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Near midair collision between EMS helicopter and light transport. Helicopter proceeds through control zone without SVFR clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 234159 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | Marginal |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : zzz |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent other |
| Route In Use | enroute : direct |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 234159 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 300 vertical : 25 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was the pilot of an EMS helicopter based at the hospital which is located 6 mi south of ZZZ airport. I departed on a flight to another hospital for a patient pickup. ZZZ was reporting the WX as 1000 and 3. As I took off I estimated that the flight visibility was approximately 1 1/2-2 mi. I held a northwest heading to keep clear of their airspace and immediately called ZZZ tower for clearance through their area. They cleared me through and issued traffic to me as an light transport inbound from the southwest at 1100 ft. I was just reaching 1100 ft MSL, 500 AGL, and wanted to be below the traffic so I started a descent, glanced at my altimeter and turned my head to the left to look for traffic. As soon as I turned my head I saw the light transport at my 10 O'clock position, slightly above me and about 300-400 ft away. The light transport was in a steep right turn, presumably to avoid me. I immediately nosed the aircraft over to increase my descent and descended to about 900 ft MSL, 300 AGL. My passenger saw the light transport and were considerably upset. Because of the incident and the necessity to calm my passenger, I proceeded through the control zone as cleared without remembering to request a SVFR clearance since the flight visibility was low and the ceiling was actually about 700 ft AGL. This was probably why the light transport was at 500 ft AGL in violation of far 91.119.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: NMAC BTWN EMS HELI AND LTT. HELI PROCEEDS THROUGH CTL ZONE WITHOUT SVFR CLRNC.
Narrative: I WAS THE PLT OF AN EMS HELI BASED AT THE HOSPITAL WHICH IS LOCATED 6 MI S OF ZZZ ARPT. I DEPARTED ON A FLT TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL FOR A PATIENT PICKUP. ZZZ WAS RPTING THE WX AS 1000 AND 3. AS I TOOK OFF I ESTIMATED THAT THE FLT VISIBILITY WAS APPROX 1 1/2-2 MI. I HELD A NW HDG TO KEEP CLR OF THEIR AIRSPACE AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED ZZZ TWR FOR CLRNC THROUGH THEIR AREA. THEY CLRED ME THROUGH AND ISSUED TFC TO ME AS AN LTT INBOUND FROM THE SW AT 1100 FT. I WAS JUST REACHING 1100 FT MSL, 500 AGL, AND WANTED TO BE BELOW THE TFC SO I STARTED A DSCNT, GLANCED AT MY ALTIMETER AND TURNED MY HEAD TO THE L TO LOOK FOR TFC. AS SOON AS I TURNED MY HEAD I SAW THE LTT AT MY 10 O'CLOCK POS, SLIGHTLY ABOVE ME AND ABOUT 300-400 FT AWAY. THE LTT WAS IN A STEEP R TURN, PRESUMABLY TO AVOID ME. I IMMEDIATELY NOSED THE ACFT OVER TO INCREASE MY DSCNT AND DSNDED TO ABOUT 900 FT MSL, 300 AGL. MY PAX SAW THE LTT AND WERE CONSIDERABLY UPSET. BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT AND THE NECESSITY TO CALM MY PAX, I PROCEEDED THROUGH THE CTL ZONE AS CLRED WITHOUT REMEMBERING TO REQUEST A SVFR CLRNC SINCE THE FLT VISIBILITY WAS LOW AND THE CEILING WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 700 FT AGL. THIS WAS PROBABLY WHY THE LTT WAS AT 500 FT AGL IN VIOLATION OF FAR 91.119.
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.