Narrative:

I was at santa monica airport, hovering on the helipad. I asked the tower for clearance to depart straight out. My nose of the helicopter was pointing to the east. I heard the tower give me clearance to hover to the runway and depart with no delay. I hovered to the runway approximately midfield and started to depart to the east. At that point I heard the tower tell me, 'helicopter runway 21.' I reversed course over the runway and departed to the west. I did not hear the tower tell me runway 21 when I got clearance due to the fact there was a lot of traffic on the radios. It could have been possible he told me runway 21, I think at that time the tower might have had interference. I made my turn over the runway abruptly, but it was a safe turn and there was no traffic around me on the ground or in the air. A complaint is being made against me from the airport manager and someone name unknown that owns a hangar next to the helipad. I spoke with a woman named X at the administrative office at smo, she told me there was a complaint also from the controller in the tower at the time of the incident. I called santa monica airport tower and spoke to both the supervising controller named Y and the controller that I was communicating with at the time of the incident. His name is Z, and they both told me that there was no complaint from the tower and as far as they were concerned, my actions were safe and not reckless, with no possible threat to any aircraft on the ground or in the air. They told me it was just a communication problem. The supervisor told me there was not going to be any complaint filed by them. I called the administrative office again after I spoke with the supervisor and told her what the supervisor had told me. They insisted that the administrative office is going to file a complaint. I think this is wrong. If the tower thinks my actions were safe, why would the administrative office want to make a complaint about my actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI TAKING OFF DID SOMETHING TO UPSET A LOT OF PEOPLE, TWR HAD TO INTERVENE TO CHANGE HIS TKOF DIRECTION BECAUSE RPTR MISHEARD CLRNC, ARPT MGR WAS FILING A COMPLAINT, THE OWNER OF A HANGAR ADJACENT TO THE HELIPAD AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE ALL WERE FILING COMPLAINTS.

Narrative: I WAS AT SANTA MONICA ARPT, HOVERING ON THE HELIPAD. I ASKED THE TWR FOR CLRNC TO DEPART STRAIGHT OUT. MY NOSE OF THE HELI WAS POINTING TO THE E. I HEARD THE TWR GIVE ME CLRNC TO HOVER TO THE RWY AND DEPART WITH NO DELAY. I HOVERED TO THE RWY APPROX MIDFIELD AND STARTED TO DEPART TO THE E. AT THAT POINT I HEARD THE TWR TELL ME, 'HELI RWY 21.' I REVERSED COURSE OVER THE RWY AND DEPARTED TO THE W. I DID NOT HEAR THE TWR TELL ME RWY 21 WHEN I GOT CLRNC DUE TO THE FACT THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC ON THE RADIOS. IT COULD HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE HE TOLD ME RWY 21, I THINK AT THAT TIME THE TWR MIGHT HAVE HAD INTERFERENCE. I MADE MY TURN OVER THE RWY ABRUPTLY, BUT IT WAS A SAFE TURN AND THERE WAS NO TFC AROUND ME ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR. A COMPLAINT IS BEING MADE AGAINST ME FROM THE ARPT MGR AND SOMEONE NAME UNKNOWN THAT OWNS A HANGAR NEXT TO THE HELIPAD. I SPOKE WITH A WOMAN NAMED X AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE AT SMO, SHE TOLD ME THERE WAS A COMPLAINT ALSO FROM THE CTLR IN THE TWR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. I CALLED SANTA MONICA ARPT TWR AND SPOKE TO BOTH THE SUPERVISING CTLR NAMED Y AND THE CTLR THAT I WAS COMMUNICATING WITH AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. HIS NAME IS Z, AND THEY BOTH TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS NO COMPLAINT FROM THE TWR AND AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED, MY ACTIONS WERE SAFE AND NOT RECKLESS, WITH NO POSSIBLE THREAT TO ANY ACFT ON THE GND OR IN THE AIR. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS JUST A COM PROB. THE SUPVR TOLD ME THERE WAS NOT GOING TO BE ANY COMPLAINT FILED BY THEM. I CALLED THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE AGAIN AFTER I SPOKE WITH THE SUPVR AND TOLD HER WHAT THE SUPVR HAD TOLD ME. THEY INSISTED THAT THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE IS GOING TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I THINK THIS IS WRONG. IF THE TWR THINKS MY ACTIONS WERE SAFE, WHY WOULD THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE WANT TO MAKE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY ACTIONS.

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.