Takeoff on occupied runway by mdt as tower forgets the traffic picture.

Attributes
ACN	271056
Time
Date	199405
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 3950 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	271056
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe incursion : runway non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 2000 vertical : 700
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Tower cleared me to land to the numbers of runway 21, hold short of runway 33. I landed to a hover. I had already informed tower we needed transition to FBO. I noticed a high wing twin turboprop airplane at the other end of the runway facing us. Traffic was lined up for departure on 33 and 36. Traffic was landing on 33 and 36. After about 1 minute of hovering, listening to several clrncs to takeoff and land, I set the helicopter down, sensing a significant crossing delay. I then, approximately 1 minute later heard tower clear another airplane for takeoff. As the airplane at the other end of the runway grew larger, I realized it had been cleared and we were forgotten. I immediately pulled collective and cleared the runway by moving off to the right. As I did this, I heard an unidentified utterance on the radio which said 'we've got you' or 'I see you.' either just before or just after that call, I said over the tower frequency as I moved, 'X is still holding approach end of 21!' tower came back and as if nothing had occurred, said 'cleared to the main ramp then proceed to FBO.' the airplane had pulled up sharply and turned right. We were never close. I thought it odd that the airplane was cleared while we were on the runway, opposite direction. Either the controller and the airplane could not see us or had forgotten about us. The controller was very busy with a lot of traffic and seemed to be handling it very well. I felt it important to report, however.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TKOF ON OCCUPIED RWY BY MDT AS TWR FORGETS THE TFC PICTURE.

Narrative: TWR CLRED ME TO LAND TO THE NUMBERS OF RWY 21, HOLD SHORT OF RWY 33. I LANDED TO A HOVER. I HAD ALREADY INFORMED TWR WE NEEDED TRANSITION TO FBO. I NOTICED A HIGH WING TWIN TURBOPROP AIRPLANE AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY FACING US. TFC WAS LINED UP FOR DEP ON 33 AND 36. TFC WAS LNDG ON 33 AND 36. AFTER ABOUT 1 MINUTE OF HOVERING, LISTENING TO SEVERAL CLRNCS TO TKOF AND LAND, I SET THE HELI DOWN, SENSING A SIGNIFICANT XING DELAY. I THEN, APPROX 1 MINUTE LATER HEARD TWR CLR ANOTHER AIRPLANE FOR TKOF. AS THE AIRPLANE AT THE OTHER END OF THE RWY GREW LARGER, I REALIZED IT HAD BEEN CLRED AND WE WERE FORGOTTEN. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED COLLECTIVE AND CLRED THE RWY BY MOVING OFF TO THE R. AS I DID THIS, I HEARD AN UNIDENTIFIED UTTERANCE ON THE RADIO WHICH SAID 'WE'VE GOT YOU' OR 'I SEE YOU.' EITHER JUST BEFORE OR JUST AFTER THAT CALL, I SAID OVER THE TWR FREQ AS I MOVED, 'X IS STILL HOLDING APCH END OF 21!' TWR CAME BACK AND AS IF NOTHING HAD OCCURRED, SAID 'CLRED TO THE MAIN RAMP THEN PROCEED TO FBO.' THE AIRPLANE HAD PULLED UP SHARPLY AND TURNED R. WE WERE NEVER CLOSE. I THOUGHT IT ODD THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS CLRED WHILE WE WERE ON THE RWY, OPPOSITE DIRECTION. EITHER THE CTLR AND THE AIRPLANE COULD NOT SEE US OR HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT US. THE CTLR WAS VERY BUSY WITH A LOT OF TFC AND SEEMED TO BE HANDLING IT VERY WELL. I FELT IT IMPORTANT TO RPT, HOWEVER.

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.