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EMS helicopter cut into approach path and landing spot of another EMS helicopter creating near midair collision.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 106839 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198903 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 939 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : tpa |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 6900 |
| ASRS Report | 106839 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew faa : investigated |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 100 vertical : 50 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
I departed hospital for a scenic flight west of ZZZ on highway approximately as I approached the scene, approach notified me that small transport Y was approaching at my 3 O'clock position at 1400'. My third rider sitting in the rear of the aircraft said he had visibility contact with the helicopter and it was approaching from the right rear. I was at 2000' descending and notified that I had the landing area in sight and was landing. I contacted highway patrol and he instructed me to land east of his unit. As I started my approach small transport Y moved to the left side of my helicopter and remained outside of my approach path with his gear up. I felt he was observing the scene and did not intend to land. Visibility contact with him was lost as I turned to final. There was no radio contact at any time with small transport Y. As I turned short final, landing to the southeast, small transport Y approached from my left landing to the ssw, directly in front of me. At that time I felt we were too close and aborted my landing turning to the north to preclude a midair. I contacted hospital and returned to home base hospital. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated second helicopter was faster than his. Was spotted behind and to the right. As helicopter I made proper pattern from the area, helicopter 2 passed behind, to the left and landed at helicopter 1's intended T/D spot. Flight nurse said, 'he's going to hit us.' at the same time pilot 1 broke off landing and left the area. These are competitive EMS services. Reporter knows other pilot was aware of his presence as both were called as traffic to the other by approach and both acknowledged. Reporter would have aborted sooner but second helicopter had gear retracted and did not appear to be landing. Reporter sent report to FAA and created quite a stir. Positive result was meeting of all helicopter pilots in area, EMS ambulance and others, resulting in specific policies and procedures.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: EMS HELICOPTER CUT INTO APCH PATH AND LNDG SPOT OF ANOTHER EMS HELICOPTER CREATING NMAC.
Narrative: I DEPARTED HOSPITAL FOR A SCENIC FLT W OF ZZZ ON HWY APPROX AS I APCHED THE SCENE, APCH NOTIFIED ME THAT SMT Y WAS APCHING AT MY 3 O'CLOCK POS AT 1400'. MY THIRD RIDER SITTING IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT SAID HE HAD VIS CONTACT WITH THE HELI AND IT WAS APCHING FROM THE RIGHT REAR. I WAS AT 2000' DSNDING AND NOTIFIED THAT I HAD THE LNDG AREA IN SIGHT AND WAS LNDG. I CONTACTED HWY PATROL AND HE INSTRUCTED ME TO LAND E OF HIS UNIT. AS I STARTED MY APCH SMT Y MOVED TO THE LEFT SIDE OF MY HELI AND REMAINED OUTSIDE OF MY APCH PATH WITH HIS GEAR UP. I FELT HE WAS OBSERVING THE SCENE AND DID NOT INTEND TO LAND. VIS CONTACT WITH HIM WAS LOST AS I TURNED TO FINAL. THERE WAS NO RADIO CONTACT AT ANY TIME WITH SMT Y. AS I TURNED SHORT FINAL, LNDG TO THE SE, SMT Y APCHED FROM MY LEFT LNDG TO THE SSW, DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. AT THAT TIME I FELT WE WERE TOO CLOSE AND ABORTED MY LNDG TURNING TO THE N TO PRECLUDE A MIDAIR. I CONTACTED HOSPITAL AND RETURNED TO HOME BASE HOSPITAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATED SECOND HELI WAS FASTER THAN HIS. WAS SPOTTED BEHIND AND TO THE RIGHT. AS HELI I MADE PROPER PATTERN FROM THE AREA, HELI 2 PASSED BEHIND, TO THE LEFT AND LANDED AT HELI 1'S INTENDED T/D SPOT. FLT NURSE SAID, 'HE'S GOING TO HIT US.' AT THE SAME TIME PLT 1 BROKE OFF LNDG AND LEFT THE AREA. THESE ARE COMPETITIVE EMS SVCS. RPTR KNOWS OTHER PLT WAS AWARE OF HIS PRESENCE AS BOTH WERE CALLED AS TFC TO THE OTHER BY APCH AND BOTH ACKNOWLEDGED. RPTR WOULD HAVE ABORTED SOONER BUT SECOND HELI HAD GEAR RETRACTED AND DID NOT APPEAR TO BE LNDG. RPTR SENT RPT TO FAA AND CREATED QUITE A STIR. POSITIVE RESULT WAS MEETING OF ALL HELI PLTS IN AREA, EMS AMBULANCE AND OTHERS, RESULTING IN SPECIFIC POLICIES AND PROCS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.