Narrative:

I; the instructor-pilot of helicopter aircraft X; was hovering taxiing into the helicopter operations area to land and I noticed a car in our red danger zone area. I stopped the helicopter approximately 50 ft from the east side of the car at helipad #9. The car was located at the north edge of helipad #7 and was stopped with his vehicle in reverse. I waited for about 15 seconds and he did not move. I then decided to land the helicopter on helipad #3 when I saw that his reverse lights were still illuminated. I hovered the helicopter above helipad #3 while I observed the vehicle. I then notice that he began backing his car toward my hovering aircraft. Feeling unsafe about the situation; I hovered taxiing the aircraft and repositioned to helipad #9 about 50 ft from the automobile. I flashed my landing light to encourage him to leave the red danger zone area. He continued to back his vehicle nnw until he was located on helipad #1; facing sse toward helipad #3. I thought that might have felt trapped by the running helicopter; so I repositioned my aircraft east of another helicopter (not running) which was parked on helipad #5. As 30 seconds went by he continued to stay on helipad #1. I decided to hover taxi the helicopter back to helipad #3 (my landing spot) and land the aircraft. I performed the shutdown procedures and motioned with my hand to the vehicle to leave the area. He proceeded to turn on his high beams which were blinding me. He drove his car forward and approached the aircraft on the left rear side 8-10 ft from the spinning tail rotor. He stopped his vehicle abeam the helicopter under the spinning rotor disc. The rotor speed was at 70% RPM. He exited the vehicle and walked counterclockwise to stand between his car and the running helicopter. During this moment he walked within 6 ft of the tail rotor and under the rotor disc without my permission. I yelled repeatedly that he was in danger and needed to get away from the rotors immediate. He refused and after several attempts to warn him he moved his vehicle to in front of the aircraft approximately 80 ft. He then illuminated my cockpit with his high beams blinding me. I called 911 and asked el cajon police department to assist me because the person appeared to be extremely upset. The police arrived; handcuffed the person; and I shut down the helicopter. A statement was given to el cajon police department from my student and myself. This appeared to be a miscom between a ground vehicle and an aircraft while I was trying to land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ROBINSON R44 INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT ENCOUNTER A VEHICLE WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LAND.

Narrative: I; THE INSTRUCTOR-PLT OF HELI ACFT X; WAS HOVERING TAXIING INTO THE HELI OPS AREA TO LAND AND I NOTICED A CAR IN OUR RED DANGER ZONE AREA. I STOPPED THE HELI APPROX 50 FT FROM THE E SIDE OF THE CAR AT HELIPAD #9. THE CAR WAS LOCATED AT THE N EDGE OF HELIPAD #7 AND WAS STOPPED WITH HIS VEHICLE IN REVERSE. I WAITED FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS AND HE DID NOT MOVE. I THEN DECIDED TO LAND THE HELI ON HELIPAD #3 WHEN I SAW THAT HIS REVERSE LIGHTS WERE STILL ILLUMINATED. I HOVERED THE HELI ABOVE HELIPAD #3 WHILE I OBSERVED THE VEHICLE. I THEN NOTICE THAT HE BEGAN BACKING HIS CAR TOWARD MY HOVERING ACFT. FEELING UNSAFE ABOUT THE SITUATION; I HOVERED TAXIING THE ACFT AND REPOSITIONED TO HELIPAD #9 ABOUT 50 FT FROM THE AUTOMOBILE. I FLASHED MY LNDG LIGHT TO ENCOURAGE HIM TO LEAVE THE RED DANGER ZONE AREA. HE CONTINUED TO BACK HIS VEHICLE NNW UNTIL HE WAS LOCATED ON HELIPAD #1; FACING SSE TOWARD HELIPAD #3. I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT HAVE FELT TRAPPED BY THE RUNNING HELI; SO I REPOSITIONED MY ACFT E OF ANOTHER HELI (NOT RUNNING) WHICH WAS PARKED ON HELIPAD #5. AS 30 SECONDS WENT BY HE CONTINUED TO STAY ON HELIPAD #1. I DECIDED TO HOVER TAXI THE HELI BACK TO HELIPAD #3 (MY LNDG SPOT) AND LAND THE ACFT. I PERFORMED THE SHUTDOWN PROCS AND MOTIONED WITH MY HAND TO THE VEHICLE TO LEAVE THE AREA. HE PROCEEDED TO TURN ON HIS HIGH BEAMS WHICH WERE BLINDING ME. HE DROVE HIS CAR FORWARD AND APCHED THE ACFT ON THE L REAR SIDE 8-10 FT FROM THE SPINNING TAIL ROTOR. HE STOPPED HIS VEHICLE ABEAM THE HELI UNDER THE SPINNING ROTOR DISC. THE ROTOR SPD WAS AT 70% RPM. HE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND WALKED COUNTERCLOCKWISE TO STAND BTWN HIS CAR AND THE RUNNING HELI. DURING THIS MOMENT HE WALKED WITHIN 6 FT OF THE TAIL ROTOR AND UNDER THE ROTOR DISC WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. I YELLED REPEATEDLY THAT HE WAS IN DANGER AND NEEDED TO GET AWAY FROM THE ROTORS IMMEDIATE. HE REFUSED AND AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO WARN HIM HE MOVED HIS VEHICLE TO IN FRONT OF THE ACFT APPROX 80 FT. HE THEN ILLUMINATED MY COCKPIT WITH HIS HIGH BEAMS BLINDING ME. I CALLED 911 AND ASKED EL CAJON POLICE DEPT TO ASSIST ME BECAUSE THE PERSON APPEARED TO BE EXTREMELY UPSET. THE POLICE ARRIVED; HANDCUFFED THE PERSON; AND I SHUT DOWN THE HELI. A STATEMENT WAS GIVEN TO EL CAJON POLICE DEPT FROM MY STUDENT AND MYSELF. THIS APPEARED TO BE A MISCOM BTWN A GND VEHICLE AND AN ACFT WHILE I WAS TRYING TO LAND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.