DURING PRACTICE AUTOROTATION; R22 PLTS ARE UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC AND TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID ANOTHER LNDG HELI AT LWM.

Date: 2004-09 · Aircraft: Robinson R22 · Phase: approach

Anomalies: atc-issue-all-types|conflict-nmac|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance

Synopsis

DURING PRACTICE AUTOROTATION; R22 PLTS ARE UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC AND TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID ANOTHER LNDG HELI AT LWM.

Narrative

ATIS RPTED TKOFS AND LNDG USING RWY 5. ANOTHER HELI BEHIND US RPTED INBOUND FROM THE SW AT 10 MI. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH TWR AT APPROX 8 MI TO THE SW; WE REQUESTED A LNDG AND WERE TOLD TO RPT A 2 MI L BASE FOR RWY 32. UPON RPTING THE L BASE WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO LAND AND TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A; WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED. WE THEN REQUESTED A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION. THE TWR INITIALLY SAID NEGATIVE; HE HAD ANOTHER HELI LNDG BEHIND US; THEN HE TOLD THE OTHER HELI TO TURN R BASE FOR RWY 5 AND CLRED US FOR THE OPTION. WHILE PERFORMING THE AUTOROTATION; WE DETERMINED THAT IT COULD NOT BE COMPLETED SAFELY AND WE NEEDED TO GO AROUND. AT THAT TIME; THE TWR SAID THAT WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY I SAW THE LNDG ACFT ON RWY 5 AND REALIZED THAT WE WERE IN DANGER OF COLLISION. I TOOK THE CTLS AND BANKED ABRUPTLY TO THE R AND DID CROSS OVER INTO THE RWY AT ABOUT 50 FT. WE THEN LANDED ON TXWY A ADJACENT TO RWY 5. PRIMARY CAUSES: 1) WE SHOULD NOT HAVE REQUESTED A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION WHEN THERE WAS A HOLD SHORT LIMITING OUR OPTION TO GO AROUND. 2) WE SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS REGARDING THE TFC LNDG ON RWY 5. 3) THE CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE ISSUED A 'CLRED FOR THE OPTION' CLRNC WHEN WE IN FACT COULD NOT EXECUTE A GAR SAFELY DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC.

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