<< >> NASA ASRS Report 187514, August 1991

Potential conflict at a non tower airport unicom between cpr jet and rotary winged traffic in an opposite direction traffic situation.

Attributes
ACN	187514
Time
Date	199108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gge
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Light Transport
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around other
Route In Use	approach : straight in approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 3900 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	187514
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1500 vertical : 400
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approaching gge from the northeast and using ground smoke to determine wind direction, wind appeared to be a light crosswind slightly favoring runway 5. Captain elected to make a straight in landing to runway 23. Copilot requested airport advisory, got no response, then announced our position and intentions in the blind. On a 3/4 mi final for runway 23, PF noticed an aircraft near the approach end of runway 23. Due to its proximity to the end of the runway and its apparent slow speed we assumed it was landing and preparing to exit the runway. On about a 1/2 mi final we realized the aircraft was climbing out and we were on a collision course. We sidestepped right and entered a left downwind for runway 5. The government helicopter made a 180 degree right turn and exited the pattern on an upwind leg. On downwind captain then noticed the wrong unicom frequency had been selected earlier. Although the frequency error was a contributing factor, if we had flown a standard pattern this incident would probably have been avoided anyway.

Related reports:

• Potential conflict at non tower airport unicom.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POTENTIAL CONFLICT AT A NON TWR ARPT UNICOM BTWN CPR JET AND ROTARY WINGED TFC IN AN OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC SITUATION.

Narrative: APCHING GGE FROM THE NE AND USING GND SMOKE TO DETERMINE WIND DIRECTION, WIND APPEARED TO BE A LIGHT XWIND SLIGHTLY FAVORING RWY 5. CAPT ELECTED TO MAKE A STRAIGHT IN LNDG TO RWY 23. COPLT REQUESTED ARPT ADVISORY, GOT NO RESPONSE, THEN ANNOUNCED OUR POS AND INTENTIONS IN THE BLIND. ON A 3/4 MI FINAL FOR RWY 23, PF NOTICED AN ACFT NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 23. DUE TO ITS PROX TO THE END OF THE RWY AND ITS APPARENT SLOW SPD WE ASSUMED IT WAS LNDG AND PREPARING TO EXIT THE RWY. ON ABOUT A 1/2 MI FINAL WE REALIZED THE ACFT WAS CLBING OUT AND WE WERE ON A COLLISION COURSE. WE SIDESTEPPED R AND ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 5. THE GOV HELI MADE A 180 DEG R TURN AND EXITED THE PATTERN ON AN UPWIND LEG. ON DOWNWIND CAPT THEN NOTICED THE WRONG UNICOM FREQ HAD BEEN SELECTED EARLIER. ALTHOUGH THE FREQ ERROR WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, IF WE HAD FLOWN A STANDARD PATTERN THIS INCIDENT WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED ANYWAY.

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.