Narrative:

Landing area consists of landing area with frequented walkway and reflection pond to south, road and trees directly north, large buildings to west, and a small clearing bordered by trees to the east. On final approach from south, crew observed a person on walkway, stopped at a sign warning to stay clear of helicopters. Decision was made to continue to clear landing area. The individual in question was no longer able to be seen through the chin bubble. Upon coming to a hover and initiating a left hovering turn, it became apparent that the individual had left the warning area and had walked under the aircraft while on final approach. Upon landing the reporter checked the individual. He repeatedly apologized, said he was 'fine,' and that the occurrence was entirely his fault. Corrective actions: present warning signs are very 'friendly.' recommend adding red danger signs and marking area with red paint. Security should stop pedestrians, as well as traffic, during operations and if unsure, the approach can safely be made from the north. However, will recommend trimming of trees. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that this is a private helicopter pad. Security used to be good with each person being stopped prior to crossing the landing area. Things have become rather lax and this almost caused a major problem. The pilots who fly for the company have requested a meeting with security to get things back on track for a safe operation. The owners do not want to get too rigid with the signage as they do not wish to create complaints and possible neighborhood animosity. Reporter states that the pilots will refuse to pick up passenger at the helipad if problems continue. Supplemental information from acn 336114: the first officer was flying the aircraft and expressed uneasiness about trees on the approach path. I informed him that he had other landing options available to him (approach across the water) and he aborted his approach and began an arcing 180 degree right turn to land on the helipad from the opposite direction. Approximately 1/2 mi prior to landing the first officer stated that there was a person on the jogging path but that he had stopped (at warning sign #1). He continued his approach and terminated at a hover over the helipad (with the nose pointing east). He made a clockwise pedal turn to repos the helicopter. As we completed approximately 140 degrees of turn I observed the pedestiran in a crouching position on damp grass (having been blown there by rotorwash). I told the first officer to check the guy out to make sure he was ok. He talked to the pedestrian and determined that he was uninjured. No security personnel on-site to stop pedestrians and traffic from entering the helicopter landing area. First officer stated he 'lost sight' of the pedestrian. This situation called for either: 1) termination of the approach, or 2) diversion to the alternate landing area depicted in figure 1. Lack of situational awareness on the part of the pilot flying prevented him from utilizing his available options in a resourceful manner. Poor crew resource management, better communication in the cockpit would have alerted the more experienced captain to the fact that a pedestrian had entered the designated landing area, necessitating either of the options stated above. Do not use this helipad unless security personnel are present to physically control vehicular and foot traffic in the helipad area. Brief the first officer on available landing alternatives in case unforseen circumstances occur. Brief flight coordination personnel on the absolute necessity for security personnel to be present at the meadowbrook helipad during both lndgs and takeoffs of the helicopter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI APCH TO PVT HELIPAD SIGHTS PERSON STOPPED AT WARNING SIGN FOR GND TFC TO REMAIN CLR. GND PERSON WALKED UNDER ACFT ON FINAL.

