Cpr helicopter has a potential conflict with a tv traffic watch rotary near a commonly used VFR heli...

Attributes
ACN	378814
Time
Date	199708
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1400 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 8600
ASRS Report	378814
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 1750 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I took off from our company helipad at about AB20 am. Our facility is about xx of abc airfield. Meiggs tower had requested that I report clear of the area to the northwest. Upon reaching the northwest boundary I reported clear. However, tower was slow to respond. After 3 calls they said frequency change approved. As a result of this delay I was now almost halfway to ohare (ord) airfield. I immediately changed over to ord tower and requested an elmwood one arrival for landing ord helistop. They cleared me in and made no mention of any possible traffic conflicts. I set my tcad, traffic collision avoidance device, to 1400 ft altitude and proceeded inbound. I was now about 8 NM southeast of ord and about to pass over the grain elevator, a heavily used identify point for helicopters in the area. I was about to set my second radio to frequency 123.05 to monitor the helicopter communications when out of the corner of my right eye I saw tv traffic watch helicopter converging at what looked like my altitude. I pulled up on the cyclic and climbed 200 ft and passed behind and high. He then called on 123.05 and asked if I was talking to ohare, which I responded, no, I was listening at that time. He then said I was behind his left window post. And he was behind my right window post. I believe he may have made his position call when I was talking to either meiggs or ohare. As a result I did not hear his position call as I was busy on the other frequency, making radar contact and getting clearance into ohare's airspace. Even though I had a traffic collision avoidance device on board, its alarm did not sound because I had accidentally hit the mute button on setting the altitude alert. As a result I was not aware of the possible collision potential. This is a classic case of what can go wrong will, and I can only say that one can never look around enough to help prevent a midair collision.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR HELI HAS A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH A TV TFC WATCH ROTARY NEAR A COMMONLY USED VFR HELI CHK POINT. PLT WAS SLOW ON OBTAINING THE SELF ANNOUNCE FREQ USED BY ARR ROTARY WINGED TFC IN ORD AREA. IN ADDITION, HIS TFC COLLISION AVOIDANCE DEVICE AURAL WAS MUTED.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM OUR COMPANY HELIPAD AT ABOUT AB20 AM. OUR FACILITY IS ABOUT XX OF ABC AIRFIELD. MEIGGS TWR HAD REQUESTED THAT I RPT CLR OF THE AREA TO THE NW. UPON REACHING THE NW BOUNDARY I RPTED CLR. HOWEVER, TWR WAS SLOW TO RESPOND. AFTER 3 CALLS THEY SAID FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. AS A RESULT OF THIS DELAY I WAS NOW ALMOST HALFWAY TO OHARE (ORD) AIRFIELD. I IMMEDIATELY CHANGED OVER TO ORD TWR AND REQUESTED AN ELMWOOD ONE ARR FOR LNDG ORD HELISTOP. THEY CLRED ME IN AND MADE NO MENTION OF ANY POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICTS. I SET MY TCAD, TFC COLLISION AVOIDANCE DEVICE, TO 1400 FT ALT AND PROCEEDED INBOUND. I WAS NOW ABOUT 8 NM SE OF ORD AND ABOUT TO PASS OVER THE GRAIN ELEVATOR, A HEAVILY USED IDENT POINT FOR HELIS IN THE AREA. I WAS ABOUT TO SET MY SECOND RADIO TO FREQ 123.05 TO MONITOR THE HELI COMS WHEN OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY R EYE I SAW TV TFC WATCH HELI CONVERGING AT WHAT LOOKED LIKE MY ALT. I PULLED UP ON THE CYCLIC AND CLBED 200 FT AND PASSED BEHIND AND HIGH. HE THEN CALLED ON 123.05 AND ASKED IF I WAS TALKING TO OHARE, WHICH I RESPONDED, NO, I WAS LISTENING AT THAT TIME. HE THEN SAID I WAS BEHIND HIS L WINDOW POST. AND HE WAS BEHIND MY R WINDOW POST. I BELIEVE HE MAY HAVE MADE HIS POS CALL WHEN I WAS TALKING TO EITHER MEIGGS OR OHARE. AS A RESULT I DID NOT HEAR HIS POS CALL AS I WAS BUSY ON THE OTHER FREQ, MAKING RADAR CONTACT AND GETTING CLRNC INTO OHARE'S AIRSPACE. EVEN THOUGH I HAD A TFC COLLISION AVOIDANCE DEVICE ON BOARD, ITS ALARM DID NOT SOUND BECAUSE I HAD ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE MUTE BUTTON ON SETTING THE ALT ALERT. AS A RESULT I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE COLLISION POTENTIAL. THIS IS A CLASSIC CASE OF WHAT CAN GO WRONG WILL, AND I CAN ONLY SAY THAT ONE CAN NEVER LOOK AROUND ENOUGH TO HELP PREVENT A MIDAIR COLLISION.

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.

Cpr helicopter has a potential conflict with a tv traffic watch rotary near a commonly used VFR helicopter check point. Pilot was slow on obtaining the self announce frequency used by arrival rotary winged traffic in ord area. In addition, his traffic collision avoidance device aural was muted.