Narrative:

Tower issued instructions for departure directly from parking location of helicopter in grass area. Instructions were intended to keep aircraft west of active runway 35. Pilot departed on heading that would have taken aircraft across runway 35. Pilot departed on heading that would have taken aircraft across runway 35. Tower spoke abrupt instructions not to cross runway 35. Pilot realized that departure path was crossing active runway. Pilot stopped and turned before runway and returned to parking location. Had pilot continued he might well have crossed the active runway and created a traffic conflict. Suggestion: it should be mandatory that any student pilot of a helicopter identify himself as a student to ATC. Given the demands of helicopter flight and potential departure/arrival paths which are unlimited, there is a possibility of incidents caused by ATC/pilot instruction confusion. If ATC knows that a pilot is a student, then more standard rtes can be used or, at the least, increased vigilance can be employed. Supplemental information from acn 276765: norwood tower cleared the helicopter for takeoff from the grass or taxiway area adjacent to and west of runway 35 with clear instruction to the helicopter to remain west of runway 35. I had my aircraft configured gear down, full flaps with strobe and landing lights on. I was entering the flair portion of my landing when I observed the helicopter lift on an easterly heading. I then observed the helicopter transition to forward flight on an easterly heading directly in front of me. I aborted my landing and initiated a climbing left turn go around to avoid a collision. I don't believe the tower advised the helicopter of my position when issuing the helicopter takeoff clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI SPI TAKES OFF HDG TOWARD ACTIVE RWY. CAUSES GAR.

Narrative: TWR ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEP DIRECTLY FROM PARKING LOCATION OF HELI IN GRASS AREA. INSTRUCTIONS WERE INTENDED TO KEEP ACFT W OF ACTIVE RWY 35. PLT DEPARTED ON HDG THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACFT ACROSS RWY 35. PLT DEPARTED ON HDG THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ACFT ACROSS RWY 35. TWR SPOKE ABRUPT INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO CROSS RWY 35. PLT REALIZED THAT DEP PATH WAS XING ACTIVE RWY. PLT STOPPED AND TURNED BEFORE RWY AND RETURNED TO PARKING LOCATION. HAD PLT CONTINUED HE MIGHT WELL HAVE CROSSED THE ACTIVE RWY AND CREATED A TFC CONFLICT. SUGGESTION: IT SHOULD BE MANDATORY THAT ANY STUDENT PLT OF A HELI IDENT HIMSELF AS A STUDENT TO ATC. GIVEN THE DEMANDS OF HELI FLT AND POTENTIAL DEP/ARR PATHS WHICH ARE UNLIMITED, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF INCIDENTS CAUSED BY ATC/PLT INSTRUCTION CONFUSION. IF ATC KNOWS THAT A PLT IS A STUDENT, THEN MORE STANDARD RTES CAN BE USED OR, AT THE LEAST, INCREASED VIGILANCE CAN BE EMPLOYED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 276765: NORWOOD TWR CLRED THE HELI FOR TKOF FROM THE GRASS OR TXWY AREA ADJACENT TO AND W OF RWY 35 WITH CLR INSTRUCTION TO THE HELI TO REMAIN W OF RWY 35. I HAD MY ACFT CONFIGURED GEAR DOWN, FULL FLAPS WITH STROBE AND LNDG LIGHTS ON. I WAS ENTERING THE FLAIR PORTION OF MY LNDG WHEN I OBSERVED THE HELI LIFT ON AN EASTERLY HDG. I THEN OBSERVED THE HELI TRANSITION TO FORWARD FLT ON AN EASTERLY HDG DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I ABORTED MY LNDG AND INITIATED A CLBING L TURN GAR TO AVOID A COLLISION. I DON'T BELIEVE THE TWR ADVISED THE HELI OF MY POS WHEN ISSUING THE HELI TKOF CLRNC.

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.