Narrative:

We were on the river visual approach to runway 18 at dca. There was a military helicopter operating a training flight flying north to south over the river at 500 ft MSL. We appeared to be at least 80 KTS faster (while in our landing confign) than the helicopter. Tower advised us of the helicopter and that he had us in sight and he would maintain visual separation with us. We overtook almost directly above the helicopter at about 3.5 DME and 1100 ft MSL, right at the turn in the river that is required on the approach. We received an RA from our TCASII at 1100 ft. We flew as far to the east side of the river as we could to maintain visual on the helicopter on the west side of the river. Winds were out of the southwest at 15-20 KTS. The TCASII indicated clear of conflict. We started to descend again and at 900 ft AGL, received another RA from our TCASII. At that point in the approach, the river turned back to the ssw. As we made our right turn we regained visual with the helicopter and continued to descend. TCASII gave us 'clear of conflict' and we finished the approach and landed. After landing, I called the tower supervisor and he listened and said this was normal. I have flown this approach at least 15 times and I am very familiar with this approach. However, I considered this approach pushing the envelope for safety, with the amount of attention I had to give to the helicopter while following the river and descending in a crosswind and at a high landing weight. The tower never made it clear to us where the helicopter was going. On the phone the supervisor said they train flying north to south and back at 500 ft. Apparently, they do this from 2 DME north to 10 DME, basically under the whole approach. Why can't they do this after 10 O'clock pm or during low traffic flow periods? At the very least, the aircraft should be spaced better so as not to fly so close to the helicopter while on the approach. I have encountered helicopters previously while shooting this approach, however, they were always closer in speed to us and therefore we would not overtake them as fast, or we were spaced better. Also, they always had a destination that we were advised of. I'm sending in this report because I was not comfortable with the level of safety involved with flying within 400 ft vertically of a helicopter and that is considered a normal operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DC9 FLC RPT AN ENCOUNTER WITH A MIL HELI DURING A RIVER VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18 AT DCA. THE HELI WAS IN SIGHT PART OF THE TIME, BUT DISTR THE FLC BY ITS NEARNESS TO THE APCH COURSE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON THE RIVER VISUAL APCH TO RWY 18 AT DCA. THERE WAS A MIL HELI OPERATING A TRAINING FLT FLYING N TO S OVER THE RIVER AT 500 FT MSL. WE APPEARED TO BE AT LEAST 80 KTS FASTER (WHILE IN OUR LNDG CONFIGN) THAN THE HELI. TWR ADVISED US OF THE HELI AND THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT AND HE WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH US. WE OVERTOOK ALMOST DIRECTLY ABOVE THE HELI AT ABOUT 3.5 DME AND 1100 FT MSL, RIGHT AT THE TURN IN THE RIVER THAT IS REQUIRED ON THE APCH. WE RECEIVED AN RA FROM OUR TCASII AT 1100 FT. WE FLEW AS FAR TO THE E SIDE OF THE RIVER AS WE COULD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL ON THE HELI ON THE W SIDE OF THE RIVER. WINDS WERE OUT OF THE SW AT 15-20 KTS. THE TCASII INDICATED CLR OF CONFLICT. WE STARTED TO DSND AGAIN AND AT 900 FT AGL, RECEIVED ANOTHER RA FROM OUR TCASII. AT THAT POINT IN THE APCH, THE RIVER TURNED BACK TO THE SSW. AS WE MADE OUR R TURN WE REGAINED VISUAL WITH THE HELI AND CONTINUED TO DSND. TCASII GAVE US 'CLR OF CONFLICT' AND WE FINISHED THE APCH AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED THE TWR SUPVR AND HE LISTENED AND SAID THIS WAS NORMAL. I HAVE FLOWN THIS APCH AT LEAST 15 TIMES AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH THIS APCH. HOWEVER, I CONSIDERED THIS APCH PUSHING THE ENVELOPE FOR SAFETY, WITH THE AMOUNT OF ATTN I HAD TO GIVE TO THE HELI WHILE FOLLOWING THE RIVER AND DSNDING IN A XWIND AND AT A HIGH LNDG WT. THE TWR NEVER MADE IT CLR TO US WHERE THE HELI WAS GOING. ON THE PHONE THE SUPVR SAID THEY TRAIN FLYING N TO S AND BACK AT 500 FT. APPARENTLY, THEY DO THIS FROM 2 DME N TO 10 DME, BASICALLY UNDER THE WHOLE APCH. WHY CAN'T THEY DO THIS AFTER 10 O'CLOCK PM OR DURING LOW TFC FLOW PERIODS? AT THE VERY LEAST, THE ACFT SHOULD BE SPACED BETTER SO AS NOT TO FLY SO CLOSE TO THE HELI WHILE ON THE APCH. I HAVE ENCOUNTERED HELIS PREVIOUSLY WHILE SHOOTING THIS APCH, HOWEVER, THEY WERE ALWAYS CLOSER IN SPD TO US AND THEREFORE WE WOULD NOT OVERTAKE THEM AS FAST, OR WE WERE SPACED BETTER. ALSO, THEY ALWAYS HAD A DEST THAT WE WERE ADVISED OF. I'M SENDING IN THIS RPT BECAUSE I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE LEVEL OF SAFETY INVOLVED WITH FLYING WITHIN 400 FT VERTLY OF A HELI AND THAT IS CONSIDERED A NORMAL OP.

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.