<< >> NASA ASRS Report 385940, November 1997

Flight crew of dash 8 is cleared for visual approach while advised of a helicopter transitioning across the final approach course. Helicopter pilot said he had a visual on the dash 8. TCASII issues TA, then RA to climb.

Attributes
ACN	385940
Time
Date	199711
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 2000 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fll
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Sikorsky Helicopter Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	385940
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Fll tower cleared us for a visual approach to runway 27R at fll at night in VMC conditions. The tower said that there was a helicopter that was transitioning from north to south and would cross the final to runway 27R. He (the controller) said the sikorsky helicopter pilot had us in sight. I heard the helicopter pilot say that he had us in sight and that he would maintain visual separation. We did not have the helicopter in sight until the helicopter set the TCASII off with a TA. At this point, I had to stop the final checks and divert my attention to looking for the traffic. I saw the traffic just a couple of seconds before the TCASII issued an RA to climb. At that point, the TCASII showed the helicopter only 200 ft below us. The helicopter never once made an attempt to move to avoid us. I am convinced that if we would not have climbed we would have had a midair collision and 41 passenger and crew would have died. Solution: do not allow traffic to traverse the final approach course at any point, even if they (the traffic) say they have visual contact.

Related reports:

• Helicopter flight crew entered a tfr and failed to adhere to...
• Helicopter pilot reported a near midair collision while tran...
• Flight crew of an small transport turboprop took evasive act...
• Private pilot of a small aircraft helicopter failed to compl...
• C172 transitioning teb and ewr class D; voiced concern regar...
• Near midair collision between a military helicopter transiti...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF DASH 8 IS CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH WHILE ADVISED OF A HELI TRANSITIONING ACROSS THE FINAL APCH COURSE. HELI PLT SAID HE HAD A VISUAL ON THE DASH 8. TCASII ISSUES TA, THEN RA TO CLB.

Narrative: FLL TWR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27R AT FLL AT NIGHT IN VMC CONDITIONS. THE TWR SAID THAT THERE WAS A HELI THAT WAS TRANSITIONING FROM N TO S AND WOULD CROSS THE FINAL TO RWY 27R. HE (THE CTLR) SAID THE SIKORSKY HELI PLT HAD US IN SIGHT. I HEARD THE HELI PLT SAY THAT HE HAD US IN SIGHT AND THAT HE WOULD MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. WE DID NOT HAVE THE HELI IN SIGHT UNTIL THE HELI SET THE TCASII OFF WITH A TA. AT THIS POINT, I HAD TO STOP THE FINAL CHKS AND DIVERT MY ATTN TO LOOKING FOR THE TFC. I SAW THE TFC JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS BEFORE THE TCASII ISSUED AN RA TO CLB. AT THAT POINT, THE TCASII SHOWED THE HELI ONLY 200 FT BELOW US. THE HELI NEVER ONCE MADE AN ATTEMPT TO MOVE TO AVOID US. I AM CONVINCED THAT IF WE WOULD NOT HAVE CLBED WE WOULD HAVE HAD A MIDAIR COLLISION AND 41 PAX AND CREW WOULD HAVE DIED. SOLUTION: DO NOT ALLOW TFC TO TRAVERSE THE FINAL APCH COURSE AT ANY POINT, EVEN IF THEY (THE TFC) SAY THEY HAVE VISUAL CONTACT.

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.