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A cessna 182 pilot was mistaken for a helicopter by slc approach control. Error admitted by telecon with approach control. Near midair collision.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 343181 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199608 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : slc |
| State Reference | UT |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6500 msl bound upper : 6500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : slc |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | other : unknown |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 343181 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : nmac other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took evasive action other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 500 vertical : 0 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | ATC Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Operational Error |
Narrative:
Approaching slc from the south, I idented myself as, 'skylane X with ATIS inbound for salt lake,' I received a squawk, which I set and acknowledged. No further reply received, so I orbited southeast of 'point of the mountain,' and called 'skylane X orbiting southeast of point of the mountain, 'squawking wxyz.' reply was 'X not receiving your transponder, proceed northbound east of the freeway, remain clear of class B.' I recycled my transponder and was seeing interrogation light. All this time there was a lot of chatter about 'helicopter hovering over salt lake international, say identify and intentions.' they told me they were not even getting a primary return on me and asked if I could see an airport 'about 3 mi ahead.' I told them no, but my GPS was showing salt lake international at 17 mi. They responded, calling me 'helicopter X.' I acknowledged, 'skylane, cessna 182, X.' suddenly they seemed to have my transponder and handed me over to tower, still calling me a helicopter. Tower responded to my call as 'helicopter X' which I immediately corrected. Tower said something about 'that must be the source of the problem.' cleared me for 'immediate left turn for a right base, runway 35. Traffic is a helicopter hovering dead ahead.' I had already seen it, and I was starting evasive action. I don't recall being specifically cleared to enter class B. After landing, I was asked to call approach control on phone. They acknowledged it was their problem and that they needed to talk to the helicopter pilot.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A CESSNA 182 PLT WAS MISTAKEN FOR A HELI BY SLC APCH CTL. ERROR ADMITTED BY TELECON WITH APCH CTL. NMAC.
Narrative: APCHING SLC FROM THE S, I IDENTED MYSELF AS, 'SKYLANE X WITH ATIS INBOUND FOR SALT LAKE,' I RECEIVED A SQUAWK, WHICH I SET AND ACKNOWLEDGED. NO FURTHER REPLY RECEIVED, SO I ORBITED SE OF 'POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN,' AND CALLED 'SKYLANE X ORBITING SE OF POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN, 'SQUAWKING WXYZ.' REPLY WAS 'X NOT RECEIVING YOUR XPONDER, PROCEED NBOUND E OF THE FREEWAY, REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B.' I RECYCLED MY XPONDER AND WAS SEEING INTERROGATION LIGHT. ALL THIS TIME THERE WAS A LOT OF CHATTER ABOUT 'HELI HOVERING OVER SALT LAKE INTL, SAY IDENT AND INTENTIONS.' THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE NOT EVEN GETTING A PRIMARY RETURN ON ME AND ASKED IF I COULD SEE AN ARPT 'ABOUT 3 MI AHEAD.' I TOLD THEM NO, BUT MY GPS WAS SHOWING SALT LAKE INTL AT 17 MI. THEY RESPONDED, CALLING ME 'HELI X.' I ACKNOWLEDGED, 'SKYLANE, CESSNA 182, X.' SUDDENLY THEY SEEMED TO HAVE MY XPONDER AND HANDED ME OVER TO TWR, STILL CALLING ME A HELI. TWR RESPONDED TO MY CALL AS 'HELI X' WHICH I IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED. TWR SAID SOMETHING ABOUT 'THAT MUST BE THE SOURCE OF THE PROB.' CLRED ME FOR 'IMMEDIATE L TURN FOR A R BASE, RWY 35. TFC IS A HELI HOVERING DEAD AHEAD.' I HAD ALREADY SEEN IT, AND I WAS STARTING EVASIVE ACTION. I DON'T RECALL BEING SPECIFICALLY CLRED TO ENTER CLASS B. AFTER LNDG, I WAS ASKED TO CALL APCH CTL ON PHONE. THEY ACKNOWLEDGED IT WAS THEIR PROB AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO TALK TO THE HELI PLT.
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.