Air carrier takes evasive action to avoid uncontrolled helicopters in class C airspace.

Attributes
ACN	442161
Time
Date	199907
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pbi.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pbi.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 09
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	Other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	442161
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 200
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

On turn to final and on final, we came into close proximity to 2 helicopters at pbi. 1 helicopter was squawking and 1 was not. One showed on TCASII. One small helicopter (police unit?) passed on our right at very low altitude, but was still a concern. The second helicopter, a large passenger model, made a serious run at us. We took evasive actions to miss the aircraft as he flew directly at us, under us and then turned to parallel us on our left. We were on final and he was following a road just to our left. I believe he had no idea we were there or where he was in relation to straight-in final runway 9. I spoke to tower on approach and after landing. They indicated to me that these helicopters were not where they should be and that the incident would be investigated. Voice tapes and radar summaries were pulled. Approach control had no voice or radar contact with either helicopter. Tower had no radar or voice contact with either helicopter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR TAKES EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID UNCTLED HELIS IN CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON TURN TO FINAL AND ON FINAL, WE CAME INTO CLOSE PROX TO 2 HELIS AT PBI. 1 HELI WAS SQUAWKING AND 1 WAS NOT. ONE SHOWED ON TCASII. ONE SMALL HELI (POLICE UNIT?) PASSED ON OUR R AT VERY LOW ALT, BUT WAS STILL A CONCERN. THE SECOND HELI, A LARGE PAX MODEL, MADE A SERIOUS RUN AT US. WE TOOK EVASIVE ACTIONS TO MISS THE ACFT AS HE FLEW DIRECTLY AT US, UNDER US AND THEN TURNED TO PARALLEL US ON OUR L. WE WERE ON FINAL AND HE WAS FOLLOWING A ROAD JUST TO OUR L. I BELIEVE HE HAD NO IDEA WE WERE THERE OR WHERE HE WAS IN RELATION TO STRAIGHT-IN FINAL RWY 9. I SPOKE TO TWR ON APCH AND AFTER LNDG. THEY INDICATED TO ME THAT THESE HELIS WERE NOT WHERE THEY SHOULD BE AND THAT THE INCIDENT WOULD BE INVESTIGATED. VOICE TAPES AND RADAR SUMMARIES WERE PULLED. APCH CTL HAD NO VOICE OR RADAR CONTACT WITH EITHER HELI. TWR HAD NO RADAR OR VOICE CONTACT WITH EITHER HELI.

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.