C210 PILOT REPORTS CRITICAL CONFLICT WITH HELICOPTER AT NIGHT IN OPF PATTERN.
Synopsis
C210 PILOT REPORTS CRITICAL CONFLICT WITH HELICOPTER AT NIGHT IN OPF PATTERN.
Narrative
CANCELED IFR WITH ARPT IN SIGHT. MIAMI APCH WANTED ME TO STAY WITH HIM FOR ADVISORIES AND HANDED ME OFF AS I WAS ALMOST AT OPF. WAS MONITORING MIAMI AND CTAF; AND ANNOUNCED ENTERING THE PATTERN FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30. MIAMI ALWAYS VECTORS YOU OUT FOR A SET-UP FOR ILS 12; BUT WINDS FAVORED RWY 30. NORMALLY DO NOT NEED TO USE RWY 30; SO LESS FAMILIAR. A MIL HELI DEPARTED RWY 27L; AN UNLIGHTED RWY; WHICH IS A BIT CONFUSING. A C172 ALSO ANNOUNCES HE IS ENTERING THE PATTERN FOR RWY 30. SOMEONE (PROBABLY) THE C172 KEPT KEYING THE RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 12/30 UP AND DOWN. OPF LIGHTS ALWAYS SEEM VERY BRIGHT OR VERY DIM; MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO FLY A GOOD DOWNWIND; REFING THE RWY. THE MIL HELI THEN COMES ON THE RADIO AND SAYS I OVERFLEW HIM. I DID LOSE SIGHT OF HIM. AT THIS TIME I DID SEE AN ACFT BEHIND ME AND LOWER. HE (THE MIL) COMES ON THE RADIO AND JUST KEEPS GOING AND GOING ON ABOUT THE SITUATION. I KEPT ANNOUNCING MY PATTERN CALLS; BUT HE EITHER DID NOT HEAR OR DID NOT LISTEN. THEN I ENTERED AN UPWIND FOR RWY 30 TO SORT OUT THE SITUATION AND ALLOW THE C172 TO LAND. I ENTERED THE PATTERN BEHIND THE C172 AND LANDED. THE C172 EXITED THE RWY AND THE SAME INTXN AS I DID AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I STOPPED BEHIND HIM AND WAITED FOR HIM TO MOVE. THIS SEEMED TO UPSET THE MIL PLT EVEN MORE. I ANNOUNCED BACK TO HIM THAT I WAS TRYING TO CLR RWY 30 FOR HIM BUT THE C172 BLOCKED THE TXWY. ANYHOW; THE FACTORS TO THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS WERE: DIFFERENT RWY THAN USUAL FOR ME. THE MIL USING AN UNLIGHTED RWY AT NIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CHOPPER DID; BUT THEY DO OPERATE DIFFERENTLY THAN FIXED WING ACFT. THE RWY LIGHTS BEING BRIGHTENED AND DIMMED BY AN UNKNOWN SOURCE (PROBABLY THE C172). THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE CITY; DARK HOLE OF THE ARPT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE HELI. TO IMPROVE SAFETY: I WILL BE MUCH MORE CAREFUL AROUND HELIS AND DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN ROUTINE. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF EVERYONE USED A LIGHTED RWY AT NIGHT. THE GOOD THING IS NOBODY GOT HURT AND NO METAL WAS BENT. THIS SHOULD BE A LESSON IN BEING CAREFUL AND NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.