An air carrier mdt had an near midair collision with a helicopter in the landing pattern at night.

Attributes
ACN	228365
Time
Date	199212
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hpn
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : hpn
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 10500
ASRS Report	228365
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 0 vertical : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

As we approached our base turn, tower told us 'helicopter at 10 O'clock.' no altitude was given. We looked for it. When we saw it, it was below us. I estimated 500 below us, so I continued my left turn to land. After landing, the helicopter crew claimed that they had to make a violent evasive maneuver to miss us. I told them that when we saw them, they appeared to be quite a bit below us, and not a problem. They claimed that we had seen them, but that we just didn't want to admit it, and they implied that we turned into them on purpose. The conversation ended when I told them again that we did not see them until they were below us. All this conversation took place on hpn tower frequency, after we were parked. They told tower to give us a nasty message. The tower never gave us the altitude or plan of the helicopter. I thought that it was an advisory call only.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MDT HAD AN NMAC WITH A HELI IN THE LNDG PATTERN AT NIGHT.

Narrative: AS WE APCHED OUR BASE TURN, TWR TOLD US 'HELI AT 10 O'CLOCK.' NO ALT WAS GIVEN. WE LOOKED FOR IT. WHEN WE SAW IT, IT WAS BELOW US. I ESTIMATED 500 BELOW US, SO I CONTINUED MY L TURN TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, THE HELI CREW CLAIMED THAT THEY HAD TO MAKE A VIOLENT EVASIVE MANEUVER TO MISS US. I TOLD THEM THAT WHEN WE SAW THEM, THEY APPEARED TO BE QUITE A BIT BELOW US, AND NOT A PROBLEM. THEY CLAIMED THAT WE HAD SEEN THEM, BUT THAT WE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO ADMIT IT, AND THEY IMPLIED THAT WE TURNED INTO THEM ON PURPOSE. THE CONVERSATION ENDED WHEN I TOLD THEM AGAIN THAT WE DID NOT SEE THEM UNTIL THEY WERE BELOW US. ALL THIS CONVERSATION TOOK PLACE ON HPN TWR FREQ, AFTER WE WERE PARKED. THEY TOLD TWR TO GIVE US A NASTY MESSAGE. THE TWR NEVER GAVE US THE ALT OR PLAN OF THE HELI. I THOUGHT THAT IT WAS AN ADVISORY CALL ONLY.

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.