Narrative:

Our helicopter was en route to landing at hpn. The aircraft was cleared to enter the hpn air traffic area via the sierra VFR helicopter route. Approaching the hpn field boundary, the PF asked for further clearance for landing at charlie taxiway. There was no reply from hpn tower. The controller was making rapid communications with many aircraft at this time. I heard the word go around issued to small aircraft B but no indication of his position or runway assignment. At this time we were overhead the airport, approximately over the FBO parking ramp, still at 1400' MSL. We made contact with the tower asked for further clearance. The tower asked if we had the small aircraft a on go around. There was an small aircraft a at the approach end of runway 34 and the PF announced he saw an small aircraft a. I mentioned to the PF that there was a go around. I looked at runway 29 and it's approach path, and saw nothing. I looked at runway 34 and saw an small aircraft a in a landing attitude approaching the intersection of runway 34 and 29, and nothing on the approach path of runway 34. I then saw small aircraft B cross in front of our nose, at our altitude and approximately 100' distance. Small aircraft B was in an extreme angle of left bank in order to avoid us. The tower then cleared us to cross runway 34, at altitude, let down on the east side of the airport and land at taxiway delta. The PF asked to land at taxiway charlie and then to the terminal. We were again cleared to land at taxiway delta. Upon contacting ground, we were cleared to international area. We again asked to be cleared to the terminal and were thus cleared. On departure, I requested charlie taxiway and a sierra departure route, and were thus cleared. Contact with tower was made, but we were cleared to remain east of runway 34, because of departure, and the controller would clear us across runway 34. We monitored the departure pass us, after two attempts to contact the tower, we were cleared on course about 2 mi north of hpn. Traffic was pointed out as closed traffic for the airport. I then asked for a whiskey route and was thus cleared. This request was to avoid the traffic pattern and it was a more advantageous route to my destination. Approximately 4 mi west of hpn, we were at 1400' MSL and about 1/2 mi south of an small aircraft, whom we thought was also leaving the airport. The controller questioned an small aircraft that was outside the traffic pattern, and then was instructed to turn left and re-enter the pattern. The small aircraft to our right made a left turn toward us. We descended 500' and the small aircraft passed less than 1/4 mi from us. I asked the controller if he knew where we were, and he said 'he did not have a tag on us.' at this time we were inside the air traffic area and on a published route, and the small aircraft was instructed to cross our flight path. Some of the factors affecting the situation were: controller training with interuptions by the trner; a high volume of radio communications because of repeat instructions and requests; and a loss of situational awareness.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER ON APCH WITHIN ATA HAS NMAC WITH SMA.

Narrative: OUR HELI WAS ENRTE TO LNDG AT HPN. THE ACFT WAS CLRED TO ENTER THE HPN ATA VIA THE SIERRA VFR HELI RTE. APCHING THE HPN FIELD BOUNDARY, THE PF ASKED FOR FURTHER CLRNC FOR LNDG AT CHARLIE TXWY. THERE WAS NO REPLY FROM HPN TWR. THE CTLR WAS MAKING RAPID COMS WITH MANY ACFT AT THIS TIME. I HEARD THE WORD GO AROUND ISSUED TO SMA B BUT NO INDICATION OF HIS POS OR RWY ASSIGNMENT. AT THIS TIME WE WERE OVERHEAD THE ARPT, APPROX OVER THE FBO PARKING RAMP, STILL AT 1400' MSL. WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE TWR ASKED FOR FURTHER CLRNC. THE TWR ASKED IF WE HAD THE SMA A ON GAR. THERE WAS AN SMA A AT THE APCH END OF RWY 34 AND THE PF ANNOUNCED HE SAW AN SMA A. I MENTIONED TO THE PF THAT THERE WAS A GAR. I LOOKED AT RWY 29 AND IT'S APCH PATH, AND SAW NOTHING. I LOOKED AT RWY 34 AND SAW AN SMA A IN A LNDG ATTITUDE APCHING THE INTXN OF RWY 34 AND 29, AND NOTHING ON THE APCH PATH OF RWY 34. I THEN SAW SMA B CROSS IN FRONT OF OUR NOSE, AT OUR ALT AND APPROX 100' DISTANCE. SMA B WAS IN AN EXTREME ANGLE OF L BANK IN ORDER TO AVOID US. THE TWR THEN CLRED US TO CROSS RWY 34, AT ALT, LET DOWN ON THE E SIDE OF THE ARPT AND LAND AT TXWY DELTA. THE PF ASKED TO LAND AT TXWY CHARLIE AND THEN TO THE TERMINAL. WE WERE AGAIN CLRED TO LAND AT TXWY DELTA. UPON CONTACTING GND, WE WERE CLRED TO INTL AREA. WE AGAIN ASKED TO BE CLRED TO THE TERMINAL AND WERE THUS CLRED. ON DEP, I REQUESTED CHARLIE TXWY AND A SIERRA DEP RTE, AND WERE THUS CLRED. CONTACT WITH TWR WAS MADE, BUT WE WERE CLRED TO REMAIN E OF RWY 34, BECAUSE OF DEP, AND THE CTLR WOULD CLR US ACROSS RWY 34. WE MONITORED THE DEP PASS US, AFTER TWO ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE TWR, WE WERE CLRED ON COURSE ABOUT 2 MI N OF HPN. TFC WAS POINTED OUT AS CLOSED TFC FOR THE ARPT. I THEN ASKED FOR A WHISKEY RTE AND WAS THUS CLRED. THIS REQUEST WAS TO AVOID THE TFC PATTERN AND IT WAS A MORE ADVANTAGEOUS RTE TO MY DEST. APPROX 4 MI W OF HPN, WE WERE AT 1400' MSL AND ABOUT 1/2 MI S OF AN SMA, WHOM WE THOUGHT WAS ALSO LEAVING THE ARPT. THE CTLR QUESTIONED AN SMA THAT WAS OUTSIDE THE TFC PATTERN, AND THEN WAS INSTRUCTED TO TURN L AND RE-ENTER THE PATTERN. THE SMA TO OUR R MADE A L TURN TOWARD US. WE DSNDED 500' AND THE SMA PASSED LESS THAN 1/4 MI FROM US. I ASKED THE CTLR IF HE KNEW WHERE WE WERE, AND HE SAID 'HE DID NOT HAVE A TAG ON US.' AT THIS TIME WE WERE INSIDE THE ATA AND ON A PUBLISHED RTE, AND THE SMA WAS INSTRUCTED TO CROSS OUR FLT PATH. SOME OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING THE SITUATION WERE: CTLR TRNING WITH INTERUPTIONS BY THE TRNER; A HIGH VOLUME OF RADIO COMS BECAUSE OF REPEAT INSTRUCTIONS AND REQUESTS; AND A LOSS OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

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.