C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE AN NMAC WITH A HELICOPTER WHILE IN THE PATTERN AT F45; FL.

2008-03 · NASA ASRS report 778977

Date: 2008-03 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 · Phase: takeoff

Anomalies: conflict-nmac|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far

Synopsis

C172 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE AN NMAC WITH A HELICOPTER WHILE IN THE PATTERN AT F45; FL.

Narrative

INITIATED A TKOF FROM THE DEP END OF RWY 8R IN THE C172S. AFTER CHKING FOR TFC AND MAKING THE APPROPRIATE UNICOM ANNOUNCEMENT; MR X PERFORMED A NORMAL XWIND TKOF. NEARLY 1/2 WAY DOWN THE RWY; THE CESSNA WAS AIRBORNE; CRABBING SLIGHTLY TO THE L AND CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 100 FT AGL AT SPD CLOSE TO 74 KIAS (VY). I THEN NOTICED A ROBINSON R22 HELI APCHING QUICKLY FROM THE L (N) AT AN ALT JUST ABOVE THE CESSNA AND TRAVELING IN A SOUTHERLY DIRECTION THAT WOULD TAKE IT ACROSS THE CTRLINE OF RWY 8R AND DIRECTLY INTO THEIR FLT PATH. ASSUMING CTL; I REDUCED PWR MOMENTARILY TO IDLE AND PERFORMED AN AGGRESSIVE DIVING R TURN TO A SE HDG AND AN ALT OF APPROX 50 FT. ROLLING THE AIRPLANE BACK TO WINGS LEVEL; THE HELI; NOW APPARENTLY AWARE OF THE CESSNA; WAS OBSERVED FOR A MOMENT TO HAVE SLOWED SLIGHTLY AND TO BE TURNING HARD TO THE L TO A NOW MORE PARALLEL COURSE JUST ABOVE AND APPROX 50-80 FT TO THE L OF THE AIRPLANE. LOSING SIGHT OF THE MUCH SLOWER MOVING HELI ABOVE THE L WING; I POWERED UP AGAIN AND BEGAN A SHALLOW L TURN BACK TOWARD THE CTRLINE OF THE RWY. ONCE ASSURED THAT THE HELI WAS NO LONGER A FACTOR; I INITIATED A CLB TO CLR THE TREES AT THE DEP END OF THE RWY AND; AT A SAFE ALT; RETURNED THE AIRPLANE'S FLT CTLS TO MR X. NO IDENT OF THE HELI WAS MADE OTHER THAN THE COLORS OF THE ACFT. THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT WAS PROBABLY THE FAILURE OF THE HELI PLT(S) TO MONITOR FLT ACTIVITY AT THE ARPT AND/OR TO REMAIN CLR OF THE IN-USE RWY. F45 HAS BECOME A RELATIVELY BUSY; NON-TOWERED ARPT WITH 2 FIXED WING AND 2 HELI TRAINING OPS. PROCS IN USE AT THE FIELD NOW OFTEN FIND THESE 2 DISSIMILAR ACFT OPERATING IN CLOSE PROX. NUMEROUS SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINED TO HELP ALLEVIATE THIS CONGESTION.

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

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