Narrative:

On sep/xa/98, I departed the helicopter landing pad at the tv station where I work in indianapolis, in, with photographer to perform camera training. After a short period of time, we landed at ump airport on the northeast side of town to refuel. At approximately XA40 we departed the airport and continued training for a short while and then returned to the tv station at around XA55. Later that day, at approximately XH00, while conducting video taping, I received a radio call from the newsroom asking me to see the news director as soon as we were completed with the taping mission. After landing and locating the news director, he asked me to join him in the general manager's office. The general manager then asked me if I knew mr X, to which I replied 'no.' he then informed me that mr X had called to inform him that our helicopter nearly collided with his airplane at ump airport earlier that day. I told the general manager that I had absolutely no knowledge of that happening and that this was a complete surprise to me. The general manager informed me that mr X had indicated that I was so close to him, that he could see my eyeballs, that I had made an abrupt turn to avoid hitting him, and that I had made some radio call to that effect. I told him the complete story, as I knew it. I then asked the general manager if he would like for me to give mr X a telephone call. He agreed. I called mr X, he informed me that I nearly hit him and that I made a hard turn to avoid him. He said that he heard me make my radio call to depart the ramp to the south. He also said that he made a call on downwind and that as he was making his descent on downwind for the approach when we nearly collided. He also indicated that I made a call on CTAF of my turn to avoid collision. He said that we were between 50- 100 ft apart. He also claimed that I was climbing out at 4000 FPM. He seemed to wonder why we didn't takeoff like the airplanes do. He told me that I should not be like noted pilot, who had 35 yrs of experience in flying and ran out of fuel. He indicated that he was not going to do anything about this but that I should be more careful around busy airports such as metropolitan. I told him that I did not see or hear any call from him and that I made no turn, abrupt or otherwise to avoid hitting him. I also informed him that I did not receive a TCASII alert. I asked him if his transponder was on and he said that he had it set to 1200. I told him that I had taken off to the south and that my heading was between 180-210 degrees. I told him that I may have made a slight turn from 210 degrees to 180 degrees, but that was the only turn I made. I apologized for anything I may have done to upset him, but reiterated that I had absolutely no knowledge of any impending crash. These are the events of that morning as I remember them. After starting the engine, I brought the aircraft to a hover on the main ramp at the metropolitan airport. I noticed 1 aircraft on the runway preparing for takeoff and 1 aircraft in the runup area. I did not notice any aircraft on downwind. I did not hear any aircraft call on downwind. I made my call on the CTAF that I was departing the ramp to the south. I used normal takeoff power, approximately 80%, and climbed at a normal rate, 500-700 FPM. After takeoff I noticed my heading was approximately 210 degrees. I turned left to 180 degrees and continued sbound along the west side of interstate 465. I did not hear any radio call at any time from anyone that I had flown near his or her flight path. I did not receive a TCASII alert in the cockpit that I was close to another aircraft. I made no abrupt turns. I made no other radio calls. I did not at any time see an aircraft anywhere near my flight path. I estimated my altitude to have been 1300 ft MSL, approximately 500 ft AGL, at 1 mi south of the airport, based on my normal takeoff profile. I have no problems with the TCASII either before or since this alleged incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN THE RPTR'S BELL 407 HELI CLBING OUT AFTER TKOF AND AN UNKNOWN FIXED WING AIRPLANE DSNDING ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR LNDG. THE OTHER PLT OF THE AIRPLANE BELIEVED THAT RPTR TOOK EVASIVE ACTION. HOWEVER, RPTR DOES NOT REMEMBER SEEING ANY OTHER ACFT DURING HIS CLBOUT.