Air taxi pilot at 200' after takeoff has near midair collision with helicopter.

Attributes
ACN	149554
Time
Date	199006
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : alb
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : alb
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 2140 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	149554
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 150
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Departure instruction, turn left 160 degree. On initial climb out from alb runway 19, I began a left turn to 160 degrees at about 200' AGL. As I commenced the gentle (5 degree) bank I noticed an military helicopter to my left heading south parallel to the runway. I immediately leveled the wings and maintained runway heading. At the same time as I leveled the wings ATC advised tc departing the guard base heading eastbound. This was the first time I was made aware of the traffic. ATC again instructed me to fly heading 160 degrees to which I refused and informed ATC that I was maintaining my heading. By this time, the helicopter was under my left wing and I was unable to maintain visibility sep. When I did eventually establish visibility contact with the helicopter he was indeed eastbound and accordingly I turned to heading 160 degree. A potentially dangerous situation was avoided despite an apparent indifference by ATC. I consider the risk of collision to have been high. Failure of ATC to give traffic information prior to takeoff clearance was the main contributing factor in this incident, as I would not have accepted a takeoff had I been made aware of the helicopter prior to being so cleared.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI PLT AT 200' AFTER TKOF HAS NMAC WITH HELICOPTER.

Narrative: DEP INSTRUCTION, TURN L 160 DEG. ON INITIAL CLB OUT FROM ALB RWY 19, I BEGAN A L TURN TO 160 DEGS AT ABOUT 200' AGL. AS I COMMENCED THE GENTLE (5 DEG) BANK I NOTICED AN MIL HELI TO MY L HDG S PARALLEL TO THE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY LEVELED THE WINGS AND MAINTAINED RWY HDG. AT THE SAME TIME AS I LEVELED THE WINGS ATC ADVISED TC DEPARTING THE GUARD BASE HDG EBND. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I WAS MADE AWARE OF THE TFC. ATC AGAIN INSTRUCTED ME TO FLY HDG 160 DEGS TO WHICH I REFUSED AND INFORMED ATC THAT I WAS MAINTAINING MY HDG. BY THIS TIME, THE HELI WAS UNDER MY L WING AND I WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN VIS SEP. WHEN I DID EVENTUALLY ESTABLISH VIS CONTACT WITH THE HELI HE WAS INDEED EBND AND ACCORDINGLY I TURNED TO HDG 160 DEG. A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION WAS AVOIDED DESPITE AN APPARENT INDIFFERENCE BY ATC. I CONSIDER THE RISK OF COLLISION TO HAVE BEEN HIGH. FAILURE OF ATC TO GIVE TFC INFO PRIOR TO TKOF CLRNC WAS THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT, AS I WOULD NOT HAVE ACCEPTED A TKOF HAD I BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE HELI PRIOR TO BEING SO CLRED.

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.