HELI PLT EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING A SIGNIFICANT DISTRACTION CAUSED BY A HWD CTLR'S ATTITUDE.
Synopsis
HELI PLT EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION REGARDING A SIGNIFICANT DISTRACTION CAUSED BY A HWD CTLR'S ATTITUDE.
Narrative
ON APR/WED/2005 AT APPROX XA:53 I WAS FLYING A HELI ON A RETURN FLT INBOUND FOR LNDG TO HWD. UPON REACHING UNION CITY THEATER; A CHK POINT NEAR THE EDGE OF CLASS D AIRSPACE FOR HAYWARD; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE HWD ARPT CTL TWR. I HAD TO WAIT BRIEFLY FOR THE CTLR TO COMPLETE A RADIO XMISSION WITH ANOTHER ACFT; SO I BEGAN TO SLOW UP MY HELI OUTSIDE OF DELTA AIRSPACE ON THE EDGE OF THE AIRSPACE BOUNDARY. UPON COMPLETION OF MY FIRST RADIO XMISSION TO HWD TWR; I WAS MET WITH A TERRIBLE CONDESCENDING AND SOMEWHAT ANTAGONISTIC ATTITUDE TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE ACFT VHF RADIO FROM THE CTLR. I BRIEFLY; ATTEMPTED; OUT OF SHOCK TO EXPLAIN MYSELF AND THIS MADE THE CTLR EVEN ANGRIER. THE CTLR WENT OFF ON ME OVER THE RADIO AIR AND; IN MY OPINION; WAS VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. I ASKED THE CTLR IF WE COULD TALK ON A LAND TELEPHONE LINE AND THIS CONTINUED TO ESCALATE THE CTLR'S ANGER HIGHER. AS I CONTINUED TO FLY MY APCH FOR LNDG TO THE ARPT; I REALIZED THAT THIS CTLR HAD TRANSMITTED AN ATTITUDE INTO MY ACFT WHICH CAUSED A SIGNIFICANT DISTRACTION TO THE SAFETY OF FLT OF MY ACFT. TRANSMITTING A HUMAN FACTORS ISSUE INTO MY ACFT IS AN UNACCEPTABLE CONDUCT AND DOES PRESENT A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE WHICH PLACED MY PAX AND ACFT IN DANGER. BECAUSE OF THE OBVIOUS HUMAN FACTORS ISSUE PRESENTED TO ME; I REALIZED THAT I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HANDLE ANY OTHER EMERGENCIES THAT MIGHT HAVE PRESENTED THEMSELVES TO ME ON MY APCH TO LNDG AT HWD ARPT. THE TWR TAPES TO THIS INCIDENT SHOULD BE REVIEWED AND THIS INCIDENT SHOULD; IN MY OPINION; BE REVIEWED.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.