Narrative:

I am a pilot who has flown out of chester county airport (mqs) near coatesville; PA. In the interest of flight safety; I am compelled to call attention to the flight operations being conducted at the keystone helicopter facility located at the approach end of runway 11. Keystone is a subsidiary of sikorsky aircraft that is being developed as it's commercial helicopter center where all it's commercial helicopters (S-76 and S-92) will be produced; modified; and delivered to it's customers. Presently it operates as a repair facility under far part 145 and under a production certificate for the S-76. Sikorsky plans to move all S-92 production operations to keystone in the near future. Sikorsky also plans to producing; and delivering over 80 helicopters at this facility each year. The S-76 is a medium (11700 pounds) twin engine helicopter used mostly for passenger transportation. S-92 is the largest (26500 pounds) commercial helicopter manufactured in the USA. The process of producing and delivering helicopters require numerous maintenance test flts on each aircraft. Each flight is a series of checks to ensure every system on the helicopter is operation as designed. All these flts are conducted during daylight hours and under VFR conditions. Mqs is an uncontrolled field with one runway 11/29. The keystone facility is located at the approach end of runway 11 and does not have direct (taxi) access to the airport. Generally it is not a good idea to mix fixed wing and helicopter operations at an uncontrolled field. In this case the volume of continuous helicopter activity along with helicopter test flts makes it all more hazardous. The following are my specific concerns: 1) a single keystone helipad is not enough for operation. Only one helipad is available for all hovering; takeoffs and landings. During production/maintenance flts the helicopter spends a considerable time in a hover testing the equipment. This demand on the helipad requires in-flight radio coordination between the pilots of each aircraft. This can lead to confusion between aircraft. 2) the keystone helipad is too close to the runway environment. Although the helipad is not directly under runway 29; it is a 1/4 mile from the end of runway 11 and within 30 degrees of its extended centerline. I have observed departing fixed wing traffic directly over the helipad. 3) the keystone ramp is too congested for the operation. Helicopters are parked too close to fences; parked cars and each other. The production/maintenance processes require many hours of ground run time (rotor turning) for each helicopter. Normal clearances for helicopter parking should not be used for this type of operation. 4) keystone departure and arrival profiles are too near and too low over surrounding buildings. A takeoff and departure into the prevailing wind (west) require the pilot to fly a low circling profile to avoid over flying buildings and residential areas at the same time avoiding and staying low over the departure end of runway 29. Category a landings and takeoff are impossible for all takeoff and landings. Safe landing areas in the event of an engine failure are limited. New construction is further limiting approach paths.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A HELICOPTER MANUFACTURER WILL BE MANUFACTURING AND TESTING ITS MEDIUM AND HEAVY HELICOPTERS AT A FACILITY LOCATED OFF THE MQS AIRPORT NEAR THE APPROACH END OF RWY 11. OPERATIONS WILL BE A POTENTIAL CONFLICT FOR ARRIVING AND DEPARTING MQS VFR TRAFFIC.

