<< >> NASA ASRS Report 122016, September 1989

Small aircraft helicopter on television news publicity mission lands on high school football field to deliver game ball and is approached too closely by enthusiastic pedestrians.

Attributes
ACN	122016
Time
Date	198909
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mwo airport : day
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	ground : holding ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	122016
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On sep/sat/89, I landed the helicopter at a high school football field for a tv public relations show (deliver the game ball). The landing area on the field was clear with no personnel around the landing site. We landed, the reporter got out and delivered the ball, and got back in. This took him about one minute. As he was getting back in the helicopter, the football team came through a paper wall and onto the field. Several players came close to the chopper, and one or two at the edge of the rotor arc. After they were clear of the chopper, I then departed. I was unaware that this was supposed to happen. A bunch of high school football players running toward a turning helicopter is not a safe situation. More prior planning should be made to ensure this doesn't happen, and an area should be roped off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HELICOPTER ON TELEVISION NEWS PUBLICITY MISSION LANDS ON HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD TO DELIVER GAME BALL AND IS APCHED TOO CLOSELY BY ENTHUSIASTIC PEDESTRIANS.

Narrative: ON SEP/SAT/89, I LANDED THE HELI AT A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD FOR A TV PUBLIC RELATIONS SHOW (DELIVER THE GAME BALL). THE LNDG AREA ON THE FIELD WAS CLEAR WITH NO PERSONNEL AROUND THE LNDG SITE. WE LANDED, THE REPORTER GOT OUT AND DELIVERED THE BALL, AND GOT BACK IN. THIS TOOK HIM ABOUT ONE MINUTE. AS HE WAS GETTING BACK IN THE HELI, THE FOOTBALL TEAM CAME THROUGH A PAPER WALL AND ONTO THE FIELD. SEVERAL PLAYERS CAME CLOSE TO THE CHOPPER, AND ONE OR TWO AT THE EDGE OF THE ROTOR ARC. AFTER THEY WERE CLEAR OF THE CHOPPER, I THEN DEPARTED. I WAS UNAWARE THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. A BUNCH OF HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYERS RUNNING TOWARD A TURNING HELI IS NOT A SAFE SITUATION. MORE PRIOR PLANNING SHOULD BE MADE TO ENSURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN, AND AN AREA SHOULD BE ROPED OFF.

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.