Narrative:

On very short final to landing between 2 other type helicopters, I noticed the southern helicopter spot was occupied by a black 'a' type helicopter with doors open and people loading aboard. Because of cockpit cutoff angles being high and view not afforded of the helipad area until very short final, this activity was not seen earlier. I don't know when the people/passenger approached/arrived at the 'a' helicopter. I was in the left seat as sic and the right seat PIC was handling the approach and had the aircraft in a left crab to afford better visibility of the landing area which would require careful assessment for visual cues to perform a hover turn to land, as required, with the nose of the aircraft facing out towards the east river. On very short final the 'a' activity came to view, I figured the people/pilot would know what to expect with reference rotor downwash/wind, etc. To initiate a maximum power go around, requiring a 180 degree turn and climb would have provided a much more dangerous rotor downwash than what was experienced. The 'a' helicopter pilot became abusive on the radio, perhaps understandably. I have not yet ventured to explain to him we were cleared to land and because of the position of the FBO/unicom operator on the other end of the ramp they probably had no view of his activity. A combination of circumstances, visibilities, a black colored 'a' helicopter, people with dark clothing, the 'a' helicopter, a crowded ramp of helicopters, our inability to see due to ergonomics on approach, and maybe a less than ideal judgement by the 'a' type PIC, led to passenger of the 'a' being frightened. A regrettable incident which I'll address with the 'a' PIC later as I'm the chief pilot of our unit. There was no known damage or injuries. The heliport is not extremely well controled by its operator. I will certainly be very vigilant about such possibilities in the future.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RAMP OP ACFT PARKING PROC WITH ROTARY WINGED TFC INTERRUPTS LOADING PROC PAX IN HELI ADJACENT TO ASSIGNED LNDG PARKING AREA. DOWNDRAFT ENCOUNTER.

Narrative: ON VERY SHORT FINAL TO LNDG BTWN 2 OTHER TYPE HELIS, I NOTICED THE SOUTHERN HELI SPOT WAS OCCUPIED BY A BLACK 'A' TYPE HELI WITH DOORS OPEN AND PEOPLE LOADING ABOARD. BECAUSE OF COCKPIT CUTOFF ANGLES BEING HIGH AND VIEW NOT AFFORDED OF THE HELIPAD AREA UNTIL VERY SHORT FINAL, THIS ACTIVITY WAS NOT SEEN EARLIER. I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE PEOPLE/PAX APCHED/ARRIVED AT THE 'A' HELI. I WAS IN THE L SEAT AS SIC AND THE R SEAT PIC WAS HANDLING THE APCH AND HAD THE ACFT IN A L CRAB TO AFFORD BETTER VISIBILITY OF THE LNDG AREA WHICH WOULD REQUIRE CAREFUL ASSESSMENT FOR VISUAL CUES TO PERFORM A HOVER TURN TO LAND, AS REQUIRED, WITH THE NOSE OF THE ACFT FACING OUT TOWARDS THE E RIVER. ON VERY SHORT FINAL THE 'A' ACTIVITY CAME TO VIEW, I FIGURED THE PEOPLE/PLT WOULD KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT WITH REF ROTOR DOWNWASH/WIND, ETC. TO INITIATE A MAX PWR GAR, REQUIRING A 180 DEG TURN AND CLB WOULD HAVE PROVIDED A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS ROTOR DOWNWASH THAN WHAT WAS EXPERIENCED. THE 'A' HELI PLT BECAME ABUSIVE ON THE RADIO, PERHAPS UNDERSTANDABLY. I HAVE NOT YET VENTURED TO EXPLAIN TO HIM WE WERE CLRED TO LAND AND BECAUSE OF THE POS OF THE FBO/UNICOM OPERATOR ON THE OTHER END OF THE RAMP THEY PROBABLY HAD NO VIEW OF HIS ACTIVITY. A COMBINATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES, VISIBILITIES, A BLACK COLORED 'A' HELI, PEOPLE WITH DARK CLOTHING, THE 'A' HELI, A CROWDED RAMP OF HELIS, OUR INABILITY TO SEE DUE TO ERGONOMICS ON APCH, AND MAYBE A LESS THAN IDEAL JUDGEMENT BY THE 'A' TYPE PIC, LED TO PAX OF THE 'A' BEING FRIGHTENED. A REGRETTABLE INCIDENT WHICH I'LL ADDRESS WITH THE 'A' PIC LATER AS I'M THE CHIEF PLT OF OUR UNIT. THERE WAS NO KNOWN DAMAGE OR INJURIES. THE HELIPORT IS NOT EXTREMELY WELL CTLED BY ITS OPERATOR. I WILL CERTAINLY BE VERY VIGILANT ABOUT SUCH POSSIBILITIES IN THE FUTURE.

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.