Narrative:

At approximately AB50, I was on final approach to runway 25R at lgb. I had received clearance to land from the tower but shortly before landing the aircraft ahead of me was still in the middle of the runway and I deemed a landing at that time unsafe and proceeded to initiate a go around when I was around 400 ft or so MSL. I began to climb back to pattern altitude (1000 ft MSL) and the tower asked me if I was doing a go around, I responded with an affirmative. Several seconds after that, I spotted a white helicopter cutting across my path at the same altitude (approximately 600 ft MSL) on approach to landing. I currently was on runway heading (250 degrees) and in a climb, and the helicopter was descending and coming at me, crossing my path at about my 2 O'clock position. I immediately banked hard to the right and avoided the helicopter by about 150 ft horizontally. I then found myself heading upwind almost over along the downwind leg's path, so I banked back to the left so that I would not risk meeting another aircraft head-on. At this point, I continued to climb to pattern altitude while the helicopter pilot reported the incident to the tower and apologized to me for not seeing my aircraft coming. I responded with a confirmation but my transmission was apparently stepped on by the tower's transmission. The tower called again to see if I had heard the helicopter pilot's transmission and I confirmed before coming around to land. I returned to the FBO from which I rent. The helicopter pilot called me on a landline. She apologized for not seeing me. She said that she was looking the wrong way and had heard my go around call but did not anticipate the rapid climb rate of my aircraft. On my part, I saw the helicopter because I happened to be alert, but I was slightly surprised because I did not expect anything to come at me from that direction at that point in the pattern, which is a lesson for me. Also, I had my landing light on in addition to my anti-collision lights, but the helicopter pilot only had her anti-collision lights on. Had she had her landing lights on too, perhaps I would have spotted her a few seconds earlier. Furthermore, I did not hear the helicopter pilot's landing clearance, although I am quite sure she received one, which is a lesson for me to pay closer attention to other aircraft and ground communications so as to better anticipate the actions of other pilots. Supplemental information from acn 474029: I did not hear the pilot of the airplane announce his/her intentions to go around. Nor did the tower give those instructions. The tower was very busy and could not have given separation or forewarned us both -- especially if the tower was not advised of the go around.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A ROBIN R200-A PVT PLT HAS AN NMAC WITH AN UNRPTED HELI DURING HIS GAR FROM RWY 25R AT LGB, CA.

Narrative: AT APPROX AB50, I WAS ON FINAL APCH TO RWY 25R AT LGB. I HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND FROM THE TWR BUT SHORTLY BEFORE LNDG THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME WAS STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY AND I DEEMED A LNDG AT THAT TIME UNSAFE AND PROCEEDED TO INITIATE A GAR WHEN I WAS AROUND 400 FT OR SO MSL. I BEGAN TO CLB BACK TO PATTERN ALT (1000 FT MSL) AND THE TWR ASKED ME IF I WAS DOING A GAR, I RESPONDED WITH AN AFFIRMATIVE. SEVERAL SECONDS AFTER THAT, I SPOTTED A WHITE HELI CUTTING ACROSS MY PATH AT THE SAME ALT (APPROX 600 FT MSL) ON APCH TO LNDG. I CURRENTLY WAS ON RWY HDG (250 DEGS) AND IN A CLB, AND THE HELI WAS DSNDING AND COMING AT ME, XING MY PATH AT ABOUT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS. I IMMEDIATELY BANKED HARD TO THE R AND AVOIDED THE HELI BY ABOUT 150 FT HORIZLY. I THEN FOUND MYSELF HDG UPWIND ALMOST OVER ALONG THE DOWNWIND LEG'S PATH, SO I BANKED BACK TO THE L SO THAT I WOULD NOT RISK MEETING ANOTHER ACFT HEAD-ON. AT THIS POINT, I CONTINUED TO CLB TO PATTERN ALT WHILE THE HELI PLT RPTED THE INCIDENT TO THE TWR AND APOLOGIZED TO ME FOR NOT SEEING MY ACFT COMING. I RESPONDED WITH A CONFIRMATION BUT MY XMISSION WAS APPARENTLY STEPPED ON BY THE TWR'S XMISSION. THE TWR CALLED AGAIN TO SEE IF I HAD HEARD THE HELI PLT'S XMISSION AND I CONFIRMED BEFORE COMING AROUND TO LAND. I RETURNED TO THE FBO FROM WHICH I RENT. THE HELI PLT CALLED ME ON A LANDLINE. SHE APOLOGIZED FOR NOT SEEING ME. SHE SAID THAT SHE WAS LOOKING THE WRONG WAY AND HAD HEARD MY GAR CALL BUT DID NOT ANTICIPATE THE RAPID CLB RATE OF MY ACFT. ON MY PART, I SAW THE HELI BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO BE ALERT, BUT I WAS SLIGHTLY SURPRISED BECAUSE I DID NOT EXPECT ANYTHING TO COME AT ME FROM THAT DIRECTION AT THAT POINT IN THE PATTERN, WHICH IS A LESSON FOR ME. ALSO, I HAD MY LNDG LIGHT ON IN ADDITION TO MY ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS, BUT THE HELI PLT ONLY HAD HER ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS ON. HAD SHE HAD HER LNDG LIGHTS ON TOO, PERHAPS I WOULD HAVE SPOTTED HER A FEW SECONDS EARLIER. FURTHERMORE, I DID NOT HEAR THE HELI PLT'S LNDG CLRNC, ALTHOUGH I AM QUITE SURE SHE RECEIVED ONE, WHICH IS A LESSON FOR ME TO PAY CLOSER ATTN TO OTHER ACFT AND GND COMS SO AS TO BETTER ANTICIPATE THE ACTIONS OF OTHER PLTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 474029: I DID NOT HEAR THE PLT OF THE AIRPLANE ANNOUNCE HIS/HER INTENTIONS TO GO AROUND. NOR DID THE TWR GIVE THOSE INSTRUCTIONS. THE TWR WAS VERY BUSY AND COULD NOT HAVE GIVEN SEPARATION OR FOREWARNED US BOTH -- ESPECIALLY IF THE TWR WAS NOT ADVISED OF THE GAR.

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.