Narrative:

I was flying in the right seat of the cherokee warrior as I continued a series of touch-and-goes. There was no one else in the aircraft. As I departed ccr's runway 19L after doing a touch-and-go, I believe my aircraft came within 20 ft horizontal and 5 ft vertical of a schweitzer training helicopter departing one of the 2 landing pads on taxiway a, traveling in roughly the same direction as I was at about 200 ft MSL. In the seconds that preceded this encounter, the local controller cleared 2 helicopters to take off from pads 1 and 2. The first made a right crosswind departure about 1000 ft in front of me as I became airborne (he crossed runway 19L from left to right) at about 300-400 ft MSL and I altered course slightly (less than 5 degrees) to the left to avoid. (Although the encounter was closer than I would have liked, I do not think a collision would have resulted if I had not turned.) at this time, the controller advised me of 2 helicopters and I acknowledged that I had 'a helicopter in sight' -- due to my position in the airplane and my angle of climb, I never saw the second helicopter until I saw its rotors slightly underneath my left wing and passing behind me, which occurred just as I finished my transmission. Runway 19L and taxiway a are very close together, and this situation was further aggravated by my slight turn toward taxiway alpha to avoid encountering traffic ahead and slightly to my right (which I would not have done if I was aware of the second helicopter to my left!). Runway 19R was also in use, but I do not think any aircraft were using it at that moment. I think it is possible for airplanes to use runways 19L&right while there is helicopter activity on taxiway a, but at no time should helicopters and airplanes be flying simultaneous departures -- it is just too close. The winds were light and variable at the time -- there is no reason why fixed wing aircraft couldn't have been using runway 32L&right instead. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he had never experienced this kind of problem before at ccr. His impression is that ccr tower does not have an SOP allowing simultaneous takeoffs for fixed wing aircraft and helicopters and that his was probably an isolated incident. He stated that there was no discussion by the helicopter pilots, over the air, that either of them had come in close proximity to a fixed wing aircraft. The tower said nothing regarding the incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEW CFI EXPERIENCED NMAC WITH HELI.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING IN THE R SEAT OF THE CHEROKEE WARRIOR AS I CONTINUED A SERIES OF TOUCH-AND-GOES. THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE IN THE ACFT. AS I DEPARTED CCR'S RWY 19L AFTER DOING A TOUCH-AND-GO, I BELIEVE MY ACFT CAME WITHIN 20 FT HORIZ AND 5 FT VERT OF A SCHWEITZER TRAINING HELI DEPARTING ONE OF THE 2 LNDG PADS ON TXWY A, TRAVELING IN ROUGHLY THE SAME DIRECTION AS I WAS AT ABOUT 200 FT MSL. IN THE SECONDS THAT PRECEDED THIS ENCOUNTER, THE LCL CTLR CLRED 2 HELIS TO TAKE OFF FROM PADS 1 AND 2. THE FIRST MADE A R XWIND DEP ABOUT 1000 FT IN FRONT OF ME AS I BECAME AIRBORNE (HE CROSSED RWY 19L FROM L TO R) AT ABOUT 300-400 FT MSL AND I ALTERED COURSE SLIGHTLY (LESS THAN 5 DEGS) TO THE L TO AVOID. (ALTHOUGH THE ENCOUNTER WAS CLOSER THAN I WOULD HAVE LIKED, I DO NOT THINK A COLLISION WOULD HAVE RESULTED IF I HAD NOT TURNED.) AT THIS TIME, THE CTLR ADVISED ME OF 2 HELIS AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I HAD 'A HELI IN SIGHT' -- DUE TO MY POS IN THE AIRPLANE AND MY ANGLE OF CLB, I NEVER SAW THE SECOND HELI UNTIL I SAW ITS ROTORS SLIGHTLY UNDERNEATH MY L WING AND PASSING BEHIND ME, WHICH OCCURRED JUST AS I FINISHED MY XMISSION. RWY 19L AND TXWY A ARE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER, AND THIS SIT WAS FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY MY SLIGHT TURN TOWARD TXWY ALPHA TO AVOID ENCOUNTERING TFC AHEAD AND SLIGHTLY TO MY R (WHICH I WOULD NOT HAVE DONE IF I WAS AWARE OF THE SECOND HELI TO MY L!). RWY 19R WAS ALSO IN USE, BUT I DO NOT THINK ANY ACFT WERE USING IT AT THAT MOMENT. I THINK IT IS POSSIBLE FOR AIRPLANES TO USE RWYS 19L&R WHILE THERE IS HELI ACTIVITY ON TXWY A, BUT AT NO TIME SHOULD HELIS AND AIRPLANES BE FLYING SIMULTANEOUS DEPS -- IT IS JUST TOO CLOSE. THE WINDS WERE LIGHT AND VARIABLE AT THE TIME -- THERE IS NO REASON WHY FIXED WING ACFT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN USING RWY 32L&R INSTEAD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF PROB BEFORE AT CCR. HIS IMPRESSION IS THAT CCR TWR DOES NOT HAVE AN SOP ALLOWING SIMULTANEOUS TKOFS FOR FIXED WING ACFT AND HELIS AND THAT HIS WAS PROBABLY AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. HE STATED THAT THERE WAS NO DISCUSSION BY THE HELI PLTS, OVER THE AIR, THAT EITHER OF THEM HAD COME IN CLOSE PROX TO A FIXED WING ACFT. THE TWR SAID NOTHING REGARDING THE 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.