Narrative:

I was on an EMS flight en route from the town of xyz to hospital a in ZZZ. This route passes through the ZZZ arsa west of the airport. As I approached the airport the controller advised me of an aircraft departing runway 24R proceeding west. This aircraft was climbing and the controller warned me of wake turbulence. I altered my course about 10 degrees left to fly above the wake turbulence. As I became about a mi west of the airport the controller stated that he thought an aircraft was taking off. I looked toward the airport and saw an aircraft rolling on runway 24R. I stated to ATC that I would fly toward the center of the airport when I saw a large air carrier X about 300 ft away. It was obscured by my instrument panel and was visible only for an instant. He was banking hard right and was probably still on the tower frequency. Since my helicopter is flown from the right seat and the other aircraft was initially to my front left lower, I could not see him. There were many cargo and airline aircraft departing. I probably should have been switched to the tower frequency or been asked to fly over the center of the airport. Supplemental information from acn 242792: radar pointed out over flight VFR helicopter Y. I cleared air carrier X for takeoff having helicopter Y in sight. As air carrier X was turning, I pointed out helicopter Y. Air carrier X said traffic in sight, so I switched air carrier X to departure control. (I failed to tell air carrier X to maintain visual separation.) callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that a patient was on board but this did not influence any outcome of incident.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI Y HAD NMAC LTSS FROM ACR X IN ARSA ATA. SYS ERROR SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN EMS FLT ENRTE FROM THE TOWN OF XYZ TO HOSPITAL A IN ZZZ. THIS RTE PASSES THROUGH THE ZZZ ARSA W OF THE ARPT. AS I APCHED THE ARPT THE CTLR ADVISED ME OF AN ACFT DEPARTING RWY 24R PROCEEDING W. THIS ACFT WAS CLBING AND THE CTLR WARNED ME OF WAKE TURB. I ALTERED MY COURSE ABOUT 10 DEGS L TO FLY ABOVE THE WAKE TURB. AS I BECAME ABOUT A MI W OF THE ARPT THE CTLR STATED THAT HE THOUGHT AN ACFT WAS TAKING OFF. I LOOKED TOWARD THE ARPT AND SAW AN ACFT ROLLING ON RWY 24R. I STATED TO ATC THAT I WOULD FLY TOWARD THE CTR OF THE ARPT WHEN I SAW A LARGE ACR X ABOUT 300 FT AWAY. IT WAS OBSCURED BY MY INST PANEL AND WAS VISIBLE ONLY FOR AN INSTANT. HE WAS BANKING HARD R AND WAS PROBABLY STILL ON THE TWR FREQ. SINCE MY HELI IS FLOWN FROM THE R SEAT AND THE OTHER ACFT WAS INITIALLY TO MY FRONT L LOWER, I COULD NOT SEE HIM. THERE WERE MANY CARGO AND AIRLINE ACFT DEPARTING. I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE BEEN SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ OR BEEN ASKED TO FLY OVER THE CTR OF THE ARPT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 242792: RADAR POINTED OUT OVER FLT VFR HELI Y. I CLRED ACR X FOR TKOF HAVING HELI Y IN SIGHT. AS ACR X WAS TURNING, I POINTED OUT HELI Y. ACR X SAID TFC IN SIGHT, SO I SWITCHED ACR X TO DEP CTL. (I FAILED TO TELL ACR X TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION.) CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES THAT A PATIENT WAS ON BOARD BUT THIS DID NOT INFLUENCE ANY OUTCOME OF INCIDENT.

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.