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Critical ground conflict between an air carrier widebody transport taxiing and a commuter helicopter on takeoff.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 191984 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199110 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr |
| State Reference | NJ |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | ground other : taxi |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 7700 flight time type : 2320 |
| ASRS Report | 191984 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 100 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure Operational Error |
Narrative:
We landed on 4R at newark, clearing the runways onto taxiway Y. Due to local construction, ground cleared us to our parking ramp via a circuitous route. West on Y, south on Y to the inner taxiway. As we passed the 'ball park' taxiing west on Y, I saw an small transport jet helicopter on the helipad located just ahead to my left. He was taxiing very slowly wbound. We had been cleared all the way to RF, so I began a left 90 degree taxi turn onto U. Just then, the helicopter began a takeoff, and passed about 100 ft in front of our nose. He took off west, crossing U at 10-20 ft altitude. I came to an immediate stop. The helicopter pilot had not seen us approach from his right rear, and did not see us until he was well into his takeoff. His head did a classic 'double take' when he saw an widebody transport turning onto U. I immediately queried ground control who said, 'sorry, I should have told you about that.' the helicopter was talking to the tower when we were on ground frequency. I am certain that the tower controller who cleared him had not coordination with ground about our turning onto U, and crossing the helicopter's takeoff path.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CRITICAL GND CONFLICT BTWN AN ACR WDB TAXIING AND A COMMUTER HELI ON TKOF.
Narrative: WE LANDED ON 4R AT NEWARK, CLRING THE RWYS ONTO TAXIWAY Y. DUE TO LCL CONSTRUCTION, GND CLRED US TO OUR PARKING RAMP VIA A CIRCUITOUS RTE. W ON Y, S ON Y TO THE INNER TAXIWAY. AS WE PASSED THE 'BALL PARK' TAXIING W ON Y, I SAW AN SMT JET HELI ON THE HELIPAD LOCATED JUST AHEAD TO MY L. HE WAS TAXIING VERY SLOWLY WBOUND. WE HAD BEEN CLRED ALL THE WAY TO RF, SO I BEGAN A L 90 DEG TAXI TURN ONTO U. JUST THEN, THE HELI BEGAN A TKOF, AND PASSED ABOUT 100 FT IN FRONT OF OUR NOSE. HE TOOK OFF W, XING U AT 10-20 FT ALT. I CAME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. THE HELI PLT HAD NOT SEEN US APCH FROM HIS R REAR, AND DID NOT SEE US UNTIL HE WAS WELL INTO HIS TKOF. HIS HEAD DID A CLASSIC 'DOUBLE TAKE' WHEN HE SAW AN WDB TURNING ONTO U. I IMMEDIATELY QUERIED GND CTL WHO SAID, 'SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT.' THE HELI WAS TALKING TO THE TWR WHEN WE WERE ON GND FREQ. I AM CERTAIN THAT THE TWR CTLR WHO CLRED HIM HAD NOT COORD WITH GND ABOUT OUR TURNING ONTO U, AND XING THE HELI'S TKOF PATH.
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.