C172 student and instructor report rejected takeoff after conflict with helicopter; when pilot appar...

Attributes
ACN	822305
Time
Date	200902
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Takeoff
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Initial Climb
Person 1
Function	Single Pilot Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Private
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 7 Flight Crew Total 87 Flight Crew Type 87
Person 2
Function	Pilot Not Flying Instructor
Qualification	Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Commercial
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 125 Flight Crew Total 2275 Flight Crew Type 1700
Events
Anomaly	Conflict Ground Conflict Less Severe Deviation - Procedural FAR
Miss Distance	Horizontal 1500 Vertical 90

Narrative:

I was about to take off for an IFR training flight with my instructor. After run-up; I contacted tower for clearance to depart IFR. I received clearance to take off on runway X. After responding to ATC; I proceeded to roll onto the runway. Once on centerline; I throttled up and started my takeoff roll. As takeoff roll started; I checked my airspeed indicator and called out 'airspeed alive.' after a few seconds of looking straight down the runway; I checked my engine gauges to ensure proper oil pressure. That took about 1 second. When I looked back up; I saw the helicopter crossing the runway at about 90 ft high approximately 1;500-2;000 ft ahead of me; petty much where runway yy intersects xx. I immediately pulled the throttle and started braking. I could hear the tower telling the helicopter that they were not cleared to take off. The helicopter pilot said he was sorry after peeling off left and back. Tower called and told me it was my discretion what I wanted to do; so I chose to do a 180 degree turn and back-taxied to start over so I would have the entire length of runway to work with again on takeoff. I believe the other pilot heard my takeoff clearance and thought it was his. I did have plenty of time to take action...this time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 student and instructor report rejected takeoff after conflict with helicopter; when pilot apparently accepted their takeoff clearance on an intersecting runway.

Narrative: I was about to take off for an IFR training flight with my instructor. After run-up; I contacted Tower for clearance to depart IFR. I received clearance to take off on Runway X. After responding to ATC; I proceeded to roll onto the runway. Once on centerline; I throttled up and started my takeoff roll. As takeoff roll started; I checked my airspeed indicator and called out 'airspeed alive.' After a few seconds of looking straight down the runway; I checked my engine gauges to ensure proper oil pressure. That took about 1 second. When I looked back up; I saw the helicopter crossing the runway at about 90 FT high approximately 1;500-2;000 FT ahead of me; petty much where Runway YY intersects XX. I immediately pulled the throttle and started braking. I could hear the Tower telling the helicopter that they were not cleared to take off. The helicopter pilot said he was sorry after peeling off left and back. Tower called and told me it was my discretion what I wanted to do; so I chose to do a 180 degree turn and back-taxied to start over so I would have the entire length of runway to work with again on takeoff. I believe the other pilot heard my takeoff clearance and thought it was his. I did have plenty of time to take action...this time.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.