<< >> NASA ASRS Report 172165, March 1991

Ground personnel at ZZZ directed a helicopter in hover parking mode too close to aircraft not tied down. Helicopter rotor downwash endangered the nearby parked aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	172165
Time
Date	199103
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	172165
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

Hover taxiing into parking area. At ZZZ is where incident occurred. I was being directed to parking area by a fuel/FBO company employee trained in that type of operations. I landed short of where he was directing me due to possible rotorwash problems to near parked aircraft. He indicated I need to move closer due to conflicting clearance between my tail and the taxiway. I moved closer under his direction to where he indicated. No damage occurred to any aircraft, but they rocked quite a lot due to the rotorwash. After I shutdown I realized that it was an overflow tiedown area and no aircraft were tied down. The potential for a problem was there. FBO personnel should be better trained about rotorcraft downwash hazards. I need to be better aware of close parked aircraft. Ie, tied down or not, large or small, etc.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND PERSONNEL AT ZZZ DIRECTED A HELICOPTER IN HOVER PARKING MODE TOO CLOSE TO ACFT NOT TIED DOWN. HELICOPTER ROTOR DOWNWASH ENDANGERED THE NEARBY PARKED ACFT.

Narrative: HOVER TAXIING INTO PARKING AREA. AT ZZZ IS WHERE INCIDENT OCCURRED. I WAS BEING DIRECTED TO PARKING AREA BY A FUEL/FBO COMPANY EMPLOYEE TRAINED IN THAT TYPE OF OPS. I LANDED SHORT OF WHERE HE WAS DIRECTING ME DUE TO POSSIBLE ROTORWASH PROBS TO NEAR PARKED ACFT. HE INDICATED I NEED TO MOVE CLOSER DUE TO CONFLICTING CLRNC BTWN MY TAIL AND THE TXWY. I MOVED CLOSER UNDER HIS DIRECTION TO WHERE HE INDICATED. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO ANY ACFT, BUT THEY ROCKED QUITE A LOT DUE TO THE ROTORWASH. AFTER I SHUTDOWN I REALIZED THAT IT WAS AN OVERFLOW TIEDOWN AREA AND NO ACFT WERE TIED DOWN. THE POTENTIAL FOR A PROB WAS THERE. FBO PERSONNEL SHOULD BE BETTER TRAINED ABOUT ROTORCRAFT DOWNWASH HAZARDS. I NEED TO BE BETTER AWARE OF CLOSE PARKED ACFT. IE, TIED DOWN OR NOT, LARGE OR SMALL, ETC.

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.