Narrative: LNDG AREA CONSISTS OF LNDG AREA WITH FREQUENTED WALKWAY AND REFLECTION POND TO S, ROAD AND TREES DIRECTLY N, LARGE BUILDINGS TO W, AND A SMALL CLEARING BORDERED BY TREES TO THE E. ON FINAL APCH FROM S, CREW OBSERVED A PERSON ON WALKWAY, STOPPED AT A SIGN WARNING TO STAY CLR OF HELIS. DECISION WAS MADE TO CONTINUE TO CLR LNDG AREA. THE INDIVIDUAL IN QUESTION WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO BE SEEN THROUGH THE CHIN BUBBLE. UPON COMING TO A HOVER AND INITIATING A L HOVERING TURN, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL HAD LEFT THE WARNING AREA AND HAD WALKED UNDER THE ACFT WHILE ON FINAL APCH. UPON LNDG THE RPTR CHKED THE INDIVIDUAL. HE REPEATEDLY APOLOGIZED, SAID HE WAS 'FINE,' AND THAT THE OCCURRENCE WAS ENTIRELY HIS FAULT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: PRESENT WARNING SIGNS ARE VERY 'FRIENDLY.' RECOMMEND ADDING RED DANGER SIGNS AND MARKING AREA WITH RED PAINT. SECURITY SHOULD STOP PEDESTRIANS, AS WELL AS TFC, DURING OPS AND IF UNSURE, THE APCH CAN SAFELY BE MADE FROM THE N. HOWEVER, WILL RECOMMEND TRIMMING OF TREES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THIS IS A PVT HELI PAD. SECURITY USED TO BE GOOD WITH EACH PERSON BEING STOPPED PRIOR TO XING THE LNDG AREA. THINGS HAVE BECOME RATHER LAX AND THIS ALMOST CAUSED A MAJOR PROB. THE PLTS WHO FLY FOR THE COMPANY HAVE REQUESTED A MEETING WITH SECURITY TO GET THINGS BACK ON TRACK FOR A SAFE OP. THE OWNERS DO NOT WANT TO GET TOO RIGID WITH THE SIGNAGE AS THEY DO NOT WISH TO CREATE COMPLAINTS AND POSSIBLE NEIGHBORHOOD ANIMOSITY. RPTR STATES THAT THE PLTS WILL REFUSE TO PICK UP PAX AT THE HELIPAD IF PROBS CONTINUE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 336114: THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND EXPRESSED UNEASINESS ABOUT TREES ON THE APCH PATH. I INFORMED HIM THAT HE HAD OTHER LNDG OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO HIM (APCH ACROSS THE WATER) AND HE ABORTED HIS APCH AND BEGAN AN ARCING 180 DEG R TURN TO LAND ON THE HELIPAD FROM THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. APPROX 1/2 MI PRIOR TO LNDG THE FO STATED THAT THERE WAS A PERSON ON THE JOGGING PATH BUT THAT HE HAD STOPPED (AT WARNING SIGN #1). HE CONTINUED HIS APCH AND TERMINATED AT A HOVER OVER THE HELIPAD (WITH THE NOSE POINTING EAST). HE MADE A CLOCKWISE PEDAL TURN TO REPOS THE HELI. AS WE COMPLETED APPROX 140 DEGS OF TURN I OBSERVED THE PEDESTIRAN IN A CROUCHING POS ON DAMP GRASS (HAVING BEEN BLOWN THERE BY ROTORWASH). I TOLD THE FO TO CHECK THE GUY OUT TO MAKE SURE HE WAS OK. HE TALKED TO THE PEDESTRIAN AND DETERMINED THAT HE WAS UNINJURED. NO SECURITY PERSONNEL ON-SITE TO STOP PEDESTRIANS AND TRAFFIC FROM ENTERING THE HELI LNDG AREA. FO STATED HE 'LOST SIGHT' OF THE PEDESTRIAN. THIS SIT CALLED FOR EITHER: 1) TERMINATION OF THE APCH, OR 2) DIVERSION TO THE ALTERNATE LNDG AREA DEPICTED IN FIGURE 1. LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ON THE PART OF THE PLT FLYING PREVENTED HIM FROM UTILIZING HIS AVAILABLE OPTIONS IN A RESOURCEFUL MANNER. POOR CREW RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, BETTER COM IN THE COCKPIT WOULD HAVE ALERTED THE MORE EXPERIENCED CAPT TO THE FACT THAT A PEDESTRIAN HAD ENTERED THE DESIGNATED LNDG AREA, NECESSITATING EITHER OF THE OPTIONS STATED ABOVE. DO NOT USE THIS HELIPAD UNLESS SECURITY PERSONNEL ARE PRESENT TO PHYSICALLY CONTROL VEHICULAR AND FOOT TRAFFIC IN THE HELIPAD AREA. BRIEF THE FO ON AVAILABLE LNDG ALTERNATIVES IN CASE UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES OCCUR. BRIEF FLT COORD PERSONNEL ON THE ABSOLUTE NECESSITY FOR SECURITY PERSONNEL TO BE PRESENT AT THE MEADOWBROOK HELIPAD DURING BOTH LNDGS AND TKOFS OF THE HELI.

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.