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Small aircraft taxiing pilot complains of rotary winged traffic flying so close overhead as to create a potential conflict.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 189703 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199108 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sts |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sts |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 750 flight time type : 50 |
| ASRS Report | 189703 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 0 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
The helicopter operated by the county sheriff, approaching to land at its helipad, flew over the small aircraft at an altitude admitted by the helicopter pilot to have possibly been as low as 100 ft which I thought low, to an unsafe extreme. During a subsequent telephone conversation, the helicopter pilot assured me that flying as low as 100 ft above other aircraft is common and safe, adding that his 12 yrs experience flying helicopters is an additional safety factor. I remain convinced that such an approach is not as desirable as the alternative rtes which include an access road and several other aircraft movement areas which could have been selected as alternates, being at the time unoccupied. Seeing the helicopter approach and fly overhead was an unwelcome shock.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA TAXIING PLT COMPLAINS OF ROTARY WINGED TFC FLYING SO CLOSE OVERHEAD AS TO CREATE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT.
Narrative: THE HELI OPERATED BY THE COUNTY SHERIFF, APCHING TO LAND AT ITS HELIPAD, FLEW OVER THE SMA AT AN ALT ADMITTED BY THE HELI PLT TO HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN AS LOW AS 100 FT WHICH I THOUGHT LOW, TO AN UNSAFE EXTREME. DURING A SUBSEQUENT TELEPHONE CONVERSATION, THE HELI PLT ASSURED ME THAT FLYING AS LOW AS 100 FT ABOVE OTHER ACFT IS COMMON AND SAFE, ADDING THAT HIS 12 YRS EXPERIENCE FLYING HELIS IS AN ADDITIONAL SAFETY FACTOR. I REMAIN CONVINCED THAT SUCH AN APCH IS NOT AS DESIRABLE AS THE ALTERNATIVE RTES WHICH INCLUDE AN ACCESS ROAD AND SEVERAL OTHER ACFT MOVEMENT AREAS WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN SELECTED AS ALTERNATES, BEING AT THE TIME UNOCCUPIED. SEEING THE HELI APCH AND FLY OVERHEAD WAS AN UNWELCOME SHOCK.
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.