Narrative:

My pilot friend and I were going to delaware airport, 33N, to work on our home-built. When approximately 1 mi from the airport, I spotted a helicopter just above the tree tops on the runway 27 downwind side heading in the downwind direction. I told my friend to keep an eye on the helicopter while I checked the windsock to see what runway I should use. Both windsocks and the flag at the FBO were indicating runway 27 was the runway to use. I then reported entering downwind for runway 27 on the unicom frequency 123.0. The airport is uncontrolled and the frequency is 123.0. As I was traveling downwind on runway 27, the helicopter had climbed to approximately 800 ft and looked as if he was turning base leg. When I reached the correct position, I called left base leg on the radio. I still heard nothing from the helicopter. While on base leg, I noticed another aircraft about 2 mi out and it looked as if it may be on final for runway 27. After watching, my pilot friend and I concluded he was turning away so I continued with my base leg. I still had heard nothing and was worried about what the helicopter was doing. At this time the helicopter passed through final leg for runway 27 and went across. Knowing most helicopters around here use a right hand pattern, I was worried he was going to turn and land on runway 27. He was occupying my attention pretty much at this time. I still had heard nothing on my radio. I called final leg for runway 27 when I concluded the helicopter wasn't landing at that moment. I never heard confirmation he had heard me. Just before I landed I noticed a tomahawk turning off the runway. My passenger commented that he must have hurried to cross the runway before we got there. Neither my passenger or I saw the tomahawk prior to its turning. After landing and on rollout, I noticed a trainer on the runway 9 run-up area, and I commented to my friend that they should be using runway 27 as the wind favored it, and at our uncontrolled airport the windsock and flag are the only visual indication of what runway to use. I taxied to my destination and shut my aircraft down. My friend and I got out and noticed the trainer pulling up where I was, and an instructor got out and hollered at me for not using my radio and I had forced a student that landed on runway 9 to leave the runway early. Upon discussion with me, I told the instructor this is an uncontrolled airport and the windsocks and flag were indicating runway 27 was the one to use. He admitted hearing my calls on downwind, base, and final legs, and said he kept calling me to not land, they were using runway 9. I said I heard nothing on my radio and it must have been inadvertently turned down, because shortly before getting to 33N I had been monitoring an AWOS station at summit airport on 132.32. I turned my power on and turned my radio on and the primary frequency showed 123.0 and the secondary showed 132.32. He agreed and said it must have been inadvertently turned down, but I should have seen the tomahawk landing. I said I called and received no answer contrary and the wind by all indications showed runway 27 as the runway and my attention had been diverted by the helicopter and the plane out on final for runway 27. The plane we thought was on final was turning away. I then asked if they heard me call downwind, base and final for runway 27 why didn't they stop landing planes till they established contact with me. Thankfully nothing happened, no accident, no injuries, no damage, but it could have been very bad. This flight school just moved to delaware airport recently and they feel 33N is their airport and they will make the rules. Everyone involved here was remiss. Me for not checking my radio when I heard nothing, the flight school for not stopping their students when they could not establish communications with me and the helicopter pilot for randomly flying at the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A C150 ON APCH AND LNDG AT A NON TWR ARPT UNICOM HAS CLOSE PROX TO ACFT READY TO DEPART OPPOSITE DIRECTION RWY.

