Narrative:

On the date and at approximately time aforementioned at sna, I called ATC from the FBO on the east side of the airport to request a west departure. The ATC controller confirmed that I was requesting a 'crystal 3' departure, and I replied in the affirmative. At this point, I received a clearance to take off from helicopter pad 3 for a 'crystal 3' departure and repeated the clearance instructions to ATC. On receiving this clearance, I hovered across a taxiway to helicopter pad 3 and began my takeoff climb south. At approximately 300 ft AGL, I looked to my right to confirm that the runways were clear (no traffic), and began a slow 90 degree right turn to cross the runways, overfly the tower and the 'crystal court shopping center' (hence the name 'crystal' departure). At this point, I received a call from the tower, requesting my destination (seal beach) and home airport (torrance), and was instructed to call the tower upon my arrival. I had not been aware of any violation or other problem as having occurred, but there was apparently some reason to call the tower. I called the tower at the number instructed and left a message as instructed. I returned to sna later requesting and receiving clearance for a 'crystal 3' arrival. After dropping off my passenger at the FBO, I requested a 'crystal 3' departure. On this second departure, I was asked by ATC whether I was a 'signatory to the letter.' I replied 'negative, I do not know the letter to which you are referring.' ATC instructed me to hold. A min or so later, I was cleared to take off from helicopter pad 3, make a left 270 degree turn, and fly over the tower at 600(?) ft. I complied and departed the class C airspace with no problem. I subsequently asked 3 CFI's familiar with the area what 'letter' ATC might have been referring to, but they didn't know. A fourth CFI I spoke with believed that the 'letter' was a form of acknowledgement or understanding to which helicopter pilots flying in and out of sna subscribed in which specific procedures were laid out for arrs and departures, including a climbing left 270 degree turn for a 'crystal 3' departure. This information confirmed my feelings when I received the second departure clearance from ATC that a crystal 3 departure specifically called for a left 270 degree climbing turn. Prior to these events, I had only flown to and from sna airport on 3 other occasions. Before flying to sna this time, I asked and received an update from a CFI on arrival procedures and was informed to request a 'crystal 3' arrival, fly over the crystal court shopping center, over the tower, cross the runways, make a 90 degree right turn, and make a steep approach to helicopter pad 3, which I did with clearance from ATC with no problem. On 2 previous departures, I made from helicopter pad 3 at sna, I specifically recall being instructed to make 90 degree right turns to depart to the west. Therefore, when ATC confirmed my request for a 'crystal 3' departure on my first departure, I assumed he meant the opposite of my arrival procedure, which was to make a 90 degree turn to cross the runways. This situation could have been avoided if I had confirmed to ATC my understanding (or lack thereof) of a crystal 3 departure on receiving the takeoff clearance, or if ATC had queried me on my first departure request as ATC had done on the second departure. Some airports, such as santa monica, publish and distribute specific helicopter arrival and departure instructions illustrated on airport maps. I am not aware that sna does this, but if they do not, it would be very helpful if they did. I tried 3 more times calling the number given to me by the tower, and left messages as instructed, however, I have received no response from these calls.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN R22 HELI PLT DOES NOT CONFORM TO THE 'CRYSTAL 3' VISUAL DEP PROC WHEN DEPARTING THE RAMP AT SNA.

