Narrative:

I was assigned a passenger flight in the air taxi's A36 bonanza. During taxi, I was delayed in getting an airport advisory from FSS because the briefer was giving WX to an aircraft on 122.20 over 122.20 and 123.6, the airport CTAF. I had to 'break' to announce 'back taxi' and get the advisory. The only traffic was a helicopter operating approximately 3 mi east of the airport. After the back taxi and lining up for takeoff I could not announce departure because of the continuing WX briefing being given on CTAF. In the meantime the helicopter had attached to an external load on the ramp adjacent to the runway. He could not announce his activities because the frequency was tied up. He began a departure across the runway as I was rotating for liftoff. Concurrently the frequency opened up and he announced departure. FSS then advised of my position. At about the same time he saw me and made a quick stop and hover. I made a hard turn west to avoid the helicopter and external load. The frequency congestion is a frequent problem at this airport. Many pilots call for WX and other services on the CTAF and FSS often doesn't turn them to an alternative frequency. Also, they often transmit on both 122.2 and 123.6. This type of occurrence is likely to happen again! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter said that the FSS manager wants to set up an exclusive third frequency just for CTAF but that would be for the 'off season' only when the FSS station at iliamna is closed (september to june). During that off season, the FSS calls are routed to kenai. The manager doesn't know what he will do in the on season when the pilots will use any frequency available to them for FSS briefings. It sounded like a confusing situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC AT ILIAMNA UNCTLED ARPT CTAF. BE36 LIFTS OFF IN PROX OF LOAD LIFTING HELI. NEITHER ACFT HAD SELF ANNOUNCED AS THE FSS SPECIALIST WAS GIVING A WX BRIEFING ON HIS FREQ OF 122 PT 20 AND ON THE CTAF FREQ OF 123 PT 6 AS WELL. RPTR SAYS THIS MISUSE OF CTAF FREQ OCCURS ALL TOO FREQUENTLY, CREATING UNACCEPTABLE LEVELS OF FREQ CONGESTION. RPTR WANTS FSS SPECIALIST TO USE THE FSS FREQ FOR BRIEFINGS, NOT THE CTAF FREQ.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED A PAX FLT IN THE AIR TAXI'S A36 BONANZA. DURING TAXI, I WAS DELAYED IN GETTING AN ARPT ADVISORY FROM FSS BECAUSE THE BRIEFER WAS GIVING WX TO AN ACFT ON 122.20 OVER 122.20 AND 123.6, THE ARPT CTAF. I HAD TO 'BREAK' TO ANNOUNCE 'BACK TAXI' AND GET THE ADVISORY. THE ONLY TFC WAS A HELI OPERATING APPROX 3 MI E OF THE ARPT. AFTER THE BACK TAXI AND LINING UP FOR TKOF I COULD NOT ANNOUNCE DEP BECAUSE OF THE CONTINUING WX BRIEFING BEING GIVEN ON CTAF. IN THE MEANTIME THE HELI HAD ATTACHED TO AN EXTERNAL LOAD ON THE RAMP ADJACENT TO THE RWY. HE COULD NOT ANNOUNCE HIS ACTIVITIES BECAUSE THE FREQ WAS TIED UP. HE BEGAN A DEP ACROSS THE RWY AS I WAS ROTATING FOR LIFTOFF. CONCURRENTLY THE FREQ OPENED UP AND HE ANNOUNCED DEP. FSS THEN ADVISED OF MY POS. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME HE SAW ME AND MADE A QUICK STOP AND HOVER. I MADE A HARD TURN W TO AVOID THE HELI AND EXTERNAL LOAD. THE FREQ CONGESTION IS A FREQUENT PROB AT THIS ARPT. MANY PLTS CALL FOR WX AND OTHER SVCS ON THE CTAF AND FSS OFTEN DOESN'T TURN THEM TO AN ALTERNATIVE FREQ. ALSO, THEY OFTEN XMIT ON BOTH 122.2 AND 123.6. THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE IS LIKELY TO HAPPEN AGAIN! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR SAID THAT THE FSS MGR WANTS TO SET UP AN EXCLUSIVE THIRD FREQ JUST FOR CTAF BUT THAT WOULD BE FOR THE 'OFF SEASON' ONLY WHEN THE FSS STATION AT ILIAMNA IS CLOSED (SEPTEMBER TO JUNE). DURING THAT OFF SEASON, THE FSS CALLS ARE ROUTED TO KENAI. THE MGR DOESN'T KNOW WHAT HE WILL DO IN THE ON SEASON WHEN THE PLTS WILL USE ANY FREQ AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR FSS BRIEFINGS. IT SOUNDED LIKE A CONFUSING SIT.

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.