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Air carrier small transport has near midair collision with rotary wing aircraft who has been authorized an SVFR clearance in the control zone TCA.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 140830 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199003 |
| Day | Thu |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : sfo tower : sfo tower : cmh |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | approach : svfr |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 140830 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac inflight encounter : weather non adherence : required legal separation |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 200 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation Operational Error |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
We departed 1R and entered the clouds at 200', turning right to 030 degree. Passing through 1500' I asked the tower if we should contact departure, still IMC. There was no answer. The next comment was an air traffic alert given to another aircraft. We broke out of the clouds at 2000' and took evasive action, just missing the military helicopter by less than 200'. This aircraft was on a 'special VFR' and was invading our airspace in IMC. The lack of judgement of the helicopter pilot to request a special VFR, the tower to issue it, along with the untimely change of the ATIS (still reporting 500 broken and 12 mi visibility, 1 hour old) is beyond my comprehension. Should there be more specific procedures laid out for non fixed wing special VFR in a TCA? Or should non fixed wing aircraft like fixed wing aircraft be banned from special VFR in a TCA?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR SMT HAS NMAC WITH ROTARY WING ACFT WHO HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED AN SVFR CLRNC IN THE CTL ZONE TCA.
Narrative: WE DEPARTED 1R AND ENTERED THE CLOUDS AT 200', TURNING RIGHT TO 030 DEG. PASSING THROUGH 1500' I ASKED THE TWR IF WE SHOULD CONTACT DEP, STILL IMC. THERE WAS NO ANSWER. THE NEXT COMMENT WAS AN AIR TFC ALERT GIVEN TO ANOTHER ACFT. WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT 2000' AND TOOK EVASIVE ACTION, JUST MISSING THE MIL HELI BY LESS THAN 200'. THIS ACFT WAS ON A 'SPECIAL VFR' AND WAS INVADING OUR AIRSPACE IN IMC. THE LACK OF JUDGEMENT OF THE HELI PLT TO REQUEST A SPECIAL VFR, THE TWR TO ISSUE IT, ALONG WITH THE UNTIMELY CHANGE OF THE ATIS (STILL REPORTING 500 BROKEN AND 12 MI VISIBILITY, 1 HOUR OLD) IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION. SHOULD THERE BE MORE SPECIFIC PROCS LAID OUT FOR NON FIXED WING SPECIAL VFR IN A TCA? OR SHOULD NON FIXED WING ACFT LIKE FIXED WING ACFT BE BANNED FROM SPECIAL VFR IN A TCA?
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.