Light aircraft has near midair collision with helicopter at uncontrolled airport.

Attributes
ACN	114762
Time
Date	198906
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n21
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Experimental
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 389 flight time type : 260
ASRS Report	114762
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	unspecified : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

A helicopter Y made an approach for a landing while I (X) was taking off. By the time it was spotted and I determined that it would attempt a landing, it was too late to abort the takeoff. I (X) was in a line (third) of 5 aircraft taking off, and the only xmissions heard were those of the aircraft departing before me. No xmissions were made by anyone desiring to land. The helicopter's (Y) approach was low and out of sight from the takeoff end of the runway. When I realized that the helicopter (Y) was landing, I (X) climbed as steeply as possible, and passed over the area where it had begun to hover at about 500' AGL (my altitude). There was a short period after I saw the helicopter (Y) in which I could have aborted the takeoff if I had realized where it was going. I have thought about the incident quite a bit, and still am not sure what I would have done differently. I am used to hearing helicopter pilots announce their positions in a much more diligent manner than other aircraft, so I may have been predisposed to assume the helicopter wasn't landing when I first saw it, since there hadn't been any announcements of its intentions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LIGHT ACFT HAS NMAC WITH HELICOPTER AT UNCONTROLLED ARPT.

Narrative: A HELI Y MADE AN APCH FOR A LNDG WHILE I (X) WAS TAKING OFF. BY THE TIME IT WAS SPOTTED AND I DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD ATTEMPT A LNDG, IT WAS TOO LATE TO ABORT THE TKOF. I (X) WAS IN A LINE (THIRD) OF 5 ACFT TAKING OFF, AND THE ONLY XMISSIONS HEARD WERE THOSE OF THE ACFT DEPARTING BEFORE ME. NO XMISSIONS WERE MADE BY ANYONE DESIRING TO LAND. THE HELI'S (Y) APCH WAS LOW AND OUT OF SIGHT FROM THE TKOF END OF THE RWY. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE HELI (Y) WAS LNDG, I (X) CLIMBED AS STEEPLY AS POSSIBLE, AND PASSED OVER THE AREA WHERE IT HAD BEGUN TO HOVER AT ABOUT 500' AGL (MY ALT). THERE WAS A SHORT PERIOD AFTER I SAW THE HELI (Y) IN WHICH I COULD HAVE ABORTED THE TKOF IF I HAD REALIZED WHERE IT WAS GOING. I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THE INCIDENT QUITE A BIT, AND STILL AM NOT SURE WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. I AM USED TO HEARING HELI PLTS ANNOUNCE THEIR POSITIONS IN A MUCH MORE DILIGENT MANNER THAN OTHER ACFT, SO I MAY HAVE BEEN PREDISPOSED TO ASSUME THE HELI WASN'T LNDG WHEN I FIRST SAW IT, SINCE THERE HADN'T BEEN ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OF ITS INTENTIONS.

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.