HAVE YOU IN SIGHT AND WILL REMAIN CLR.' I LOOKED DOWN AND CONFIRMED 2 TARGETS AS DESCRIBED ON THE TCASII DISPLAY. THE CAPT SAID HE HAD TFC AT 11 O'CLOCK AND I SAW THE HELI AT 1 O'CLOCK. APCHING THE MARKER; TARGET SPD WAS SET; FLAPS WERE SET TO 25 DEGS AND THE LNDG CHK WAS ACCOMPLISHED. THE TCASII TARGETS HAD TURNED FROM WHITE TO YELLOW NOTING A POSSIBLE CONFLICT. THEN THE TCASII TARGET ON THE R TURNED RED WITH AN RA AND INSTRUCTIONS TO CLB. AT 800 FT MSL; I LOOKED OUT THE R SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE AND SAW THE HELI SLIGHTLY TO THE R AND BELOW. THE CAPT ANNOUNCED 'HE'S 200 FT BELOW US.' MY RESPONSE WAS 'I HAVE HIM LOW AND TO THE R.' THE HELI WAS TRACKING DIRECTLY FOR US AND LOW. I CONTINUED THE APCH AND MADE THE LNDG. AFTER LNDG; WE WERE CLRED TO THE GATE. I NEVER SAID ANYTHING TO THEM BECAUSE I WAS EXTREMELY UPSET AND MAD THAT THE HELI PLT CAME SO CLOSE TO OUR AIRPLANE AND THAT THE TWR ALLOWED THIS ACFT OPERATE IN AN AREA THAT CLOSE TO THE ARPT. A NEWS STATION STARTED OFF ITS NEWS CAST WITH A STORY ABOUT THE WX WITH THE LEAD-IN SHOT OF A B757. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT THAT SHOT WAS MY AIRPLANE LNDG AT EWR. ANY PLT WHO WOULD FLY DIRECTLY UNDER A B757 AT LESS THAN 200 FT SHOULD NOT HAVE A PLTS CERTIFICATE. ANY TWR OPERATOR WHO ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN NEEDS REMEDIAL RETRAINING. NEXT TIME I AM GOING AROUND BEFORE I EVER GET THIS CLOSE AGAIN! I WILL NOT ASSUME THE OTHER PLT WILL BE OPERATING HIS ACFT IN A SAFE MANNER.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.