Narrative: ON THE DATE AND AT APPROX TIME AFOREMENTIONED AT SNA, I CALLED ATC FROM THE FBO ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT TO REQUEST A W DEP. THE ATC CTLR CONFIRMED THAT I WAS REQUESTING A 'CRYSTAL 3' DEP, AND I REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. AT THIS POINT, I RECEIVED A CLRNC TO TAKE OFF FROM HELI PAD 3 FOR A 'CRYSTAL 3' DEP AND REPEATED THE CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS TO ATC. ON RECEIVING THIS CLRNC, I HOVERED ACROSS A TXWY TO HELI PAD 3 AND BEGAN MY TKOF CLB S. AT APPROX 300 FT AGL, I LOOKED TO MY R TO CONFIRM THAT THE RWYS WERE CLR (NO TFC), AND BEGAN A SLOW 90 DEG R TURN TO CROSS THE RWYS, OVERFLY THE TWR AND THE 'CRYSTAL COURT SHOPPING CTR' (HENCE THE NAME 'CRYSTAL' DEP). AT THIS POINT, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE TWR, REQUESTING MY DEST (SEAL BEACH) AND HOME ARPT (TORRANCE), AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CALL THE TWR UPON MY ARR. I HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF ANY VIOLATION OR OTHER PROB AS HAVING OCCURRED, BUT THERE WAS APPARENTLY SOME REASON TO CALL THE TWR. I CALLED THE TWR AT THE NUMBER INSTRUCTED AND LEFT A MESSAGE AS INSTRUCTED. I RETURNED TO SNA LATER REQUESTING AND RECEIVING CLRNC FOR A 'CRYSTAL 3' ARR. AFTER DROPPING OFF MY PAX AT THE FBO, I REQUESTED A 'CRYSTAL 3' DEP. ON THIS SECOND DEP, I WAS ASKED BY ATC WHETHER I WAS A 'SIGNATORY TO THE LETTER.' I REPLIED 'NEGATIVE, I DO NOT KNOW THE LETTER TO WHICH YOU ARE REFERRING.' ATC INSTRUCTED ME TO HOLD. A MIN OR SO LATER, I WAS CLRED TO TAKE OFF FROM HELI PAD 3, MAKE A L 270 DEG TURN, AND FLY OVER THE TWR AT 600(?) FT. I COMPLIED AND DEPARTED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE WITH NO PROB. I SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED 3 CFI'S FAMILIAR WITH THE AREA WHAT 'LETTER' ATC MIGHT HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO, BUT THEY DIDN'T KNOW. A FOURTH CFI I SPOKE WITH BELIEVED THAT THE 'LETTER' WAS A FORM OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OR UNDERSTANDING TO WHICH HELI PLTS FLYING IN AND OUT OF SNA SUBSCRIBED IN WHICH SPECIFIC PROCS WERE LAID OUT FOR ARRS AND DEPS, INCLUDING A CLBING L 270 DEG TURN FOR A 'CRYSTAL 3' DEP. THIS INFO CONFIRMED MY FEELINGS WHEN I RECEIVED THE SECOND DEP CLRNC FROM ATC THAT A CRYSTAL 3 DEP SPECIFICALLY CALLED FOR A L 270 DEG CLBING TURN. PRIOR TO THESE EVENTS, I HAD ONLY FLOWN TO AND FROM SNA ARPT ON 3 OTHER OCCASIONS. BEFORE FLYING TO SNA THIS TIME, I ASKED AND RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM A CFI ON ARR PROCS AND WAS INFORMED TO REQUEST A 'CRYSTAL 3' ARR, FLY OVER THE CRYSTAL COURT SHOPPING CENTER, OVER THE TWR, CROSS THE RWYS, MAKE A 90 DEG R TURN, AND MAKE A STEEP APCH TO HELI PAD 3, WHICH I DID WITH CLRNC FROM ATC WITH NO PROB. ON 2 PREVIOUS DEPS, I MADE FROM HELI PAD 3 AT SNA, I SPECIFICALLY RECALL BEING INSTRUCTED TO MAKE 90 DEG R TURNS TO DEPART TO THE W. THEREFORE, WHEN ATC CONFIRMED MY REQUEST FOR A 'CRYSTAL 3' DEP ON MY FIRST DEP, I ASSUMED HE MEANT THE OPPOSITE OF MY ARR PROC, WHICH WAS TO MAKE A 90 DEG TURN TO CROSS THE RWYS. THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF I HAD CONFIRMED TO ATC MY UNDERSTANDING (OR LACK THEREOF) OF A CRYSTAL 3 DEP ON RECEIVING THE TKOF CLRNC, OR IF ATC HAD QUERIED ME ON MY FIRST DEP REQUEST AS ATC HAD DONE ON THE SECOND DEP. SOME ARPTS, SUCH AS SANTA MONICA, PUBLISH AND DISTRIBUTE SPECIFIC HELI ARR AND DEP INSTRUCTIONS ILLUSTRATED ON ARPT MAPS. I AM NOT AWARE THAT SNA DOES THIS, BUT IF THEY DO NOT, IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF THEY DID. I TRIED 3 MORE TIMES CALLING THE NUMBER GIVEN TO ME BY THE TWR, AND LEFT MESSAGES AS INSTRUCTED, HOWEVER, I HAVE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM THESE CALLS.

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.