Narrative:

Cleared for takeoff runway 15 dca by tower, no other information. I was PNF. I saw an small transport helicopter as we started takeoff roll. I pointed out traffic to first officer (PF). He decided to continue takeoff. Our aircraft was light, outside air temperature was cool, good climb performance. Helicopter was first sighted in our 10 O'clock moving left to right, at approximately 200 ft AGL. His flight path was judged to cross ours, however, at his speed he would cross the centerline of runway 15 (departure zone) before us. So we continued the takeoff with no warning of traffic from tower. The traffic conflict was not too severe, but had we lost an engine on takeoff, we wouldn't have climb performance and a critical traffic conflict would have occurred. The problem could be avoided if these helicopters were given rtes around the airport that don't enter the departure and arrival zones (within 2-3 mi of airport). The tower controller is required to at least advise us of helicopter traffic (separation measured in thousands of ft instead of hundreds of ft, would be nice, too). Interestingly enough, when I arrived at dca earlier, I overheard an air carrier pilot complaining to tower about helicopter traffic and RA from his TCASII. The response from dca tower, regarding helicopter rtes conflicting with aircraft landing was, 'those rtes have been there for 20 yrs, they won't ever change.' I say it's been long enough. Time to change those helicopter rtes -- or do we wait until an accident. Callback conversation with procedures man revealed the following information: a call to the procedures man on duty at dca got the information that helicopters flying through the dca area are on a separate frequency from fixed wing aircraft operating out of dca. Helicopters are encouraged to monitor the fixed wing tower frequency, but not all do. Helicopter traffic is basically rted up and down the rivers for noise abatement reasons or over the top of the airport at 1000 ft with the tower calling descent. Much of the helicopter traffic at dca is high level military traffic that would not like to see many changes in the procedures. The tower tries to announce all helicopter traffic to airplanes operating at dca, but some is missed. It is possible that the tower controller did not think that this situation required a warning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MDT WAS SURPRISED BY A LOW FLYING HELI XING HIS PATH.

Narrative: CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 15 DCA BY TWR, NO OTHER INFO. I WAS PNF. I SAW AN SMT HELI AS WE STARTED TKOF ROLL. I POINTED OUT TFC TO FO (PF). HE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TKOF. OUR ACFT WAS LIGHT, OUTSIDE AIR TEMP WAS COOL, GOOD CLB PERFORMANCE. HELI WAS FIRST SIGHTED IN OUR 10 O'CLOCK MOVING L TO R, AT APPROX 200 FT AGL. HIS FLT PATH WAS JUDGED TO CROSS OURS, HOWEVER, AT HIS SPD HE WOULD CROSS THE CTRLINE OF RWY 15 (DEP ZONE) BEFORE US. SO WE CONTINUED THE TKOF WITH NO WARNING OF TFC FROM TWR. THE TFC CONFLICT WAS NOT TOO SEVERE, BUT HAD WE LOST AN ENG ON TKOF, WE WOULDN'T HAVE CLB PERFORMANCE AND A CRITICAL TFC CONFLICT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE PROB COULD BE AVOIDED IF THESE HELIS WERE GIVEN RTES AROUND THE ARPT THAT DON'T ENTER THE DEP AND ARR ZONES (WITHIN 2-3 MI OF ARPT). THE TWR CTLR IS REQUIRED TO AT LEAST ADVISE US OF HELI TFC (SEPARATION MEASURED IN THOUSANDS OF FT INSTEAD OF HUNDREDS OF FT, WOULD BE NICE, TOO). INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WHEN I ARRIVED AT DCA EARLIER, I OVERHEARD AN ACR PLT COMPLAINING TO TWR ABOUT HELI TFC AND RA FROM HIS TCASII. THE RESPONSE FROM DCA TWR, REGARDING HELI RTES CONFLICTING WITH ACFT LNDG WAS, 'THOSE RTES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR 20 YRS, THEY WON'T EVER CHANGE.' I SAY IT'S BEEN LONG ENOUGH. TIME TO CHANGE THOSE HELI RTES -- OR DO WE WAIT UNTIL AN ACCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH PROCS MAN REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A CALL TO THE PROCS MAN ON DUTY AT DCA GOT THE INFO THAT HELIS FLYING THROUGH THE DCA AREA ARE ON A SEPARATE FREQ FROM FIXED WING ACFT OPERATING OUT OF DCA. HELIS ARE ENCOURAGED TO MONITOR THE FIXED WING TWR FREQ, BUT NOT ALL DO. HELI TFC IS BASICALLY RTED UP AND DOWN THE RIVERS FOR NOISE ABATEMENT REASONS OR OVER THE TOP OF THE ARPT AT 1000 FT WITH THE TWR CALLING DSCNT. MUCH OF THE HELI TFC AT DCA IS HIGH LEVEL MIL TFC THAT WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE MANY CHANGES IN THE PROCS. THE TWR TRIES TO ANNOUNCE ALL HELI TFC TO AIRPLANES OPERATING AT DCA, BUT SOME IS MISSED. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE TWR CTLR DID NOT THINK THAT THIS SIT REQUIRED A WARNING.

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.