Narrative: MY PLT FRIEND AND I WERE GOING TO DELAWARE ARPT, 33N, TO WORK ON OUR HOME-BUILT. WHEN APPROX 1 MI FROM THE ARPT, I SPOTTED A HELI JUST ABOVE THE TREE TOPS ON THE RWY 27 DOWNWIND SIDE HEADING IN THE DOWNWIND DIRECTION. I TOLD MY FRIEND TO KEEP AN EYE ON THE HELI WHILE I CHKED THE WINDSOCK TO SEE WHAT RWY I SHOULD USE. BOTH WINDSOCKS AND THE FLAG AT THE FBO WERE INDICATING RWY 27 WAS THE RWY TO USE. I THEN RPTED ENTERING DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27 ON THE UNICOM FREQ 123.0. THE ARPT IS UNCTLED AND THE FREQ IS 123.0. AS I WAS TRAVELING DOWNWIND ON RWY 27, THE HELI HAD CLBED TO APPROX 800 FT AND LOOKED AS IF HE WAS TURNING BASE LEG. WHEN I REACHED THE CORRECT POS, I CALLED L BASE LEG ON THE RADIO. I STILL HEARD NOTHING FROM THE HELI. WHILE ON BASE LEG, I NOTICED ANOTHER ACFT ABOUT 2 MI OUT AND IT LOOKED AS IF IT MAY BE ON FINAL FOR RWY 27. AFTER WATCHING, MY PLT FRIEND AND I CONCLUDED HE WAS TURNING AWAY SO I CONTINUED WITH MY BASE LEG. I STILL HAD HEARD NOTHING AND WAS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT THE HELI WAS DOING. AT THIS TIME THE HELI PASSED THROUGH FINAL LEG FOR RWY 27 AND WENT ACROSS. KNOWING MOST HELIS AROUND HERE USE A R HAND PATTERN, I WAS WORRIED HE WAS GOING TO TURN AND LAND ON RWY 27. HE WAS OCCUPYING MY ATTN PRETTY MUCH AT THIS TIME. I STILL HAD HEARD NOTHING ON MY RADIO. I CALLED FINAL LEG FOR RWY 27 WHEN I CONCLUDED THE HELI WASN'T LNDG AT THAT MOMENT. I NEVER HEARD CONFIRMATION HE HAD HEARD ME. JUST BEFORE I LANDED I NOTICED A TOMAHAWK TURNING OFF THE RWY. MY PAX COMMENTED THAT HE MUST HAVE HURRIED TO CROSS THE RWY BEFORE WE GOT THERE. NEITHER MY PAX OR I SAW THE TOMAHAWK PRIOR TO ITS TURNING. AFTER LNDG AND ON ROLLOUT, I NOTICED A TRAINER ON THE RWY 9 RUN-UP AREA, AND I COMMENTED TO MY FRIEND THAT THEY SHOULD BE USING RWY 27 AS THE WIND FAVORED IT, AND AT OUR UNCTLED ARPT THE WINDSOCK AND FLAG ARE THE ONLY VISUAL INDICATION OF WHAT RWY TO USE. I TAXIED TO MY DEST AND SHUT MY ACFT DOWN. MY FRIEND AND I GOT OUT AND NOTICED THE TRAINER PULLING UP WHERE I WAS, AND AN INSTRUCTOR GOT OUT AND HOLLERED AT ME FOR NOT USING MY RADIO AND I HAD FORCED A STUDENT THAT LANDED ON RWY 9 TO LEAVE THE RWY EARLY. UPON DISCUSSION WITH ME, I TOLD THE INSTRUCTOR THIS IS AN UNCTLED ARPT AND THE WINDSOCKS AND FLAG WERE INDICATING RWY 27 WAS THE ONE TO USE. HE ADMITTED HEARING MY CALLS ON DOWNWIND, BASE, AND FINAL LEGS, AND SAID HE KEPT CALLING ME TO NOT LAND, THEY WERE USING RWY 9. I SAID I HEARD NOTHING ON MY RADIO AND IT MUST HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY TURNED DOWN, BECAUSE SHORTLY BEFORE GETTING TO 33N I HAD BEEN MONITORING AN AWOS STATION AT SUMMIT ARPT ON 132.32. I TURNED MY PWR ON AND TURNED MY RADIO ON AND THE PRIMARY FREQ SHOWED 123.0 AND THE SECONDARY SHOWED 132.32. HE AGREED AND SAID IT MUST HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY TURNED DOWN, BUT I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE TOMAHAWK LNDG. I SAID I CALLED AND RECEIVED NO ANSWER CONTRARY AND THE WIND BY ALL INDICATIONS SHOWED RWY 27 AS THE RWY AND MY ATTN HAD BEEN DIVERTED BY THE HELI AND THE PLANE OUT ON FINAL FOR RWY 27. THE PLANE WE THOUGHT WAS ON FINAL WAS TURNING AWAY. I THEN ASKED IF THEY HEARD ME CALL DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL FOR RWY 27 WHY DIDN'T THEY STOP LNDG PLANES TILL THEY ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ME. THANKFULLY NOTHING HAPPENED, NO ACCIDENT, NO INJURIES, NO DAMAGE, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY BAD. THIS FLT SCHOOL JUST MOVED TO DELAWARE ARPT RECENTLY AND THEY FEEL 33N IS THEIR ARPT AND THEY WILL MAKE THE RULES. EVERYONE INVOLVED HERE WAS REMISS. ME FOR NOT CHKING MY RADIO WHEN I HEARD NOTHING, THE FLT SCHOOL FOR NOT STOPPING THEIR STUDENTS WHEN THEY COULD NOT ESTABLISH COMS WITH ME AND THE HELI PLT FOR RANDOMLY FLYING AT THE ARPT.

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.