Narrative:

1 controller was working clearance, ground and tower with no ATC radar. None is available there. We were holding short of runway 21 ready for takeoff. The cho tower cleared us into position and hold. We checked the approach and departure paths, as well as the runway itself, noting no traffic as we taxied into position and held. ATC cleared another aircraft, a life flight helicopter, on the FBO ramp, for takeoff. The controller then said to us that reference the wbound helicopter, you're cleared for takeoff. We quickly responded negative contact on the helicopter. The tower then said, you say you don't have the helicopter? We said we did not and stayed in position per our takeoff clearance. ATC then made a transmission to the helicopter and the helicopter put its lights on. We were then able to see the helicopter starting to cross over the departure end of runway 21. First officer then said to ATC that we have the traffic in sight and to confirm he is moving wbound? ATC responded that he was wbound and we were cleared for takeoff. We initiated the takeoff when the helicopter cleared the departure end of 21 to the west. As we started our roll, the tower sent another aircraft, apparently landing 21, on a go around. The first officer remarked to the captain that another aircraft was going around, and the captain acknowledged and continued the takeoff roll. The go around aircraft was instructed by ATC to remain west of runway 21. Shortly after liftoff the first officer looked to her right to see if she could see the aircraft on go around, and saw the aircraft just outside her right window, paralleling us at our same altitude of about 200-300 ft. This is the first we had seen of that aircraft, a commuter light transport. After the first officer pointed out the traffic to the captain, we immediately increased our climb rate and turned to the left. As we continued our evasive maneuvering ATC handed us off to center. Nothing was said to us or the go around aircraft. Upon returning on the next flight to cho, the captain called the cho tower to talk to the controller and express our concern, and ask why the separation was so close. The controller tended to downplay the situation, but said he would watch closer next time. Controller also noted that he had difficulty seeing the helicopter until it turned its lights on. Granted, the dusk and haze situation didn't help, but with the volume of traffic at the cho airport, they should have fixed reporting points, or better yet, local radar. I feel that the controller situation in cho really leaves the controllers, in general, out of the 'loop,' and adding to the confusion. Cho should either be an uncontrolled field and let the aircraft coordinate among themselves, or give the controller the tools he needs to do the job, namely, local radar.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ACFT DELAYS DEP CAUSING A LNDG COMMUTER TO GAR.

Narrative: 1 CTLR WAS WORKING CLRNC, GND AND TWR WITH NO ATC RADAR. NONE IS AVAILABLE THERE. WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 21 READY FOR TKOF. THE CHO TWR CLRED US INTO POS AND HOLD. WE CHKED THE APCH AND DEP PATHS, AS WELL AS THE RWY ITSELF, NOTING NO TFC AS WE TAXIED INTO POS AND HELD. ATC CLRED ANOTHER ACFT, A LIFE FLT HELI, ON THE FBO RAMP, FOR TKOF. THE CTLR THEN SAID TO US THAT REF THE WBOUND HELI, YOU'RE CLRED FOR TKOF. WE QUICKLY RESPONDED NEGATIVE CONTACT ON THE HELI. THE TWR THEN SAID, YOU SAY YOU DON'T HAVE THE HELI? WE SAID WE DID NOT AND STAYED IN POS PER OUR TKOF CLRNC. ATC THEN MADE A XMISSION TO THE HELI AND THE HELI PUT ITS LIGHTS ON. WE WERE THEN ABLE TO SEE THE HELI STARTING TO CROSS OVER THE DEP END OF RWY 21. FO THEN SAID TO ATC THAT WE HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT AND TO CONFIRM HE IS MOVING WBOUND? ATC RESPONDED THAT HE WAS WBOUND AND WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. WE INITIATED THE TKOF WHEN THE HELI CLRED THE DEP END OF 21 TO THE W. AS WE STARTED OUR ROLL, THE TWR SENT ANOTHER ACFT, APPARENTLY LNDG 21, ON A GAR. THE FO REMARKED TO THE CAPT THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS GOING AROUND, AND THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED AND CONTINUED THE TKOF ROLL. THE GAR ACFT WAS INSTRUCTED BY ATC TO REMAIN W OF RWY 21. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF THE FO LOOKED TO HER R TO SEE IF SHE COULD SEE THE ACFT ON GAR, AND SAW THE ACFT JUST OUTSIDE HER R WINDOW, PARALLELING US AT OUR SAME ALT OF ABOUT 200-300 FT. THIS IS THE FIRST WE HAD SEEN OF THAT ACFT, A COMMUTER LTT. AFTER THE FO POINTED OUT THE TFC TO THE CAPT, WE IMMEDIATELY INCREASED OUR CLB RATE AND TURNED TO THE L. AS WE CONTINUED OUR EVASIVE MANEUVERING ATC HANDED US OFF TO CTR. NOTHING WAS SAID TO US OR THE GAR ACFT. UPON RETURNING ON THE NEXT FLT TO CHO, THE CAPT CALLED THE CHO TWR TO TALK TO THE CTLR AND EXPRESS OUR CONCERN, AND ASK WHY THE SEPARATION WAS SO CLOSE. THE CTLR TENDED TO DOWNPLAY THE SITUATION, BUT SAID HE WOULD WATCH CLOSER NEXT TIME. CTLR ALSO NOTED THAT HE HAD DIFFICULTY SEEING THE HELI UNTIL IT TURNED ITS LIGHTS ON. GRANTED, THE DUSK AND HAZE SITUATION DIDN'T HELP, BUT WITH THE VOLUME OF TFC AT THE CHO ARPT, THEY SHOULD HAVE FIXED RPTING POINTS, OR BETTER YET, LCL RADAR. I FEEL THAT THE CTLR SITUATION IN CHO REALLY LEAVES THE CTLRS, IN GENERAL, OUT OF THE 'LOOP,' AND ADDING TO THE CONFUSION. CHO SHOULD EITHER BE AN UNCTLED FIELD AND LET THE ACFT COORDINATE AMONG THEMSELVES, OR GIVE THE CTLR THE TOOLS HE NEEDS TO DO THE JOB, NAMELY, LCL RADAR.

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.