Narrative:

I am a controller at jfk. On 11/xx/89 at approximately XA00 local I assumed the local control position at kennedy tower. At XA19 local a helicopter at floyd bennett filed advised me that he was airborne and would be operating in the pattern there. I did not radar identification the aircraft or apply an ARTS tag. At XA23, he asked for a wind check and that is the last contact I had with him. At XB00 local, I was relieved of local control and briefed the relieving controller of all known traffic. At this time there was no traffic at floyd bennett on radar. I assumed the aircraft was down, at XB09 local. A coast guard helicopter requested permission to proceed from floyd bennett to jfk. About 15 seconds later he advised that he had come as close as 100 meters to the other helicopter. At XJ00 local, the pilot telephoned the tower to report a near miss. Considering that the helicopters at floyd bennett have to take off before calling tower, I am under the impression that in VFR conditions they are responsible for initial separation on the heliport. Without having asked for or receiving a landing-assured time, I should have mentioned the traffic in my position relief briefing. While we do not owe helicopters separation in the TCA, we are supposed to issue traffic. Issuing the possibility of traffic may have alerted the pilot and avoided the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLT HELICOPTER CAME IN CLOSE PROX TO ANOTHER HELICOPTER OPERATING IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN JUST AFTER DEP.

Narrative: I AM A CTLR AT JFK. ON 11/XX/89 AT APPROX XA00 LCL I ASSUMED THE LCL CTL POSITION AT KENNEDY TWR. AT XA19 LCL A HELI AT FLOYD BENNETT FILED ADVISED ME THAT HE WAS AIRBORNE AND WOULD BE OPERATING IN THE PATTERN THERE. I DID NOT RADAR ID THE ACFT OR APPLY AN ARTS TAG. AT XA23, HE ASKED FOR A WIND CHECK AND THAT IS THE LAST CONTACT I HAD WITH HIM. AT XB00 LCL, I WAS RELIEVED OF LC AND BRIEFED THE RELIEVING CTLR OF ALL KNOWN TFC. AT THIS TIME THERE WAS NO TFC AT FLOYD BENNETT ON RADAR. I ASSUMED THE ACFT WAS DOWN, AT XB09 LCL. A COAST GUARD HELI REQUESTED PERMISSION TO PROCEED FROM FLOYD BENNETT TO JFK. ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER HE ADVISED THAT HE HAD COME AS CLOSE AS 100 METERS TO THE OTHER HELI. AT XJ00 LCL, THE PLT TELEPHONED THE TWR TO REPORT A NEAR MISS. CONSIDERING THAT THE HELIS AT FLOYD BENNETT HAVE TO TAKE OFF BEFORE CALLING TWR, I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IN VFR CONDITIONS THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INITIAL SEPARATION ON THE HELIPORT. WITHOUT HAVING ASKED FOR OR RECEIVING A LNDG-ASSURED TIME, I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THE TFC IN MY POSITION RELIEF BRIEFING. WHILE WE DO NOT OWE HELIS SEPARATION IN THE TCA, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO ISSUE TFC. ISSUING THE POSSIBILITY OF TFC MAY HAVE ALERTED THE PLT AND AVOIDED THE SITUATION.

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.