Captain of a cpr twin turbine helicopter was informed by the jfk tower that he had not flown during ...

Attributes
ACN	486269
Time
Date	200009
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : jfk.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 75 flight time total : 5870 flight time type : 3100
ASRS Report	486269
Person 2
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued alert none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Airport ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Our flight was from our cpr helipad to jfk. Approximately 19 mi from jfk, the first officer (PNF) contacted jfk tower on 119.10. We were cleared to enter jfk class B airspace at or below 500 ft MSL via the coney route to and remain south of runway 31L at the approach end of runway 4L. Approximately 1 mi southwest of the approach end of runway 4L, jfk tower cleared us over the approach end of runway 31L to the GA terminal helipad. I flew over the approach end of runway 31L between the landing threshold and where departing aircraft were lining up for departure. I did not overfly aircraft on the ground. I then turned northwest to parallel runway 31L between runway 31L and the ATC tower. Abeam the tower, the controller queried me as to where I was and where I was going. I stated that I had been cleared across the approach end of runway 31L to land at GA terminal and that was what I was doing. The controller inferred by the tone of his voice that I had not been cleared to cross runway 31L, but cleared around the end of runway 31L. He asked where I was, and I replied I was between the tower and runway 31L. At that point, he cleared me 'to land pilot's discretion at GA terminal, area not visible from the tower.' I feel I complied with tower's instructions by my flight path, however, from his reaction it is my judgement now that he wanted me to fly around the end of runway 31L and not over the displaced threshold portion first officer runway 31L. At no time prior to my crossing runway 31L did the controller tell me to fly around the end of runway 31L. His words were 'over the approach end of runway 31L.' local control was extremely busy at the time of this incident with numerous arrs and departures. The routing he gave us is a standard routing to GA terminal when runway 31 is in use. In the future, I will ensure that the clearance is read back and not just roger an approach and landing clearance when crossing the approach end of an active runway. Likewise, ATC must be clear bout when to fly around or over a runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A CPR TWIN TURBINE HELI WAS INFORMED BY THE JFK TWR THAT HE HAD NOT FLOWN DURING APCH TO LAND THE RTE INTENDED OVER ACTIVE RWY 31L.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS FROM OUR CPR HELIPAD TO JFK. APPROX 19 MI FROM JFK, THE FO (PNF) CONTACTED JFK TWR ON 119.10. WE WERE CLRED TO ENTER JFK CLASS B AIRSPACE AT OR BELOW 500 FT MSL VIA THE CONEY RTE TO AND REMAIN S OF RWY 31L AT THE APCH END OF RWY 4L. APPROX 1 MI SW OF THE APCH END OF RWY 4L, JFK TWR CLRED US OVER THE APCH END OF RWY 31L TO THE GA TERMINAL HELIPAD. I FLEW OVER THE APCH END OF RWY 31L BTWN THE LNDG THRESHOLD AND WHERE DEPARTING ACFT WERE LINING UP FOR DEP. I DID NOT OVERFLY ACFT ON THE GND. I THEN TURNED NW TO PARALLEL RWY 31L BTWN RWY 31L AND THE ATC TWR. ABEAM THE TWR, THE CTLR QUERIED ME AS TO WHERE I WAS AND WHERE I WAS GOING. I STATED THAT I HAD BEEN CLRED ACROSS THE APCH END OF RWY 31L TO LAND AT GA TERMINAL AND THAT WAS WHAT I WAS DOING. THE CTLR INFERRED BY THE TONE OF HIS VOICE THAT I HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 31L, BUT CLRED AROUND THE END OF RWY 31L. HE ASKED WHERE I WAS, AND I REPLIED I WAS BTWN THE TWR AND RWY 31L. AT THAT POINT, HE CLRED ME 'TO LAND PLT'S DISCRETION AT GA TERMINAL, AREA NOT VISIBLE FROM THE TWR.' I FEEL I COMPLIED WITH TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS BY MY FLT PATH, HOWEVER, FROM HIS REACTION IT IS MY JUDGEMENT NOW THAT HE WANTED ME TO FLY AROUND THE END OF RWY 31L AND NOT OVER THE DISPLACED THRESHOLD PORTION FO RWY 31L. AT NO TIME PRIOR TO MY XING RWY 31L DID THE CTLR TELL ME TO FLY AROUND THE END OF RWY 31L. HIS WORDS WERE 'OVER THE APCH END OF RWY 31L.' LCL CTL WAS EXTREMELY BUSY AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT WITH NUMEROUS ARRS AND DEPS. THE ROUTING HE GAVE US IS A STANDARD ROUTING TO GA TERMINAL WHEN RWY 31 IS IN USE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ENSURE THAT THE CLRNC IS READ BACK AND NOT JUST ROGER AN APCH AND LNDG CLRNC WHEN XING THE APCH END OF AN ACTIVE RWY. LIKEWISE, ATC MUST BE CLR BOUT WHEN TO FLY AROUND OR OVER A RWY.

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.

Captain of a cpr twin turbine helicopter was informed by the jfk tower that he had not flown during approach to land the route intended over active runway 31L.