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The pilot of a C150 encountered hazardous wake produced by a departing helicopter at a non tower airport. Wake encounter. Wake turbulence.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 326324 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199601 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : cpn airport : cpm |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 50 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zid |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 150 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing : go around landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | MD Helicopter 500/C/D/E/L |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff cruise other other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 175 flight time type : 175 |
| ASRS Report | 326324 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : landing without clearance other spatial deviation other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : regained aircraft control other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
During normal landing in cessna 150, in fine WX conditions, a helicopter abeam of my runway touchdown point, approximately 50 ft from runway on adjacent taxiway, lifted off ground into hover. I was within 5 ft of touchdown when he lifted off. I tried to add power to land long, past helicopter. Suddenly, my cessna was hit by rotor air blast turning me almost 90 degrees to landing direction and lifting wing so opposite wingtip almost hit ground. I added full power, pulled up nose to luckily clear hangars now in front of me. Managed to recover and did not hit buildings. This is uncontrolled airport. Fixed wing pilots announce all turns for lndgs. Helicopter was facing away from runway as he lifted off and could not see landing traffic. Helicopter did not realize effect of rotor air blast on light aircraft and was too close to runway, and did not pay attention to CTAF landing communications. Recommendation -- caution helicopter pilots about effects on light aircraft. Establish right-of-way for landing light aircraft so helicopters will not hover close as aircraft is landing. Keep helicopters at safe distance from runways. Tell law enforcement helicopter pilots not to be so arrogant when their actions are pointed out. I am lucky to be alive and owe credit to many hours of unusual attitude training given by my private instructor. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter believes that helicopters were not 'on,' even though it was past sunset and the runway lights had been activated. He is also certain that his radio xmissions were not heard by the helicopter pilot. While recovering the aircraft, reporter was uncertain if he passed over or next to the helicopter -- he was focused upon the buildings, which he barely missed by a few feet. The erratic path of his C150, however, received curt verbal recognition by the helicopter pilot, who didn't respond after the reporter exclaimed 'your downwash turned my aircraft.' reporter believes that the helicopter may have been a HU50.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE PLT OF A C150 ENCOUNTERED HAZARDOUS WAKE PRODUCED BY A DEPARTING HELI AT A NON TWR ARPT. WAKE ENCOUNTER. WAKE TURB.
Narrative: DURING NORMAL LNDG IN CESSNA 150, IN FINE WX CONDITIONS, A HELI ABEAM OF MY RWY TOUCHDOWN POINT, APPROX 50 FT FROM RWY ON ADJACENT TXWY, LIFTED OFF GND INTO HOVER. I WAS WITHIN 5 FT OF TOUCHDOWN WHEN HE LIFTED OFF. I TRIED TO ADD PWR TO LAND LONG, PAST HELI. SUDDENLY, MY CESSNA WAS HIT BY ROTOR AIR BLAST TURNING ME ALMOST 90 DEGS TO LNDG DIRECTION AND LIFTING WING SO OPPOSITE WINGTIP ALMOST HIT GND. I ADDED FULL PWR, PULLED UP NOSE TO LUCKILY CLR HANGARS NOW IN FRONT OF ME. MANAGED TO RECOVER AND DID NOT HIT BUILDINGS. THIS IS UNCTLED ARPT. FIXED WING PLTS ANNOUNCE ALL TURNS FOR LNDGS. HELI WAS FACING AWAY FROM RWY AS HE LIFTED OFF AND COULD NOT SEE LNDG TFC. HELI DID NOT REALIZE EFFECT OF ROTOR AIR BLAST ON LIGHT ACFT AND WAS TOO CLOSE TO RWY, AND DID NOT PAY ATTN TO CTAF LNDG COMS. RECOMMENDATION -- CAUTION HELI PLTS ABOUT EFFECTS ON LIGHT ACFT. ESTABLISH RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR LNDG LIGHT ACFT SO HELIS WILL NOT HOVER CLOSE AS ACFT IS LNDG. KEEP HELIS AT SAFE DISTANCE FROM RWYS. TELL LAW ENFORCEMENT HELI PLTS NOT TO BE SO ARROGANT WHEN THEIR ACTIONS ARE POINTED OUT. I AM LUCKY TO BE ALIVE AND OWE CREDIT TO MANY HRS OF UNUSUAL ATTITUDE TRAINING GIVEN BY MY PVT INSTRUCTOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR BELIEVES THAT HELIS WERE NOT 'ON,' EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PAST SUNSET AND THE RWY LIGHTS HAD BEEN ACTIVATED. HE IS ALSO CERTAIN THAT HIS RADIO XMISSIONS WERE NOT HEARD BY THE HELI PLT. WHILE RECOVERING THE ACFT, RPTR WAS UNCERTAIN IF HE PASSED OVER OR NEXT TO THE HELI -- HE WAS FOCUSED UPON THE BUILDINGS, WHICH HE BARELY MISSED BY A FEW FEET. THE ERRATIC PATH OF HIS C150, HOWEVER, RECEIVED CURT VERBAL RECOGNITION BY THE HELI PLT, WHO DIDN'T RESPOND AFTER THE RPTR EXCLAIMED 'YOUR DOWNWASH TURNED MY ACFT.' RPTR BELIEVES THAT THE HELI MAY HAVE BEEN A HU50.
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.