Narrative:

ATIS reported takeoffs and landing using runway 5. Another helicopter behind us reported inbound from the southwest at 10 mi. Upon initial contact with tower at approximately 8 mi to the southwest, we requested a landing and were told to report a 2 mi left base for runway 32. Upon reporting the left base we were given a clearance to land and to hold short of taxiway a, which we acknowledged. We then requested a practice autorotation. The tower initially said negative, he had another helicopter landing behind us, then he told the other helicopter to turn right base for runway 5 and cleared us for the option. While performing the autorotation, we determined that it could not be completed safely and we needed to go around. At that time, the tower said that we were told to hold short and simultaneously I saw the landing aircraft on runway 5 and realized that we were in danger of collision. I took the controls and banked abruptly to the right and did cross over into the runway at about 50 ft. We then landed on taxiway a adjacent to runway 5. Primary causes: 1) we should not have requested a practice autorotation when there was a hold short limiting our option to go around. 2) we should have maintained better situational awareness regarding the traffic landing on runway 5. 3) the controller should not have issued a 'cleared for the option' clearance when we in fact could not execute a go around safely due to conflicting traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING PRACTICE AUTOROTATION, R22 PLTS ARE UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH CLRNC AND TAKE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID ANOTHER LNDG HELI AT LWM.

Narrative: ATIS RPTED TKOFS AND LNDG USING RWY 5. ANOTHER HELI BEHIND US RPTED INBOUND FROM THE SW AT 10 MI. UPON INITIAL CONTACT WITH TWR AT APPROX 8 MI TO THE SW, WE REQUESTED A LNDG AND WERE TOLD TO RPT A 2 MI L BASE FOR RWY 32. UPON RPTING THE L BASE WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO LAND AND TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A, WHICH WE ACKNOWLEDGED. WE THEN REQUESTED A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION. THE TWR INITIALLY SAID NEGATIVE, HE HAD ANOTHER HELI LNDG BEHIND US, THEN HE TOLD THE OTHER HELI TO TURN R BASE FOR RWY 5 AND CLRED US FOR THE OPTION. WHILE PERFORMING THE AUTOROTATION, WE DETERMINED THAT IT COULD NOT BE COMPLETED SAFELY AND WE NEEDED TO GO AROUND. AT THAT TIME, THE TWR SAID THAT WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT AND SIMULTANEOUSLY I SAW THE LNDG ACFT ON RWY 5 AND REALIZED THAT WE WERE IN DANGER OF COLLISION. I TOOK THE CTLS AND BANKED ABRUPTLY TO THE R AND DID CROSS OVER INTO THE RWY AT ABOUT 50 FT. WE THEN LANDED ON TXWY A ADJACENT TO RWY 5. PRIMARY CAUSES: 1) WE SHOULD NOT HAVE REQUESTED A PRACTICE AUTOROTATION WHEN THERE WAS A HOLD SHORT LIMITING OUR OPTION TO GO AROUND. 2) WE SHOULD HAVE MAINTAINED BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS REGARDING THE TFC LNDG ON RWY 5. 3) THE CTLR SHOULD NOT HAVE ISSUED A 'CLRED FOR THE OPTION' CLRNC WHEN WE IN FACT COULD NOT EXECUTE A GAR SAFELY DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC.

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.