Helicopter lands behind restaurant. Blows dust in ground observer eye.

Attributes
ACN	154745
Time
Date	199008
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 1600
ASRS Report	154745
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was operating a helicopter on powerline patrol in ZZZ area. After completing a 50 mi line we decided to get lunch at a restaurant. The passenger/observer had eaten at the restaurant before and knew where it was located. Upon arriving I circled at approximately 800' and observed the restaurant on the corner, a vacant field beside and behind the restaurant with truck parking on one corner. I approached over the field and landed on a grassy area behind the restaurant approximately 300' away. The wind at the time was between 10-12 KTS. The direction was toward the restaurant in relation to the helicopter. After normal shutdown we went inside and were seated. The manager came over and said that one of his customers had gotten some dust in his/her eye after the helicopter had landed. He advised me that he told them to go to the hospital and I was going to pay the bill! The parking lot was located further away than the restaurant and a line of trees on red tip plants approximately 4-5' high lined the area. Evidently after the dust was raised, nature and wind direction carried the fine particles in the direction of this person. Corrective actions: allow more sep during windy conditions because fine particles can travel in many different ways.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER LANDS BEHIND RESTAURANT. BLOWS DUST IN GND OBSERVER EYE.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING A HELI ON POWERLINE PATROL IN ZZZ AREA. AFTER COMPLETING A 50 MI LINE WE DECIDED TO GET LUNCH AT A RESTAURANT. THE PAX/OBSERVER HAD EATEN AT THE RESTAURANT BEFORE AND KNEW WHERE IT WAS LOCATED. UPON ARRIVING I CIRCLED AT APPROX 800' AND OBSERVED THE RESTAURANT ON THE CORNER, A VACANT FIELD BESIDE AND BEHIND THE RESTAURANT WITH TRUCK PARKING ON ONE CORNER. I APCHED OVER THE FIELD AND LANDED ON A GRASSY AREA BEHIND THE RESTAURANT APPROX 300' AWAY. THE WIND AT THE TIME WAS BTWN 10-12 KTS. THE DIRECTION WAS TOWARD THE RESTAURANT IN RELATION TO THE HELI. AFTER NORMAL SHUTDOWN WE WENT INSIDE AND WERE SEATED. THE MGR CAME OVER AND SAID THAT ONE OF HIS CUSTOMERS HAD GOTTEN SOME DUST IN HIS/HER EYE AFTER THE HELI HAD LANDED. HE ADVISED ME THAT HE TOLD THEM TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL AND I WAS GOING TO PAY THE BILL! THE PARKING LOT WAS LOCATED FURTHER AWAY THAN THE RESTAURANT AND A LINE OF TREES ON RED TIP PLANTS APPROX 4-5' HIGH LINED THE AREA. EVIDENTLY AFTER THE DUST WAS RAISED, NATURE AND WIND DIRECTION CARRIED THE FINE PARTICLES IN THE DIRECTION OF THIS PERSON. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: ALLOW MORE SEP DURING WINDY CONDITIONS BECAUSE FINE PARTICLES CAN TRAVEL IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.

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.