Narrative:

I was dispatched on a flight by our company licensed dispatcher in an AS355 helicopter. I was to pick up 1 passenger at XA50. When discussing the nature of the flight; I let the dispatcher know that I was familiar with the location of the race track; as I had flown over it numerous times before; but I did not know where the actual landing zone was located on the track facility. The dispatcher then sent me an e-mail of a detailed picture with an arrow drawn indicating the landing zone and told me that we have permission to land at the soccer field shown in the picture. When I arrived at the site at XA45; I flew 2 high reconnaissance orbits at 500 ft to make sure I was at the right landing site and had the appropriate elements for an off-site landing. When I established that I was at the right site; I flew my low reconnaissance at 300 ft. At that time I realized that the landing site I was given was part of school property. I made 1 other low reconnaissance orbit to make sure that there were no kids or people in the field and that the site was safe for landing. I came around and made a less than steep approach to the site and landed the helicopter in the field. Once I landed; the school superintendent; a few other school personnel and a police officer arrived at the site and came to the helicopter. I spoke to both the officer and superintendent and told them what I was doing there. I showed them the picture sent by dispatch of the landing site and explained to them that I would have never landed on the field if I saw kids playing. My passenger also arrived to the site and was let in to the field to board the helicopter. At that time the police officer gave me permission to depart the field. I made sure all people were clear of the helicopter and departed the site. When I landed back at blm; I called the director of operations to inform him of what happened. He told me that he received a call from the superintendent telling him that the FAA was notified. The director of operations also received a call from the police officer who stated that there was no danger to person or property as a result of my landing. I believe that miscom was the leading cause of this event. After completing the flight; I learned that the director of operations; who has operational control; had not approved the flight and was not notified that it was to take place. The dispatcher had received wrong information about the landing site from the race track personnel. As a result of this inaccurate information; which was forwarded to me by my dispatcher; I landed on school property.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF HELI LANDS ON PUBLIC SCHOOL GROUNDS BASED ON FAULTY INFO FROM COMPANY DISPATCHER.

Narrative: I WAS DISPATCHED ON A FLT BY OUR COMPANY LICENSED DISPATCHER IN AN AS355 HELI. I WAS TO PICK UP 1 PAX AT XA50. WHEN DISCUSSING THE NATURE OF THE FLT; I LET THE DISPATCHER KNOW THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION OF THE RACE TRACK; AS I HAD FLOWN OVER IT NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE; BUT I DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE ACTUAL LNDG ZONE WAS LOCATED ON THE TRACK FACILITY. THE DISPATCHER THEN SENT ME AN E-MAIL OF A DETAILED PICTURE WITH AN ARROW DRAWN INDICATING THE LNDG ZONE AND TOLD ME THAT WE HAVE PERMISSION TO LAND AT THE SOCCER FIELD SHOWN IN THE PICTURE. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE SITE AT XA45; I FLEW 2 HIGH RECONNAISSANCE ORBITS AT 500 FT TO MAKE SURE I WAS AT THE RIGHT LNDG SITE AND HAD THE APPROPRIATE ELEMENTS FOR AN OFF-SITE LNDG. WHEN I ESTABLISHED THAT I WAS AT THE RIGHT SITE; I FLEW MY LOW RECONNAISSANCE AT 300 FT. AT THAT TIME I REALIZED THAT THE LNDG SITE I WAS GIVEN WAS PART OF SCHOOL PROPERTY. I MADE 1 OTHER LOW RECONNAISSANCE ORBIT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WERE NO KIDS OR PEOPLE IN THE FIELD AND THAT THE SITE WAS SAFE FOR LNDG. I CAME AROUND AND MADE A LESS THAN STEEP APCH TO THE SITE AND LANDED THE HELI IN THE FIELD. ONCE I LANDED; THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT; A FEW OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND A POLICE OFFICER ARRIVED AT THE SITE AND CAME TO THE HELI. I SPOKE TO BOTH THE OFFICER AND SUPERINTENDENT AND TOLD THEM WHAT I WAS DOING THERE. I SHOWED THEM THE PICTURE SENT BY DISPATCH OF THE LNDG SITE AND EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I WOULD HAVE NEVER LANDED ON THE FIELD IF I SAW KIDS PLAYING. MY PAX ALSO ARRIVED TO THE SITE AND WAS LET IN TO THE FIELD TO BOARD THE HELI. AT THAT TIME THE POLICE OFFICER GAVE ME PERMISSION TO DEPART THE FIELD. I MADE SURE ALL PEOPLE WERE CLR OF THE HELI AND DEPARTED THE SITE. WHEN I LANDED BACK AT BLM; I CALLED THE DIRECTOR OF OPS TO INFORM HIM OF WHAT HAPPENED. HE TOLD ME THAT HE RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT TELLING HIM THAT THE FAA WAS NOTIFIED. THE DIRECTOR OF OPS ALSO RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE POLICE OFFICER WHO STATED THAT THERE WAS NO DANGER TO PERSON OR PROPERTY AS A RESULT OF MY LNDG. I BELIEVE THAT MISCOM WAS THE LEADING CAUSE OF THIS EVENT. AFTER COMPLETING THE FLT; I LEARNED THAT THE DIRECTOR OF OPS; WHO HAS OPERATIONAL CTL; HAD NOT APPROVED THE FLT AND WAS NOT NOTIFIED THAT IT WAS TO TAKE PLACE. THE DISPATCHER HAD RECEIVED WRONG INFO ABOUT THE LNDG SITE FROM THE RACE TRACK PERSONNEL. AS A RESULT OF THIS INACCURATE INFO; WHICH WAS FORWARDED TO ME BY MY DISPATCHER; I LANDED ON SCHOOL PROPERTY.

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.