Narrative:

I was pilot of a helicopter that was involved in a near collision with a jet. No persons were injured and neither aircraft received any damage. I did not have to perform evasive maneuvers. The WX that day was sunny and clear. The ground was snow-covered. Snow from the runways was piled up at the edges of the runway after being cleared. To the best of my knowledge, these are the circumstances leading up to the event. I was performing routine traffic patterns from the designated helicopter takeoff and landing area, near the end of runway 23. The active runway was 30 and fixed wing traffic was flying l-hand traffic. In this confign, helicopter traffic has been instructed to fly from this spot and to perform l-hand patterns. This pattern requires crossing the main ILS runway, 23-5, as well as integrating into the fixed wing patterns. As instructed, I performed a clearing turn to determine the locations of any aircraft. I idented 3 aircraft, 2 fixed wing and 1 rotor wing craft in the pattern. Of the fixed wing aircraft, 1 was on base and 1 was on final. The other helicopter was on final to the right of runway 30. The radio traffic confirmed these aircraft position. Frederick unicom also asked an aircraft what its destination was and the reply was 'we're going to winchester.' immediately prior to takeoff, I announced my intentions over the CTAF 123.00. Clearly stating that I was to the left of runway 30 and that I would be performing a l- hand traffic pattern. As I progressed in my takeoff, I saw a jet taking off from runway 23. Our paths crossed, with the jet flying an estimated 50 ft in front and overhead. By the time we saw each other, there was no time to alter our courses. The jet continued on in its flight and I landed. The entire event was discussed with my instructor. This scenario has been confirmed with the pilot of the other helicopter. Several factors contributed to this near collision. First, and foremost, the traffic pattern confign requires that helicopters cross an ILS runway, frequently used by jet traffic, no matter what the active runway is. The active runway, as announced by frederick unicom was 30. The jet took off from runway 23. Although it is the pilot's prerogative to use any runway, using crossing runways at this busy training airport can be confusing. Additionally, with all the air traffic at this airport, it is difficult to determine if traffic is inbound on the ILS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: I WAS PLT OF A HELI THAT WAS INVOLVED IN A NEAR COLLISION WITH A JET. NO PERSONS WERE INJURED AND NEITHER ACFT RECEIVED ANY DAMAGE. I DID NOT HAVE TO PERFORM EVASIVE MANEUVERS. THE WX THAT DAY WAS SUNNY AND CLR. THE GND WAS SNOW-COVERED. SNOW FROM THE RWYS WAS PILED UP AT THE EDGES OF THE RWY AFTER BEING CLRED. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THESE ARE THE CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING UP TO THE EVENT. I WAS PERFORMING ROUTINE TFC PATTERNS FROM THE DESIGNATED HELI TKOF AND LNDG AREA, NEAR THE END OF RWY 23. THE ACTIVE RWY WAS 30 AND FIXED WING TFC WAS FLYING L-HAND TFC. IN THIS CONFIGN, HELI TFC HAS BEEN INSTRUCTED TO FLY FROM THIS SPOT AND TO PERFORM L-HAND PATTERNS. THIS PATTERN REQUIRES XING THE MAIN ILS RWY, 23-5, AS WELL AS INTEGRATING INTO THE FIXED WING PATTERNS. AS INSTRUCTED, I PERFORMED A CLRING TURN TO DETERMINE THE LOCATIONS OF ANY ACFT. I IDENTED 3 ACFT, 2 FIXED WING AND 1 ROTOR WING CRAFT IN THE PATTERN. OF THE FIXED WING ACFT, 1 WAS ON BASE AND 1 WAS ON FINAL. THE OTHER HELI WAS ON FINAL TO THE R OF RWY 30. THE RADIO TFC CONFIRMED THESE ACFT POS. FREDERICK UNICOM ALSO ASKED AN ACFT WHAT ITS DEST WAS AND THE REPLY WAS 'WE'RE GOING TO WINCHESTER.' IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO TKOF, I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS OVER THE CTAF 123.00. CLRLY STATING THAT I WAS TO THE L OF RWY 30 AND THAT I WOULD BE PERFORMING A L- HAND TFC PATTERN. AS I PROGRESSED IN MY TKOF, I SAW A JET TAKING OFF FROM RWY 23. OUR PATHS CROSSED, WITH THE JET FLYING AN ESTIMATED 50 FT IN FRONT AND OVERHEAD. BY THE TIME WE SAW EACH OTHER, THERE WAS NO TIME TO ALTER OUR COURSES. THE JET CONTINUED ON IN ITS FLT AND I LANDED. THE ENTIRE EVENT WAS DISCUSSED WITH MY INSTRUCTOR. THIS SCENARIO HAS BEEN CONFIRMED WITH THE PLT OF THE OTHER HELI. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS NEAR COLLISION. FIRST, AND FOREMOST, THE TFC PATTERN CONFIGN REQUIRES THAT HELIS CROSS AN ILS RWY, FREQUENTLY USED BY JET TFC, NO MATTER WHAT THE ACTIVE RWY IS. THE ACTIVE RWY, AS ANNOUNCED BY FREDERICK UNICOM WAS 30. THE JET TOOK OFF FROM RWY 23. ALTHOUGH IT IS THE PLT'S PREROGATIVE TO USE ANY RWY, USING XING RWYS AT THIS BUSY TRAINING ARPT CAN BE CONFUSING. ADDITIONALLY, WITH ALL THE AIR TFC AT THIS ARPT, IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE IF TFC IS INBOUND ON THE ILS.

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.