Helicopter on hover taxi close to parked aircraft. Blows open engine cowlings on parked aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	255316
Time
Date	199310
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : arr
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 650 flight time type : 650
ASRS Report	255316
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Airport	other physical facility procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I was preparing to depart for a flight to 3CK airport. I was preflting my aircraft and had stopped to walk back to my car (about 100 ft) to get a quart of oil. While coming back with the oil, a helicopter hover taxied so closely as to blow both of my engine cowlings open with a loud bang. I could only find slight damage to the paint. This is not the first time helicopters have hovered so closely as to cause problems, dust from the ramp, pieces of paper, etc. There also is an entry (vehicle) gate (always open) along this path and I don't believe enough room to reverse direction if they needed as the rotor and tail boom would be very close to aircraft or structures. I have complained about this and received only harassment. It would be nice to know what is accepted practice when rotary wing operate in close proximity to property and persons (I have been under the rotor downwash on several occasions being unable to leave my property (aircraft) unattended.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI ON HOVER TAXI CLOSE TO PARKED ACFT. BLOWS OPEN ENG COWLINGS ON PARKED ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS PREPARING TO DEPART FOR A FLT TO 3CK ARPT. I WAS PREFLTING MY ACFT AND HAD STOPPED TO WALK BACK TO MY CAR (ABOUT 100 FT) TO GET A QUART OF OIL. WHILE COMING BACK WITH THE OIL, A HELI HOVER TAXIED SO CLOSELY AS TO BLOW BOTH OF MY ENG COWLINGS OPEN WITH A LOUD BANG. I COULD ONLY FIND SLIGHT DAMAGE TO THE PAINT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME HELIS HAVE HOVERED SO CLOSELY AS TO CAUSE PROBS, DUST FROM THE RAMP, PIECES OF PAPER, ETC. THERE ALSO IS AN ENTRY (VEHICLE) GATE (ALWAYS OPEN) ALONG THIS PATH AND I DON'T BELIEVE ENOUGH ROOM TO REVERSE DIRECTION IF THEY NEEDED AS THE ROTOR AND TAIL BOOM WOULD BE VERY CLOSE TO ACFT OR STRUCTURES. I HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS AND RECEIVED ONLY HARASSMENT. IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW WHAT IS ACCEPTED PRACTICE WHEN ROTARY WING OPERATE IN CLOSE PROX TO PROPERTY AND PERSONS (I HAVE BEEN UNDER THE ROTOR DOWNWASH ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BEING UNABLE TO LEAVE MY PROPERTY (ACFT) UNATTENDED.

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.