Narrative:

I was the PF. Descending from the north into a left hand traffic pattern for runway 05 at salisbury, md. Contacted FSS for advisories. Were told their was 1 helicopter in the pattern, doing touch and go's. Somewhere on downwind or base, another helicopter called and advised he was going to takeoff and land. It was not clear in the transmission that he was going to do this on runway 05. I don't recall the second helicopter being called to us as traffic. I was picking up a TCASII target approximately airport elevation. We lost the target somewhere on downwind or base, I'm pretty sure it was downwind. (I think this is another reason why I thought the helicopter might have finished its flight, because there were no other targets on TCASII). We called downwind, base, final, and, I believe, short final. At approximately 100-200 AGL on short final, I noticed a helicopter on the runway approximately 3000 ft from the approach end of runway 05. Upon seeing him, I immediately called for full power, flaps 15, positive rate, gear up, and proceeded around the pattern to land uneventfully on the second approach. Extenuating circumstances: the first helicopter had been a navy helicopter. In fact, until I talked to FSS afterwards, I didn't realize the helicopter we had had a conflict with was a totally different helicopter. I had seen the navy helicopter land and takeoff once, and that was done approximately 500 ft from the approach end of runway 05. This is naturally where I was looking for the helicopter most of the time I scanned the area, including the runway. I can say, I scanned the runway 3 or 4 times on base and final, and never saw the helicopter. Whether he was on the runway the entire time I don't know. Also, going into uncontrolled airports, I fly a wide pattern to keep all the single engine traffic inside between me and the airport, so I can see them easier. I would say on base I was approximately 2 - 2 1/2 mi from the field. I scanned the runway at approximately 400-500 ft AGL, and did not notice the helicopter. But my main focus was on the first 1000 ft. I scanned the whole runway, I believe, but focused on the first 1000 ft. The helicopter was pointing down the runway (his nose pointing away from us). We could have rear-ended him and he would have never known what hit him (I would have gone off into the grass first, though). We made 3 or 4 radio calls. Downwind, base, final, and, I believe, short final, and he never question if we had him in sight. Why? Also, with TCASII, I tend to scan the TCASII screen instead of outside. I scan outside but my scan isn't as good or I don't scan as often when I have TCASII. If his transponder had been on or our TCASII had picked him up if his transponder was on. The conflict would have been realized sooner. Maybe his mention of a short maintenance hop (I believe that was his words), made the controller think it was unnecessary to issue traffic advisories. But I was looking for a helicopter cause I knew someone was out there somewhere. Also when I have watched his takeoff and land in the past, they do so rather quickly. This guy I believe was on the runway for at least 2 mins.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LTT ON APCH WAS NMAC WITH HELI HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY DOING MANEUVERS BUT NO COM. EXECUTES GAR.

Narrative: I WAS THE PF. DSNDING FROM THE N INTO A L HAND TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 05 AT SALISBURY, MD. CONTACTED FSS FOR ADVISORIES. WERE TOLD THEIR WAS 1 HELI IN THE PATTERN, DOING TOUCH AND GO'S. SOMEWHERE ON DOWNWIND OR BASE, ANOTHER HELI CALLED AND ADVISED HE WAS GOING TO TKOF AND LAND. IT WAS NOT CLR IN THE XMISSION THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO THIS ON RWY 05. I DON'T RECALL THE SECOND HELI BEING CALLED TO US AS TFC. I WAS PICKING UP A TCASII TARGET APPROX ARPT ELEVATION. WE LOST THE TARGET SOMEWHERE ON DOWNWIND OR BASE, I'M PRETTY SURE IT WAS DOWNWIND. (I THINK THIS IS ANOTHER REASON WHY I THOUGHT THE HELI MIGHT HAVE FINISHED ITS FLT, BECAUSE THERE WERE NO OTHER TARGETS ON TCASII). WE CALLED DOWNWIND, BASE, FINAL, AND, I BELIEVE, SHORT FINAL. AT APPROX 100-200 AGL ON SHORT FINAL, I NOTICED A HELI ON THE RWY APPROX 3000 FT FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 05. UPON SEEING HIM, I IMMEDIATELY CALLED FOR FULL PWR, FLAPS 15, POSITIVE RATE, GEAR UP, AND PROCEEDED AROUND THE PATTERN TO LAND UNEVENTFULLY ON THE SECOND APCH. EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES: THE FIRST HELI HAD BEEN A NAVY HELI. IN FACT, UNTIL I TALKED TO FSS AFTERWARDS, I DIDN'T REALIZE THE HELI WE HAD HAD A CONFLICT WITH WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT HELI. I HAD SEEN THE NAVY HELI LAND AND TKOF ONCE, AND THAT WAS DONE APPROX 500 FT FROM THE APCH END OF RWY 05. THIS IS NATURALLY WHERE I WAS LOOKING FOR THE HELI MOST OF THE TIME I SCANNED THE AREA, INCLUDING THE RWY. I CAN SAY, I SCANNED THE RWY 3 OR 4 TIMES ON BASE AND FINAL, AND NEVER SAW THE HELI. WHETHER HE WAS ON THE RWY THE ENTIRE TIME I DON'T KNOW. ALSO, GOING INTO UNCTLED ARPTS, I FLY A WIDE PATTERN TO KEEP ALL THE SINGLE ENG TFC INSIDE BTWN ME AND THE ARPT, SO I CAN SEE THEM EASIER. I WOULD SAY ON BASE I WAS APPROX 2 - 2 1/2 MI FROM THE FIELD. I SCANNED THE RWY AT APPROX 400-500 FT AGL, AND DID NOT NOTICE THE HELI. BUT MY MAIN FOCUS WAS ON THE FIRST 1000 FT. I SCANNED THE WHOLE RWY, I BELIEVE, BUT FOCUSED ON THE FIRST 1000 FT. THE HELI WAS POINTING DOWN THE RWY (HIS NOSE POINTING AWAY FROM US). WE COULD HAVE REAR-ENDED HIM AND HE WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN WHAT HIT HIM (I WOULD HAVE GONE OFF INTO THE GRASS FIRST, THOUGH). WE MADE 3 OR 4 RADIO CALLS. DOWNWIND, BASE, FINAL, AND, I BELIEVE, SHORT FINAL, AND HE NEVER QUESTION IF WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT. WHY? ALSO, WITH TCASII, I TEND TO SCAN THE TCASII SCREEN INSTEAD OF OUTSIDE. I SCAN OUTSIDE BUT MY SCAN ISN'T AS GOOD OR I DON'T SCAN AS OFTEN WHEN I HAVE TCASII. IF HIS TRANSPONDER HAD BEEN ON OR OUR TCASII HAD PICKED HIM UP IF HIS TRANSPONDER WAS ON. THE CONFLICT WOULD HAVE BEEN REALIZED SOONER. MAYBE HIS MENTION OF A SHORT MAINT HOP (I BELIEVE THAT WAS HIS WORDS), MADE THE CTLR THINK IT WAS UNNECESSARY TO ISSUE TFC ADVISORIES. BUT I WAS LOOKING FOR A HELI CAUSE I KNEW SOMEONE WAS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE. ALSO WHEN I HAVE WATCHED HIS TKOF AND LAND IN THE PAST, THEY DO SO RATHER QUICKLY. THIS GUY I BELIEVE WAS ON THE RWY FOR AT LEAST 2 MINS.

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.