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            37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System  | 
            
                
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| Attributes | |
| ACN | 1346184 | 
| Time | |
| Date | 201604 | 
| 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 | Small Aircraft High Wing 1 Eng Fixed Gear  | 
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 | 
| Flight Phase | Takeoff | 
| Route In Use | Direct | 
| Flight Plan | None | 
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter | 
| Flight Phase | Cruise | 
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Flying Single Pilot  | 
| Qualification | Flight Crew Private Flight Crew Instrument  | 
| Experience | Flight Crew Last 90 Days 30 Flight Crew Total 3000 Flight Crew Type 250  | 
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Conflict NMAC | 
| Miss Distance | Horizontal 200 Vertical 100  | 
Narrative:
I was departing from runway 14 after visually scanning the airspace and announcing over unicom my intentions to depart on runway 14. Just as I was clearing the tree line at approximately 50 ft AGL I noticed a low flying helicopter approaching at approximately 100 kts ground speed at a 100 ft above tree tops level going from right to left and on a direct collision course with me.I lowered the nose to below the horizon and below the tree line to duck below the helicopter. Once the helicopter passed I continued my climb without incident. After the near miss I called the helicopter on unicom with no response. I decided to follow the helicopter to see if I could have a talk with the pilot after he/she landed.the [helicopter] continued at low level for a few miles then climbed to 1000 ft AGL to clear into class D airspace. The only way I could track the [helicopter] from 1;500 feet and a mile in trail was with tis (traffic information service). When the [helicopter] did not land at the class D airport I turned around and continued on my way without being able to discuss the situation with the [helicopter] pilot. I am not sure what I could have done to prevent this near miss. I know the [helicopter] pilot was joyriding at treetop level and not paying attention to his chart. Following the [helicopter] pilot made me feel good but probably was not the smartest thing to do. Being hyper focused on following a black aircraft that was very close to the ground had my attention focused on the [helicopter] and not as focused on everything else around me. Two wrongs don't make a right. Glad to be alive. Hope the [helicopter] pilot does not kill someone with his/her treetop joy riding.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Helicopter encroached on airport airspace without being in contact with UNICOM frequency. Reporter of departing aircraft had near miss with encroaching airplane.
Narrative: I was departing from runway 14 after visually scanning the airspace and announcing over Unicom my intentions to depart on runway 14. Just as I was clearing the tree line at approximately 50 ft AGL I noticed a low flying helicopter approaching at approximately 100 kts ground speed at a 100 ft above tree tops level going from right to left and on a direct collision course with me.I lowered the nose to below the horizon and below the tree line to duck below the helicopter. Once the helicopter passed I continued my climb without incident. After the near miss I called the helicopter on Unicom with no response. I decided to follow the helicopter to see if I could have a talk with the pilot after he/she landed.The [helicopter] continued at low level for a few miles then climbed to 1000 ft AGL to clear into class D airspace. The only way I could track the [helicopter] from 1;500 feet and a mile in trail was with TIS (Traffic Information Service). When the [helicopter] did not land at the class D airport I turned around and continued on my way without being able to discuss the situation with the [helicopter] pilot. I am not sure what I could have done to prevent this near miss. I know the [helicopter] pilot was joyriding at treetop level and not paying attention to his chart. Following the [helicopter] pilot made me feel good but probably was not the smartest thing to do. Being hyper focused on following a black aircraft that was very close to the ground had my attention focused on the [helicopter] and not as focused on everything else around me. Two wrongs don't make a right. Glad to be alive. Hope the [helicopter] pilot does not kill someone with his/her treetop joy riding.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.