B727 has near midair collision with helicopter at mdw, il.

Attributes
ACN	461470
Time
Date	200001
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 100
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial climbout : takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw.tower
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 : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1050
ASRS Report	461470
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 100
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

Our flight was holding short of runway 22L ready for takeoff. There were 3 aircraft that were landed while we waited. While waiting, we heard about a helicopter that was cleared across the airport at 1100 ft. We were never issued this information, we just overheard it on tower frequency. We were cleared for takeoff. It had probably been 5-10 mins since we overheard the helicopter information. We had just lifted off when out of the corner of my eye out the left window I spotted this helicopter right off our left wingtip, actually just ahead of the wingtip. We couldn't have missed this helicopter by more than 200 ft. Due to our close proximity to the ground, I couldn't roll the aircraft away for fear of wingtip contact with the ground. Tower never notified us of this traffic and the helicopter was not detectable on initial takeoff roll -- it was not lit by more than a red beacon. Very hard to see unless you looked at it from our vantage point -- at rotation. Needless to say, myself and my crew were slightly flustered by this event. Mdw airport serves many different types of aircraft from B757's to small GA airplanes. This just makes it more imperative for controllers to be more vigilant.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 HAS NMAC WITH HELI AT MDW, IL.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 22L READY FOR TKOF. THERE WERE 3 ACFT THAT WERE LANDED WHILE WE WAITED. WHILE WAITING, WE HEARD ABOUT A HELI THAT WAS CLRED ACROSS THE ARPT AT 1100 FT. WE WERE NEVER ISSUED THIS INFO, WE JUST OVERHEARD IT ON TWR FREQ. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. IT HAD PROBABLY BEEN 5-10 MINS SINCE WE OVERHEARD THE HELI INFO. WE HAD JUST LIFTED OFF WHEN OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE OUT THE L WINDOW I SPOTTED THIS HELI RIGHT OFF OUR L WINGTIP, ACTUALLY JUST AHEAD OF THE WINGTIP. WE COULDN'T HAVE MISSED THIS HELI BY MORE THAN 200 FT. DUE TO OUR CLOSE PROX TO THE GND, I COULDN'T ROLL THE ACFT AWAY FOR FEAR OF WINGTIP CONTACT WITH THE GND. TWR NEVER NOTIFIED US OF THIS TFC AND THE HELI WAS NOT DETECTABLE ON INITIAL TKOF ROLL -- IT WAS NOT LIT BY MORE THAN A RED BEACON. VERY HARD TO SEE UNLESS YOU LOOKED AT IT FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT -- AT ROTATION. NEEDLESS TO SAY, MYSELF AND MY CREW WERE SLIGHTLY FLUSTERED BY THIS EVENT. MDW ARPT SERVES MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACFT FROM B757'S TO SMALL GA AIRPLANES. THIS JUST MAKES IT MORE IMPERATIVE FOR CTLRS TO BE MORE VIGILANT.

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.