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/98, I DEPARTED THE HELI LNDG PAD AT THE TV STATION WHERE I WORK IN INDIANAPOLIS, IN, WITH PHOTOGRAPHER TO PERFORM CAMERA TRAINING. AFTER A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, WE LANDED AT UMP ARPT ON THE NE SIDE OF TOWN TO REFUEL. AT APPROX XA40 WE DEPARTED THE ARPT AND CONTINUED TRAINING FOR A SHORT WHILE AND THEN RETURNED TO THE TV STATION AT AROUND XA55. LATER THAT DAY, AT APPROX XH00, WHILE CONDUCTING VIDEO TAPING, I RECEIVED A RADIO CALL FROM THE NEWSROOM ASKING ME TO SEE THE NEWS DIRECTOR AS SOON AS WE WERE COMPLETED WITH THE TAPING MISSION. AFTER LNDG AND LOCATING THE NEWS DIRECTOR, HE ASKED ME TO JOIN HIM IN THE GENERAL MGR'S OFFICE. THE GENERAL MGR THEN ASKED ME IF I KNEW MR X, TO WHICH I REPLIED 'NO.' HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT MR X HAD CALLED TO INFORM HIM THAT OUR HELI NEARLY COLLIDED WITH HIS AIRPLANE AT UMP ARPT EARLIER THAT DAY. I TOLD THE GENERAL MGR THAT I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT HAPPENING AND THAT THIS WAS A COMPLETE SURPRISE TO ME. THE GENERAL MGR INFORMED ME THAT MR X HAD INDICATED THAT I WAS SO CLOSE TO HIM, THAT HE COULD SEE MY EYEBALLS, THAT I HAD MADE AN ABRUPT TURN TO AVOID HITTING HIM, AND THAT I HAD MADE SOME RADIO CALL TO THAT EFFECT. I TOLD HIM THE COMPLETE STORY, AS I KNEW IT. I THEN ASKED THE GENERAL MGR IF HE WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO GIVE MR X A TELEPHONE CALL. HE AGREED. I CALLED MR X, HE INFORMED ME THAT I NEARLY HIT HIM AND THAT I MADE A HARD TURN TO AVOID HIM. HE SAID THAT HE HEARD ME MAKE MY RADIO CALL TO DEPART THE RAMP TO THE S. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE MADE A CALL ON DOWNWIND AND THAT AS HE WAS MAKING HIS DSCNT ON DOWNWIND FOR THE APCH WHEN WE NEARLY COLLIDED. HE ALSO INDICATED THAT I MADE A CALL ON CTAF OF MY TURN TO AVOID COLLISION. HE SAID THAT WE WERE BTWN 50- 100 FT APART. HE ALSO CLAIMED THAT I WAS CLBING OUT AT 4000 FPM. HE SEEMED TO WONDER WHY WE DIDN'T TKOF LIKE THE AIRPLANES DO. HE TOLD ME THAT I SHOULD NOT BE LIKE NOTED PLT, WHO HAD 35 YRS OF EXPERIENCE IN FLYING AND RAN OUT OF FUEL. HE INDICATED THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS BUT THAT I SHOULD BE MORE CAREFUL AROUND BUSY ARPTS SUCH AS METRO. I TOLD HIM THAT I DID NOT SEE OR HEAR ANY CALL FROM HIM AND THAT I MADE NO TURN, ABRUPT OR OTHERWISE TO AVOID HITTING HIM. I ALSO INFORMED HIM THAT I DID NOT RECEIVE A TCASII ALERT. I ASKED HIM IF HIS XPONDER WAS ON AND HE SAID THAT HE HAD IT SET TO 1200. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD TAKEN OFF TO THE S AND THAT MY HDG WAS BTWN 180-210 DEGS. I TOLD HIM THAT I MAY HAVE MADE A SLIGHT TURN FROM 210 DEGS TO 180 DEGS, BUT THAT WAS THE ONLY TURN I MADE. I APOLOGIZED FOR ANYTHING I MAY HAVE DONE TO UPSET HIM, BUT REITERATED THAT I HAD ABSOLUTELY NO KNOWLEDGE OF ANY IMPENDING CRASH. THESE ARE THE EVENTS OF THAT MORNING AS I REMEMBER THEM. AFTER STARTING THE ENG, I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A HOVER ON THE MAIN RAMP AT THE METRO ARPT. I NOTICED 1 ACFT ON THE RWY PREPARING FOR TKOF AND 1 ACFT IN THE RUNUP AREA. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY ACFT ON DOWNWIND. I DID NOT HEAR ANY ACFT CALL ON DOWNWIND. I MADE MY CALL ON THE CTAF THAT I WAS DEPARTING THE RAMP TO THE S. I USED NORMAL TKOF PWR, APPROX 80%, AND CLBED AT A NORMAL RATE, 500-700 FPM. AFTER TKOF I NOTICED MY HDG WAS APPROX 210 DEGS. I TURNED L TO 180 DEGS AND CONTINUED SBOUND ALONG THE W SIDE OF INTERSTATE 465. I DID NOT HEAR ANY RADIO CALL AT ANY TIME FROM ANYONE THAT I HAD FLOWN NEAR HIS OR HER FLT PATH. I DID NOT RECEIVE A TCASII ALERT IN THE COCKPIT THAT I WAS CLOSE TO ANOTHER ACFT. I MADE NO ABRUPT TURNS. I MADE NO OTHER RADIO CALLS. I DID NOT AT ANY TIME SEE AN ACFT ANYWHERE NEAR MY FLT PATH. I ESTIMATED MY ALT TO HAVE BEEN 1300 FT MSL, APPROX 500 FT AGL, AT 1 MI S OF THE ARPT, BASED ON MY NORMAL TKOF PROFILE. I HAVE NO PROBS WITH THE TCASII EITHER BEFORE OR SINCE THIS ALLEGED INCIDENT.

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.