Narrative: I AM A PLT WHO HAS FLOWN OUT OF CHESTER COUNTY ARPT (MQS) NEAR COATESVILLE; PA. IN THE INTEREST OF FLT SAFETY; I AM COMPELLED TO CALL ATTENTION TO THE FLT OPS BEING CONDUCTED AT THE KEYSTONE HELI FACILITY LOCATED AT THE APCH END OF RWY 11. KEYSTONE IS A SUBSIDIARY OF SIKORSKY ACFT THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED AS IT'S COMMERCIAL HELI CENTER WHERE ALL IT'S COMMERCIAL HELIS (S-76 AND S-92) WILL BE PRODUCED; MODIFIED; AND DELIVERED TO IT'S CUSTOMERS. PRESENTLY IT OPERATES AS A REPAIR FACILITY UNDER FAR PART 145 AND UNDER A PRODUCTION CERTIFICATE FOR THE S-76. SIKORSKY PLANS TO MOVE ALL S-92 PRODUCTION OPS TO KEYSTONE IN THE NEAR FUTURE. SIKORSKY ALSO PLANS TO PRODUCING; AND DELIVERING OVER 80 HELIS AT THIS FACILITY EACH YEAR. THE S-76 IS A MEDIUM (11700 LBS) TWIN ENG HELI USED MOSTLY FOR PAX TRANSPORTATION. S-92 IS THE LARGEST (26500 LBS) COMMERCIAL HELI MANUFACTURED IN THE USA. THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING AND DELIVERING HELIS REQUIRE NUMEROUS MAINTENANCE TEST FLTS ON EACH ACFT. EACH FLT IS A SERIES OF CHKS TO ENSURE EVERY SYSTEM ON THE HELI IS OPERATION AS DESIGNED. ALL THESE FLTS ARE CONDUCTED DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS AND UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. MQS IS AN UNCTLED FIELD WITH ONE RWY 11/29. THE KEYSTONE FACILITY IS LOCATED AT THE APCH END OF RWY 11 AND DOES NOT HAVE DIRECT (TAXI) ACCESS TO THE ARPT. GENERALLY IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA TO MIX FIXED WING AND HELI OPS AT AN UNCTLED FIELD. IN THIS CASE THE VOLUME OF CONTINUOUS HELI ACTIVITY ALONG WITH HELI TEST FLTS MAKES IT ALL MORE HAZARDOUS. THE FOLLOWING ARE MY SPECIFIC CONCERNS: 1) A SINGLE KEYSTONE HELIPAD IS NOT ENOUGH FOR OPERATION. ONLY ONE HELIPAD IS AVAILABLE FOR ALL HOVERING; TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS. DURING PRODUCTION/MAINTENANCE FLTS THE HELI SPENDS A CONSIDERABLE TIME IN A HOVER TESTING THE EQUIP. THIS DEMAND ON THE HELIPAD REQUIRES INFLT RADIO COORDINATION BETWEEN THE PLTS OF EACH ACFT. THIS CAN LEAD TO CONFUSION BETWEEN ACFT. 2) THE KEYSTONE HELIPAD IS TOO CLOSE TO THE RWY ENVIRONMENT. ALTHOUGH THE HELIPAD IS NOT DIRECTLY UNDER RWY 29; IT IS A 1/4 MILE FROM THE END OF RWY 11 AND WITHIN 30 DEGS OF ITS EXTENDED CENTERLINE. I HAVE OBSERVED DEPARTING FIXED WING TFC DIRECTLY OVER THE HELIPAD. 3) THE KEYSTONE RAMP IS TOO CONGESTED FOR THE OPERATION. HELIS ARE PARKED TOO CLOSE TO FENCES; PARKED CARS AND EACH OTHER. THE PRODUCTION/MAINTENANCE PROCESSES REQUIRE MANY HOURS OF GROUND RUN TIME (ROTOR TURNING) FOR EACH HELI. NORMAL CLEARANCES FOR HELI PARKING SHOULD NOT BE USED FOR THIS TYPE OF OPERATION. 4) KEYSTONE DEP AND ARR PROFILES ARE TOO NEAR AND TOO LOW OVER SURROUNDING BUILDINGS. A TAKEOFF AND DEP INTO THE PREVAILING WIND (WEST) REQUIRE THE PLT TO FLY A LOW CIRCLING PROFILE TO AVOID OVER FLYING BUILDINGS AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS AT THE SAME TIME AVOIDING AND STAYING LOW OVER THE DEP END OF RWY 29. CATEGORY A LANDINGS AND TAKEOFF ARE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ALL TAKEOFF AND LANDINGS. SAFE LANDING AREAS IN THE EVENT OF AN ENG FAILURE ARE LIMITED. NEW CONSTRUCTION IS FURTHER LIMITING APCH PATHS.

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.