Narrative:

A situation ('accident waiting to happen') exists at sjc between txwys 3-4 on taxiway bravo. Aircraft on low approach to runway 29 pass over helicopter's parked along taxiway bravo. When helicopter's are parked and shut down this presents no problem; however, helicopter's that must lift to a hover and taxi out to the middle of bravo run the risk of being 'clipped' by low-flying GA aircraft landing on runway 29. Because of limited parking at the FBO, there is no place the FBO can situate its training fleet except at bravo. The obvious solution seems to be installation of a VASI at 29, so that GA aircraft will be required to maintain a proper glide path on final approach. Presently a helicopter lifting to hover taxi has its tail to approaching traffic for runway 29. If a means is not found to keep approaching aircraft well above the helicopter fleet, a midair is only a matter of time. I have witnessed this low approach/near conflict many times in my training to fly helicopter's. Sjc local controllers aggravate the situation by asking the helicopter's to 'expedite taxi' for approaching aircraft--no easy matter when the helicopter is turned x-wind and a trnee is at the controls. Many GA pilots who land on runway 29 fly sloppy approachs just over the roofs of the coleman hangars and very close to the rotor blades of helicopter training fleet. In this case, it is the GA pilot who should clean up their acts, not the FBO who has no other place to park the helicopter's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARKED HELICOPTERS AND TAXIING HELICOPTERS FROM PARKING AREA IN JEOPARDY FROM LOW FLYING SMA ON APCH FOR LNDG OVER THE HELICOPTERS.

Narrative: A SITUATION ('ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN') EXISTS AT SJC BTWN TXWYS 3-4 ON TXWY BRAVO. ACFT ON LOW APCH TO RWY 29 PASS OVER HELI'S PARKED ALONG TXWY BRAVO. WHEN HELI'S ARE PARKED AND SHUT DOWN THIS PRESENTS NO PROB; HOWEVER, HELI'S THAT MUST LIFT TO A HOVER AND TAXI OUT TO THE MIDDLE OF BRAVO RUN THE RISK OF BEING 'CLIPPED' BY LOW-FLYING GA ACFT LNDG ON RWY 29. BECAUSE OF LIMITED PARKING AT THE FBO, THERE IS NO PLACE THE FBO CAN SITUATE ITS TRNING FLEET EXCEPT AT BRAVO. THE OBVIOUS SOLUTION SEEMS TO BE INSTALLATION OF A VASI AT 29, SO THAT GA ACFT WILL BE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDE PATH ON FINAL APCH. PRESENTLY A HELI LIFTING TO HOVER TAXI HAS ITS TAIL TO APCHING TFC FOR RWY 29. IF A MEANS IS NOT FOUND TO KEEP APCHING ACFT WELL ABOVE THE HELI FLEET, A MIDAIR IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. I HAVE WITNESSED THIS LOW APCH/NEAR CONFLICT MANY TIMES IN MY TRNING TO FLY HELI'S. SJC LCL CTLRS AGGRAVATE THE SITUATION BY ASKING THE HELI'S TO 'EXPEDITE TAXI' FOR APCHING ACFT--NO EASY MATTER WHEN THE HELI IS TURNED X-WIND AND A TRNEE IS AT THE CONTROLS. MANY GA PLTS WHO LAND ON RWY 29 FLY SLOPPY APCHS JUST OVER THE ROOFS OF THE COLEMAN HANGARS AND VERY CLOSE TO THE ROTOR BLADES OF HELI TRNING FLEET. IN THIS CASE, IT IS THE GA PLT WHO SHOULD CLEAN UP THEIR ACTS, NOT THE FBO WHO HAS NO OTHER PLACE TO PARK THE HELI'S.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.