C210 pilot reports critical conflict with helicopter at night in opf pattern.

Attributes
ACN	788323
Time
Date	200805
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : opf.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C 210D
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3975 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	788323
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Canceled IFR with airport in sight. Miami approach wanted me to stay with him for advisories and handed me off as I was almost at opf. Was monitoring miami and CTAF; and announced entering the pattern for a left downwind for runway 30. Miami always vectors you out for a set-up for ILS 12; but winds favored runway 30. Normally do not need to use runway 30; so less familiar. A military helicopter departed runway 27L; an unlighted runway; which is a bit confusing. A C172 also announces he is entering the pattern for runway 30. Someone (probably) the C172 kept keying the runway lights for runway 12/30 up and down. Opf lights always seem very bright or very dim; making it more difficult to fly a good downwind; referencing the runway. The military helicopter then comes on the radio and says I overflew him. I did lose sight of him. At this time I did see an aircraft behind me and lower. He (the military) comes on the radio and just keeps going and going on about the situation. I kept announcing my pattern calls; but he either did not hear or did not listen. Then I entered an upwind for runway 30 to sort out the situation and allow the C172 to land. I entered the pattern behind the C172 and landed. The C172 exited the runway and the same intersection as I did and came to a complete stop. I stopped behind him and waited for him to move. This seemed to upset the military pilot even more. I announced back to him that I was trying to clear runway 30 for him but the C172 blocked the taxiway. Anyhow; the factors to this chain of events were: different runway than usual for me. The military using an unlighted runway at night. I don't know what the chopper did; but they do operate differently than fixed wing aircraft. The runway lights being brightened and dimmed by an unknown source (probably the C172). The bright lights of the city; dark hole of the airport making it difficult to see the helicopter. To improve safety: I will be much more careful around helicopters and doing anything different than routine. It would be great if everyone used a lighted runway at night. The good thing is nobody got hurt and no metal was bent. This should be a lesson in being careful and never let your guard down.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C210 PILOT REPORTS CRITICAL CONFLICT WITH HELICOPTER AT NIGHT IN OPF PATTERN.

Narrative: CANCELED IFR WITH ARPT IN SIGHT. MIAMI APCH WANTED ME TO STAY WITH HIM FOR ADVISORIES AND HANDED ME OFF AS I WAS ALMOST AT OPF. WAS MONITORING MIAMI AND CTAF; AND ANNOUNCED ENTERING THE PATTERN FOR A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 30. MIAMI ALWAYS VECTORS YOU OUT FOR A SET-UP FOR ILS 12; BUT WINDS FAVORED RWY 30. NORMALLY DO NOT NEED TO USE RWY 30; SO LESS FAMILIAR. A MIL HELI DEPARTED RWY 27L; AN UNLIGHTED RWY; WHICH IS A BIT CONFUSING. A C172 ALSO ANNOUNCES HE IS ENTERING THE PATTERN FOR RWY 30. SOMEONE (PROBABLY) THE C172 KEPT KEYING THE RWY LIGHTS FOR RWY 12/30 UP AND DOWN. OPF LIGHTS ALWAYS SEEM VERY BRIGHT OR VERY DIM; MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO FLY A GOOD DOWNWIND; REFING THE RWY. THE MIL HELI THEN COMES ON THE RADIO AND SAYS I OVERFLEW HIM. I DID LOSE SIGHT OF HIM. AT THIS TIME I DID SEE AN ACFT BEHIND ME AND LOWER. HE (THE MIL) COMES ON THE RADIO AND JUST KEEPS GOING AND GOING ON ABOUT THE SITUATION. I KEPT ANNOUNCING MY PATTERN CALLS; BUT HE EITHER DID NOT HEAR OR DID NOT LISTEN. THEN I ENTERED AN UPWIND FOR RWY 30 TO SORT OUT THE SITUATION AND ALLOW THE C172 TO LAND. I ENTERED THE PATTERN BEHIND THE C172 AND LANDED. THE C172 EXITED THE RWY AND THE SAME INTXN AS I DID AND CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. I STOPPED BEHIND HIM AND WAITED FOR HIM TO MOVE. THIS SEEMED TO UPSET THE MIL PLT EVEN MORE. I ANNOUNCED BACK TO HIM THAT I WAS TRYING TO CLR RWY 30 FOR HIM BUT THE C172 BLOCKED THE TXWY. ANYHOW; THE FACTORS TO THIS CHAIN OF EVENTS WERE: DIFFERENT RWY THAN USUAL FOR ME. THE MIL USING AN UNLIGHTED RWY AT NIGHT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CHOPPER DID; BUT THEY DO OPERATE DIFFERENTLY THAN FIXED WING ACFT. THE RWY LIGHTS BEING BRIGHTENED AND DIMMED BY AN UNKNOWN SOURCE (PROBABLY THE C172). THE BRIGHT LIGHTS OF THE CITY; DARK HOLE OF THE ARPT MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE THE HELI. TO IMPROVE SAFETY: I WILL BE MUCH MORE CAREFUL AROUND HELIS AND DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN ROUTINE. IT WOULD BE GREAT IF EVERYONE USED A LIGHTED RWY AT NIGHT. THE GOOD THING IS NOBODY GOT HURT AND NO METAL WAS BENT. THIS SHOULD BE A LESSON IN BEING CAREFUL AND NEVER LET YOUR GUARD DOWN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.