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Student pilot on training flight, flying between 2 control tower airspaces saw a military helicopter departing the destination airport and had to maneuver to avoid it.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 392767 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199801 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sea |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1700 msl bound upper : 1700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : rnt |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : student |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 44 flight time type : 44 |
| ASRS Report | 392767 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 391954 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 1000 vertical : 300 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Following a transition east over seatac, heading towards downtown kent (approximately 130 degrees), sea tower terminated radio contact. While establishing radio contact with rnt tower for landing, began left turn, north approximately 80 degrees. Upon leveling my wings to complete the turn, a helicopter was spotted at about the same altitude (a little higher) at my 10 O'clock moving towards my 12 O'clock. The helicopter just then began to climb to his right and I dove to my left to avoid a collision. Probably cause: contributing factors include congested traffic area (from sea, rnt, bfi, and auburn (S50)), lack of radar service. Although appropriate perhaps for the altitude of 1700 ft to not have radar service, it may have alerted the 2 pilots of the other's presence, and obstruction of my view by the wing during my turn. Suggestion: have seatac advise other towers in the area (and vice versa) of traffic leaving their airspace to approach for landing at rnt or bfi -- or some such coordination -- or possible monitoring of the uncontrolled airspace to advise aircraft of potential collision courses, especially during such routine transitions between sea, rnt, and bfi.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: STUDENT PLT ON TRAINING FLT, FLYING BTWN 2 CTL TWR AIRSPACES SAW A MIL HELI DEPARTING THE DEST ARPT AND HAD TO MANEUVER TO AVOID IT.
Narrative: FOLLOWING A TRANSITION E OVER SEATAC, HDG TOWARDS DOWNTOWN KENT (APPROX 130 DEGS), SEA TWR TERMINATED RADIO CONTACT. WHILE ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT WITH RNT TWR FOR LNDG, BEGAN L TURN, N APPROX 80 DEGS. UPON LEVELING MY WINGS TO COMPLETE THE TURN, A HELI WAS SPOTTED AT ABOUT THE SAME ALT (A LITTLE HIGHER) AT MY 10 O'CLOCK MOVING TOWARDS MY 12 O'CLOCK. THE HELI JUST THEN BEGAN TO CLB TO HIS R AND I DOVE TO MY L TO AVOID A COLLISION. PROBABLY CAUSE: CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE CONGESTED TFC AREA (FROM SEA, RNT, BFI, AND AUBURN (S50)), LACK OF RADAR SVC. ALTHOUGH APPROPRIATE PERHAPS FOR THE ALT OF 1700 FT TO NOT HAVE RADAR SVC, IT MAY HAVE ALERTED THE 2 PLTS OF THE OTHER'S PRESENCE, AND OBSTRUCTION OF MY VIEW BY THE WING DURING MY TURN. SUGGESTION: HAVE SEATAC ADVISE OTHER TWRS IN THE AREA (AND VICE VERSA) OF TFC LEAVING THEIR AIRSPACE TO APCH FOR LNDG AT RNT OR BFI -- OR SOME SUCH COORD -- OR POSSIBLE MONITORING OF THE UNCTLED AIRSPACE TO ADVISE ACFT OF POTENTIAL COLLISION COURSES, ESPECIALLY DURING SUCH ROUTINE TRANSITIONS BTWN SEA, RNT, AND BFI.
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.