Narrative:

I was PIC of a commercial helicopter flight near pittsburgh, PA. Approaching pittsburgh's class B airspace switched to pre-designated discreet transponder code and tuned pit approach for monitoring. Knowing I was approaching bvi from the west, I switched the GPS mode to map in order to see the proximity of the aircraft to class D airspace at bvi. The map mode was not currently set-up to show airports so I had to select that option. At the same time, company dispatch provided updated landing zone coordinates, which the pilot entered. I did not see bvi on the GPS because of entering the new coordinates. Showing approximately 6 mi to the scene, I tuned aircraft FM radio to the ground frequency for a landing zone brief with the ground unit. Seeing an airport and realizing proximity to bvi I quickly switched to CTAF to contact tower. Several other aircraft were talking with tower and I was unable to contact tower for immediate clearance. Concurrently, ground unit was giving landing zone description to aircrew and I was visually looking outside for landing zone. At the time I spotted an airplane turning on an extended right base for runway 10 and turned southwest to avoid. At this time I was speaking with bvi tower giving position report and mission information. Clearance was given and continued to the landing zone. Causal factors leading up to this incident: I was working at a different home base for the first time, task saturation in-flight, loss of situational awareness. A higher level of planning prior to departing, delegating more duties to aircrew, and contacting bvi sooner would have helped avoid this situation. I debriefed the aircrew during postflt.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AS55 EXPERIENCES NMAC NEAR BVI, AFTER AN UNAUTH ENTRY OF CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS PIC OF A COMMERCIAL HELI FLT NEAR PITTSBURGH, PA. APCHING PITTSBURGH'S CLASS B AIRSPACE SWITCHED TO PRE-DESIGNATED DISCREET XPONDER CODE AND TUNED PIT APCH FOR MONITORING. KNOWING I WAS APCHING BVI FROM THE W, I SWITCHED THE GPS MODE TO MAP IN ORDER TO SEE THE PROX OF THE ACFT TO CLASS D AIRSPACE AT BVI. THE MAP MODE WAS NOT CURRENTLY SET-UP TO SHOW ARPTS SO I HAD TO SELECT THAT OPTION. AT THE SAME TIME, COMPANY DISPATCH PROVIDED UPDATED LNDG ZONE COORDINATES, WHICH THE PLT ENTERED. I DID NOT SEE BVI ON THE GPS BECAUSE OF ENTERING THE NEW COORDINATES. SHOWING APPROX 6 MI TO THE SCENE, I TUNED ACFT FM RADIO TO THE GND FREQ FOR A LNDG ZONE BRIEF WITH THE GND UNIT. SEEING AN ARPT AND REALIZING PROX TO BVI I QUICKLY SWITCHED TO CTAF TO CONTACT TWR. SEVERAL OTHER ACFT WERE TALKING WITH TWR AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR FOR IMMEDIATE CLRNC. CONCURRENTLY, GND UNIT WAS GIVING LNDG ZONE DESCRIPTION TO AIRCREW AND I WAS VISUALLY LOOKING OUTSIDE FOR LNDG ZONE. AT THE TIME I SPOTTED AN AIRPLANE TURNING ON AN EXTENDED R BASE FOR RWY 10 AND TURNED SW TO AVOID. AT THIS TIME I WAS SPEAKING WITH BVI TWR GIVING POS RPT AND MISSION INFO. CLRNC WAS GIVEN AND CONTINUED TO THE LNDG ZONE. CAUSAL FACTORS LEADING UP TO THIS INCIDENT: I WAS WORKING AT A DIFFERENT HOME BASE FOR THE FIRST TIME, TASK SATURATION INFLT, LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS. A HIGHER LEVEL OF PLANNING PRIOR TO DEPARTING, DELEGATING MORE DUTIES TO AIRCREW, AND CONTACTING BVI SOONER WOULD HAVE HELPED AVOID THIS SIT. I DEBRIEFED THE AIRCREW DURING POSTFLT.

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.