Narrative:

Cleared from lbe to anp (lee airport) via ihd V214 mrb direct balance direct anp. Received routing change before mrb to westminster VOR then direct balance dir anp. Just prior to westminster realized that ZDC should have assigned new frequency. Unable to contact ZDC on any frequency. Contacted bwi approach. Bwi did not appear to have been expecting me. They had to establish my position. What happened to the plan? Why should losing communication with center have resulted in losing the rest of the clearance? Received vectors from bwi approach to anp. On last heading of 130 degrees told to report airport in sight. Sighting airport to right of course turned slightly right 10 degrees towards airport. Controller asked heading. Responded 140 degrees. Told that assigned heading was 130 degrees and to remain clear of washington TCA. On an IFR flight using IFR charts, how does one know where washington's TCA is located? Landing at lee, misjudged approach and aborted landing executed go around. Helicopter was approximately 200' above end of airport runway. Helicopter apparently practicing hovering and maneuvers and demonstration maneuvers within airport area. Perhaps a better practice would be to find a separate practice area away from normal airport operations. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter did not make a follow up telephone call to ascertain the details of the loss of communication with the center or the reason why bwi did not have flight plan information about his flight. Reporter agreed that he should have held the heading given by approach control until he reported lee airport in sight. Reporter and analyst agreed that over the approach end of a runway at an uncontrolled airport was not a good place for the helicopter to hover or give automatic rotate demonstrations. Reporter stated that he had announced his downwind entry, turn to base leg and turn to final on the CTAF frequency. The helicopter pilot was either not on frequency, or ignored the calls.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA, INBOUND TO AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT, MADE A GO AROUND TO AVOID A HELICOPTER THAT WAS HOVERING OVER THE APCH END OF RWY AT 200'.

Narrative: CLRED FROM LBE TO ANP (LEE ARPT) VIA IHD V214 MRB DIRECT BAL DIRECT ANP. RECEIVED ROUTING CHANGE BEFORE MRB TO WESTMINSTER VOR THEN DIRECT BAL DIR ANP. JUST PRIOR TO WESTMINSTER REALIZED THAT ZDC SHOULD HAVE ASSIGNED NEW FREQ. UNABLE TO CONTACT ZDC ON ANY FREQ. CONTACTED BWI APCH. BWI DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN EXPECTING ME. THEY HAD TO ESTABLISH MY POS. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PLAN? WHY SHOULD LOSING COM WITH CENTER HAVE RESULTED IN LOSING THE REST OF THE CLRNC? RECEIVED VECTORS FROM BWI APCH TO ANP. ON LAST HDG OF 130 DEGS TOLD TO RPT ARPT IN SIGHT. SIGHTING ARPT TO RIGHT OF COURSE TURNED SLIGHTLY RIGHT 10 DEGS TOWARDS ARPT. CTLR ASKED HDG. RESPONDED 140 DEGS. TOLD THAT ASSIGNED HDG WAS 130 DEGS AND TO REMAIN CLR OF WASHINGTON TCA. ON AN IFR FLT USING IFR CHARTS, HOW DOES ONE KNOW WHERE WASHINGTON'S TCA IS LOCATED? LNDG AT LEE, MISJUDGED APCH AND ABORTED LNDG EXECUTED GO AROUND. HELI WAS APPROX 200' ABOVE END OF ARPT RWY. HELI APPARENTLY PRACTICING HOVERING AND MANEUVERS AND DEMONSTRATION MANEUVERS WITHIN ARPT AREA. PERHAPS A BETTER PRACTICE WOULD BE TO FIND A SEPARATE PRACTICE AREA AWAY FROM NORMAL ARPT OPS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR DID NOT MAKE A FOLLOW UP TELEPHONE CALL TO ASCERTAIN THE DETAILS OF THE LOSS OF COM WITH THE CENTER OR THE REASON WHY BWI DID NOT HAVE FLT PLAN INFO ABOUT HIS FLT. RPTR AGREED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE HELD THE HDG GIVEN BY APCH CTL UNTIL HE RPTED LEE ARPT IN SIGHT. RPTR AND ANALYST AGREED THAT OVER THE APCH END OF A RWY AT AN UNCTLED ARPT WAS NOT A GOOD PLACE FOR THE HELI TO HOVER OR GIVE AUTO ROTATE DEMONSTRATIONS. RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD ANNOUNCED HIS DOWNWIND ENTRY, TURN TO BASE LEG AND TURN TO FINAL ON THE CTAF FREQ. THE HELI PLT WAS EITHER NOT ON FREQ, OR IGNORED THE CALLS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.