Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	167621
Time
Date	199101
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bkl
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cle tower : bkl tower : sdf
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	167621
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

While on a visibility approach into burke lakefront airport a police helicopter reported a near miss with me. I did not ever see him, as they are very hard to see against the lights of the city, and I was looking for my traffic that I was following that tower had just reported to me. Tower did not report that the helicopter was there, nor did cleveland approach who had just handed me off to the tower when this took place. I talked to the tower on the phone after landing to find out where this helicopter was at. They told me they were not sure because he was not in the area where he had last reported being. This airport gets very busy at night with cargo aircraft, I believe that it would solve some problems if there was a bright scope in the tower which they do not have.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VIS APCH INTO BURKE LAKEFRONT ARPT A POLICE HELI RPTED A NEAR MISS WITH ME. I DID NOT EVER SEE HIM, AS THEY ARE VERY HARD TO SEE AGAINST THE LIGHTS OF THE CITY, AND I WAS LOOKING FOR MY TFC THAT I WAS FOLLOWING THAT TWR HAD JUST RPTED TO ME. TWR DID NOT RPT THAT THE HELI WAS THERE, NOR DID CLEVELAND APCH WHO HAD JUST HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR WHEN THIS TOOK PLACE. I TALKED TO THE TWR ON THE PHONE AFTER LNDG TO FIND OUT WHERE THIS HELI WAS AT. THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE NOT SURE BECAUSE HE WAS NOT IN THE AREA WHERE HE HAD LAST RPTED BEING. THIS ARPT GETS VERY BUSY AT NIGHT WITH CARGO ACFT, I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD SOLVE SOME PROBS IF THERE WAS A BRIGHT SCOPE IN THE TWR WHICH THEY DO NOT HAVE.

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.