Narrative:

I departed the helipad in durham, nc, NC92 to fly to a football stadium in raleigh, nc, which was on the other side of rdu airport. After takeoff I headed south climbing to 1500 ft MSL and contacted rdu approach control on 125.3. The instructed squawk XXXX and contact approach control on 132.35. I called on this frequency and again was told to squawk XXXX. I checked the transponder and it was set to XXXX. At 5 NM northwest of rdu I asked approach control if I was radar contact. They replied squawk XXXX. I said I was and what were they receiving. They said they were receiving XXXY. I recycled the last digit and they gave me radar contact fly heading 100 degree and cross the departure end of runway 23R. At this point I thought and perceived I heard 'turn to 100 degree and cross the departure end of runway 23R.' I turned to 100 degree and when I reached the departure end of runway 23R I turned to cross. As I crossed the centerline I saw an air carrier widebody transport aircraft leave the runway making a climbing right turn to pass behind me. I was expecting to cross between departures as I had done on previous xings on the departure end of the airport. I then realized I was crossing at the wrong end of the airport and should have crossed at the approach end. At this point approach called and said that he had needed me over the approach end of runway 23 and contact approach on 125.3. I contacted them and continued to land at the stadium. I believe because I had been expecting to cross southwest of the airport below departing traffic when I received the clearance. I was still thinking southwest side (departure end) I heard what I was thinking and expecting, departure end, I believed this was caused in part by the distraction of the transponder problem and the rapid pace of radio traffic on approach control. I think it would have helped if due to low altitude 1500 ft crossing to have been switched to tower frequency from approach control until over the airport. I also believed I allowed myself to be distraction by other events leading to the wrong interruption of the clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX HELI PLT MISTAKENLY CROSSED OVER ARPT AT THE WRONG POINT IN TRANSIT TO ANOTHER HELIPORT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED THE HELIPAD IN DURHAM, NC, NC92 TO FLY TO A FOOTBALL STADIUM IN RALEIGH, NC, WHICH WAS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF RDU ARPT. AFTER TKOF I HEADED S CLBING TO 1500 FT MSL AND CONTACTED RDU APCH CTL ON 125.3. THE INSTRUCTED SQUAWK XXXX AND CONTACT APCH CTL ON 132.35. I CALLED ON THIS FREQ AND AGAIN WAS TOLD TO SQUAWK XXXX. I CHKED THE TRANSPONDER AND IT WAS SET TO XXXX. AT 5 NM NW OF RDU I ASKED APCH CTL IF I WAS RADAR CONTACT. THEY REPLIED SQUAWK XXXX. I SAID I WAS AND WHAT WERE THEY RECEIVING. THEY SAID THEY WERE RECEIVING XXXY. I RECYCLED THE LAST DIGIT AND THEY GAVE ME RADAR CONTACT FLY HDG 100 DEG AND CROSS THE DEP END OF RWY 23R. AT THIS POINT I THOUGHT AND PERCEIVED I HEARD 'TURN TO 100 DEG AND CROSS THE DEP END OF RWY 23R.' I TURNED TO 100 DEG AND WHEN I REACHED THE DEP END OF RWY 23R I TURNED TO CROSS. AS I CROSSED THE CTRLINE I SAW AN ACR WDB ACFT LEAVE THE RWY MAKING A CLBING R TURN TO PASS BEHIND ME. I WAS EXPECTING TO CROSS BTWN DEPS AS I HAD DONE ON PREVIOUS XINGS ON THE DEP END OF THE ARPT. I THEN REALIZED I WAS XING AT THE WRONG END OF THE ARPT AND SHOULD HAVE CROSSED AT THE APCH END. AT THIS POINT APCH CALLED AND SAID THAT HE HAD NEEDED ME OVER THE APCH END OF RWY 23 AND CONTACT APCH ON 125.3. I CONTACTED THEM AND CONTINUED TO LAND AT THE STADIUM. I BELIEVE BECAUSE I HAD BEEN EXPECTING TO CROSS SW OF THE ARPT BELOW DEPARTING TFC WHEN I RECEIVED THE CLRNC. I WAS STILL THINKING SW SIDE (DEP END) I HEARD WHAT I WAS THINKING AND EXPECTING, DEP END, I BELIEVED THIS WAS CAUSED IN PART BY THE DISTR OF THE TRANSPONDER PROBLEM AND THE RAPID PACE OF RADIO TFC ON APCH CTL. I THINK IT WOULD HAVE HELPED IF DUE TO LOW ALT 1500 FT XING TO HAVE BEEN SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ FROM APCH CTL UNTIL OVER THE ARPT. I ALSO BELIEVED I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE DISTR BY OTHER EVENTS LEADING TO THE WRONG INTERRUPTION OF THE CLRNC.

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.