Narrative:

I was beginning a familiarization flight with a student. The student asked for a direct north downey departure. The control tower approved the departure. I then verified that we were approved for a 'direct' departure. The controller confirmed. We took off parallel with active runway 25R. Runway 30 was also active and in our takeoff path. Normally, runway 25R is crossed midfield at 500 ft AGL, but we were cleared direct to our departure route, so I understood traffic was not a factor on runway 25R. In normal pattern procedures we cross runway 30, which is nearly always an active runway. In a regular north downey departure, we would have crossed runway 30 and entered the helicopter left traffic pattern until reaching 500 ft AGL. Then we would have crossed runway 25R midfield at 500 ft. But since a direct departure was requested and approved, it was assumed by the controller that we would not cross runway 30 on takeoff. Upon reaching runway 30, I felt we had climbed too far to the west and instructed my student to turn north in order to still cross runway 25R midfield. I forgot to take into consideration the possibility of traffic on runway 30. As we turned right, we saw a seneca approximately 150 ft off our right side. We turned back to the left and continued wbound. I requested a turn to the north, which was then approved by the controller. I was strongly reprimanded by the controller for crossing runway 30. I believe this event was a product of poor communication and understanding between myself and the controller. I am new to the los angeles area and long beach airport. I have had minimal training and was not familiar enough with all written and assumed procedures. I later talked with a supervising controller who clarified my mistake and what I should have done on my departure. Since then, I have done more training on departure and arrival procedures to ensure a situation like this does not occur again.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI DEPARTING LGB CROSSED RWY WITHOUT ATC CLRNC IN CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC.

Narrative: I WAS BEGINNING A FAMILIARIZATION FLT WITH A STUDENT. THE STUDENT ASKED FOR A DIRECT N DOWNEY DEP. THE CTL TWR APPROVED THE DEP. I THEN VERIFIED THAT WE WERE APPROVED FOR A 'DIRECT' DEP. THE CTLR CONFIRMED. WE TOOK OFF PARALLEL WITH ACTIVE RWY 25R. RWY 30 WAS ALSO ACTIVE AND IN OUR TKOF PATH. NORMALLY, RWY 25R IS CROSSED MIDFIELD AT 500 FT AGL, BUT WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO OUR DEP RTE, SO I UNDERSTOOD TFC WAS NOT A FACTOR ON RWY 25R. IN NORMAL PATTERN PROCS WE CROSS RWY 30, WHICH IS NEARLY ALWAYS AN ACTIVE RWY. IN A REGULAR N DOWNEY DEP, WE WOULD HAVE CROSSED RWY 30 AND ENTERED THE HELI L TFC PATTERN UNTIL REACHING 500 FT AGL. THEN WE WOULD HAVE CROSSED RWY 25R MIDFIELD AT 500 FT. BUT SINCE A DIRECT DEP WAS REQUESTED AND APPROVED, IT WAS ASSUMED BY THE CTLR THAT WE WOULD NOT CROSS RWY 30 ON TKOF. UPON REACHING RWY 30, I FELT WE HAD CLBED TOO FAR TO THE W AND INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO TURN N IN ORDER TO STILL CROSS RWY 25R MIDFIELD. I FORGOT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE POSSIBILITY OF TFC ON RWY 30. AS WE TURNED R, WE SAW A SENECA APPROX 150 FT OFF OUR R SIDE. WE TURNED BACK TO THE L AND CONTINUED WBOUND. I REQUESTED A TURN TO THE N, WHICH WAS THEN APPROVED BY THE CTLR. I WAS STRONGLY REPRIMANDED BY THE CTLR FOR XING RWY 30. I BELIEVE THIS EVENT WAS A PRODUCT OF POOR COM AND UNDERSTANDING BTWN MYSELF AND THE CTLR. I AM NEW TO THE LOS ANGELES AREA AND LONG BEACH ARPT. I HAVE HAD MINIMAL TRAINING AND WAS NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH ALL WRITTEN AND ASSUMED PROCS. I LATER TALKED WITH A SUPERVISING CTLR WHO CLARIFIED MY MISTAKE AND WHAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE ON MY DEP. SINCE THEN, I HAVE DONE MORE TRAINING ON DEP AND ARR PROCS TO ENSURE A SIT LIKE THIS DOES NOT OCCUR AGAIN.

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.