Near midair collision between commuter and military helicopter at dca.

Attributes
ACN	146056
Time
Date	199005
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 400 msl bound upper : 400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dca tower : hnl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 7500
ASRS Report	146056
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 300 unspecified : 425 vertical : 300
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Tower cleared us (X) for takeoff on runway 15 at dca, and told us to climb to 2000' on heading 050 degrees. We climbed to 400' AGL on runway heading (150'), selected flaps up and started left turn (approximately 25 degree bank). Due to heavy load and turn, the aircraft had poor climb performance. While in the left turn tower advised us of helicopter Y traffic. When I saw helicopter Y it was only 100' below us and less than 2000' ahead on a collision course with us. We climbed over the helicopter Y with approximately 300' vertical sep. It was a military twin engine helicopter. The problem could have been avoided if tower had advised us of conflicting traffic before takeoff (or even before we started turn), or if runway heading had been assigned until helicopter Y was no longer a conflict. If these helicopter's (military) were on the same tower frequency as the rest of us at dca, perhaps we might hear and avoid them instead of relying on the very busy tower controllers for warnings. In my 4 1/2 yrs of regularly flying into dca this same situation (sometimes on approach) has occurred 7 times. This was one of the nearest misses.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN COMMUTER AND MIL HELICOPTER AT DCA.

Narrative: TWR CLRED US (X) FOR TKOF ON RWY 15 AT DCA, AND TOLD US TO CLB TO 2000' ON HDG 050 DEGS. WE CLBED TO 400' AGL ON RWY HDG (150'), SELECTED FLAPS UP AND STARTED LEFT TURN (APPROX 25 DEG BANK). DUE TO HEAVY LOAD AND TURN, THE ACFT HAD POOR CLB PERFORMANCE. WHILE IN THE LEFT TURN TWR ADVISED US OF HELI Y TFC. WHEN I SAW HELI Y IT WAS ONLY 100' BELOW US AND LESS THAN 2000' AHEAD ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH US. WE CLBED OVER THE HELI Y WITH APPROX 300' VERT SEP. IT WAS A MIL TWIN ENG HELI. THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF TWR HAD ADVISED US OF CONFLICTING TFC BEFORE TKOF (OR EVEN BEFORE WE STARTED TURN), OR IF RWY HDG HAD BEEN ASSIGNED UNTIL HELI Y WAS NO LONGER A CONFLICT. IF THESE HELI'S (MIL) WERE ON THE SAME TWR FREQ AS THE REST OF US AT DCA, PERHAPS WE MIGHT HEAR AND AVOID THEM INSTEAD OF RELYING ON THE VERY BUSY TWR CTLRS FOR WARNINGS. IN MY 4 1/2 YRS OF REGULARLY FLYING INTO DCA THIS SAME SITUATION (SOMETIMES ON APCH) HAS OCCURRED 7 TIMES. THIS WAS ONE OF THE NEAREST MISSES.

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.