Narrative:

We had been monitoring unicom 122.7 at tup on jul/xx/94 and then contacted ZME and received our clearance for return flight to memphis. We heard a national guard helicopter announce crossing runway 36 on approach to pad tup (after my prodding on unicom for other traffic to announce). We told him we had him in sight and that we were going in position and hold on runway 36. After waiting for the guard helicopter to pass we finished the final items on the checklist and announced 'taking off on runway 36 tup departure on the left crosswind.' after takeoff we noticed a flight of 3 guard helicopter's crossing the end of runway 36 heading for their pad. We then heard them announce that a flight of 3 helicopter's was landing at tup. I kept the flaps down at 10 degree and passed over the helicopter's since we were far too low to go under or to bank radically. The possible solutions would of course be a tower at tup. But since it appears that commuters are going to have to continue to fly into uncontrolled airports, improved radar coverage and improved communications for aircraft in the area is needed. Even when you assume no one is around monitoring and communications intentions on the available frequency would help. Note 1: the latter 3 helicopter's had a different flight number than the first.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN SMT ATX COMMUTER AND A FLT OF 3 MIL HELI NEAR THE DEP END OF AN UNCTLED ARPT RWY.

Narrative: WE HAD BEEN MONITORING UNICOM 122.7 AT TUP ON JUL/XX/94 AND THEN CONTACTED ZME AND RECEIVED OUR CLRNC FOR RETURN FLT TO MEMPHIS. WE HEARD A NATIONAL GUARD HELI ANNOUNCE XING RWY 36 ON APCH TO PAD TUP (AFTER MY PRODDING ON UNICOM FOR OTHER TFC TO ANNOUNCE). WE TOLD HIM WE HAD HIM IN SIGHT AND THAT WE WERE GOING IN POS AND HOLD ON RWY 36. AFTER WAITING FOR THE GUARD HELI TO PASS WE FINISHED THE FINAL ITEMS ON THE CHKLIST AND ANNOUNCED 'TAKING OFF ON RWY 36 TUP DEP ON THE L XWIND.' AFTER TKOF WE NOTICED A FLT OF 3 GUARD HELI'S XING THE END OF RWY 36 HEADING FOR THEIR PAD. WE THEN HEARD THEM ANNOUNCE THAT A FLT OF 3 HELI'S WAS LNDG AT TUP. I KEPT THE FLAPS DOWN AT 10 DEG AND PASSED OVER THE HELI'S SINCE WE WERE FAR TOO LOW TO GO UNDER OR TO BANK RADICALLY. THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS WOULD OF COURSE BE A TWR AT TUP. BUT SINCE IT APPEARS THAT COMMUTERS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONTINUE TO FLY INTO UNCTLED ARPTS, IMPROVED RADAR COVERAGE AND IMPROVED COMS FOR ACFT IN THE AREA IS NEEDED. EVEN WHEN YOU ASSUME NO ONE IS AROUND MONITORING AND COMS INTENTIONS ON THE AVAILABLE FREQ WOULD HELP. NOTE 1: THE LATTER 3 HELI'S HAD A DIFFERENT FLT NUMBER THAN THE FIRST.

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.