Narrative:

Intended to fly the pattern at cpm. This airport has parallel e-w runways, 25/7. All patterns are to so of airport. This afternoon winds were light out of southwest and 25R/left were active. Prior to departing runway 25R I announced on CTAF I was 'departing 25R compton, closed pattern.' we took off, climbed to 500' AGL, turned left and climbed to 1000' MSL, the cpm pattern altitude. I turned left into a downwind and announced 'downwind for 25R, cpm.' just prior to turning left base I saw a yellow compton police helicopter circling low off the approach end of runway 25R, east of the airport. I turned left base and announced 'base, 25R, compton.' I was descending below traffic pattern and was at about 7000' MSL. I turned on my landing light (tail and wing strobes were already one) and, noticing the helicopter continuing to circle, I started a shallow left turn toward final for 25L, the south runway, in order to avoid the helicopter. At this point the helicopter started to climb directly toward me. I tightened the left turn to about 60 degrees to avoid him. The pilot of the helicopter apparently saw me and banked left, as I could see his turning rotor blades above my raised, right wing. (I have a low wing aircraft.) I rolled out of the turn just left of the runway 25L centerline, landed uneventfully, taxied to parking and tied down. The helicopter, which is based at cpm, continued to fly south of the airport and did not land. I did not hear the helicopter announced himself during the episode and he did not respond to my position reports. I believe the cause of this was inattn on his part and failure to communicate with landing aircraft in the pattern. He also failed to yield to a landing aircraft and flew dangerously close (far's 91.9, 91.65(a), 91.67(F)). I also believe cpm should have a tower. It seems to have enough activity to warrant it--certainly as much as the hawthorne, ca airport has.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX GA-SMA ON FINAL APCH AND GA-HELICOPTER MANEUVERING AT THE END OF PARALLEL RWY.

Narrative: INTENDED TO FLY THE PATTERN AT CPM. THIS ARPT HAS PARALLEL E-W RWYS, 25/7. ALL PATTERNS ARE TO SO OF ARPT. THIS AFTERNOON WINDS WERE LIGHT OUT OF SW AND 25R/L WERE ACTIVE. PRIOR TO DEPARTING RWY 25R I ANNOUNCED ON CTAF I WAS 'DEPARTING 25R COMPTON, CLOSED PATTERN.' WE TOOK OFF, CLBED TO 500' AGL, TURNED LEFT AND CLBED TO 1000' MSL, THE CPM PATTERN ALT. I TURNED LEFT INTO A DOWNWIND AND ANNOUNCED 'DOWNWIND FOR 25R, CPM.' JUST PRIOR TO TURNING LEFT BASE I SAW A YELLOW COMPTON POLICE HELI CIRCLING LOW OFF THE APCH END OF RWY 25R, E OF THE ARPT. I TURNED LEFT BASE AND ANNOUNCED 'BASE, 25R, COMPTON.' I WAS DSNDING BELOW TFC PATTERN AND WAS AT ABOUT 7000' MSL. I TURNED ON MY LNDG LIGHT (TAIL AND WING STROBES WERE ALREADY ONE) AND, NOTICING THE HELI CONTINUING TO CIRCLE, I STARTED A SHALLOW LEFT TURN TOWARD FINAL FOR 25L, THE S RWY, IN ORDER TO AVOID THE HELI. AT THIS POINT THE HELI STARTED TO CLB DIRECTLY TOWARD ME. I TIGHTENED THE LEFT TURN TO ABOUT 60 DEGS TO AVOID HIM. THE PLT OF THE HELI APPARENTLY SAW ME AND BANKED LEFT, AS I COULD SEE HIS TURNING ROTOR BLADES ABOVE MY RAISED, RIGHT WING. (I HAVE A LOW WING ACFT.) I ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN JUST LEFT OF THE RWY 25L CENTERLINE, LANDED UNEVENTFULLY, TAXIED TO PARKING AND TIED DOWN. THE HELI, WHICH IS BASED AT CPM, CONTINUED TO FLY S OF THE ARPT AND DID NOT LAND. I DID NOT HEAR THE HELI ANNOUNCED HIMSELF DURING THE EPISODE AND HE DID NOT RESPOND TO MY POS RPTS. I BELIEVE THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS INATTN ON HIS PART AND FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE WITH LNDG ACFT IN THE PATTERN. HE ALSO FAILED TO YIELD TO A LNDG ACFT AND FLEW DANGEROUSLY CLOSE (FAR'S 91.9, 91.65(A), 91.67(F)). I ALSO BELIEVE CPM SHOULD HAVE A TWR. IT SEEMS TO HAVE ENOUGH ACTIVITY TO WARRANT IT--CERTAINLY AS MUCH AS THE HAWTHORNE, CA ARPT HAS.

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.