Narrative:

The victoria imer harbor floatplane base is a very busy and confining area, with numerous floatplanes, helicopters and boats operating. There are also very specific areas for floatplanes to take off and land trying to help sensitive noise areas in the harbor. I was taxiing out for takeoff and had contacted harbor tower (122.2) to let them know I was taxiing (normal thing to do in victoria harbor). The taxi is about 5 mins to get to the area where they want you for takeoff. I contacted harbor tower and said I was ready to depart. Harbor tower said to take off when ready and that there was a helicopter landing at the heliport. I confirmed to the tower that I had the helicopter in sight, and proceeded to take off. The helicopter was moving from my right to left and I was going to pass behind him when suddenly he stopped and then moved up and to the right. I stayed low (30 ft) and proceeded straight out of the harbor. Although we both had each other in sight, the helicopter told the harbor tower I had taken off at them. Over the course of my career here in seattle, sits like this routinely happen with boats. Meaning: often times I am calculating moving traffic. I was anticipating the helicopter to continue his path to landing. When he changed his path we both had to move some to avoid each other. Please keep in mind the helicopter and I both had each other in sight. That being said, however, the thing I should have done, looking back, was to continue taxiing a 360 degree turn, waiting for him to move more towards landing. Hindsight is 20/20. In my defense I would like to say that if you do not anticipate how traffic is moving in the floatplane environment, you would do a lot of 360's waiting for the perfect moment that could change anyway.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE PLT OF A DHC2 ON FLOATS, DURING TKOF, MAINTAINED ALT TO AVOID A LNDG HELI.

Narrative: THE VICTORIA IMER HARBOR FLOATPLANE BASE IS A VERY BUSY AND CONFINING AREA, WITH NUMEROUS FLOATPLANES, HELIS AND BOATS OPERATING. THERE ARE ALSO VERY SPECIFIC AREAS FOR FLOATPLANES TO TAKE OFF AND LAND TRYING TO HELP SENSITIVE NOISE AREAS IN THE HARBOR. I WAS TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF AND HAD CONTACTED HARBOR TWR (122.2) TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS TAXIING (NORMAL THING TO DO IN VICTORIA HARBOR). THE TAXI IS ABOUT 5 MINS TO GET TO THE AREA WHERE THEY WANT YOU FOR TKOF. I CONTACTED HARBOR TWR AND SAID I WAS READY TO DEPART. HARBOR TWR SAID TO TAKE OFF WHEN READY AND THAT THERE WAS A HELI LNDG AT THE HELIPORT. I CONFIRMED TO THE TWR THAT I HAD THE HELI IN SIGHT, AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE OFF. THE HELI WAS MOVING FROM MY R TO L AND I WAS GOING TO PASS BEHIND HIM WHEN SUDDENLY HE STOPPED AND THEN MOVED UP AND TO THE R. I STAYED LOW (30 FT) AND PROCEEDED STRAIGHT OUT OF THE HARBOR. ALTHOUGH WE BOTH HAD EACH OTHER IN SIGHT, THE HELI TOLD THE HARBOR TWR I HAD TAKEN OFF AT THEM. OVER THE COURSE OF MY CAREER HERE IN SEATTLE, SITS LIKE THIS ROUTINELY HAPPEN WITH BOATS. MEANING: OFTEN TIMES I AM CALCULATING MOVING TFC. I WAS ANTICIPATING THE HELI TO CONTINUE HIS PATH TO LNDG. WHEN HE CHANGED HIS PATH WE BOTH HAD TO MOVE SOME TO AVOID EACH OTHER. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE HELI AND I BOTH HAD EACH OTHER IN SIGHT. THAT BEING SAID, HOWEVER, THE THING I SHOULD HAVE DONE, LOOKING BACK, WAS TO CONTINUE TAXIING A 360 DEG TURN, WAITING FOR HIM TO MOVE MORE TOWARDS LNDG. HINDSIGHT IS 20/20. IN MY DEFENSE I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IF YOU DO NOT ANTICIPATE HOW TFC IS MOVING IN THE FLOATPLANE ENVIRONMENT, YOU WOULD DO A LOT OF 360'S WAITING FOR THE PERFECT MOMENT THAT COULD CHANGE ANYWAY.

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.