Narrative:

We were cleared for takeoff on runway 28R at cmh. We were given a turn to 360 degrees and told about helicopter traffic 2 mi northwest of our runway. We had the traffic in sight but lost sight of him during our takeoff roll. We had planned to climb past the helicopter on runway heading and then turn to our assigned heading. When we again had visual contact with the helicopter, we were coming up on his altitude and he was on a collision course perpendicular to our flight path. We could not turn to the right because we would be turning into him. We tried to climb over him and at the same time started a shallow left bank to avoid him. What we did not know is that a boeing 737 had been cleared for takeoff on runway 28L. The tower controller saw our left turn and told us to make an immediate right turn. As I started the turn back to the right I saw the 737 pass us on our left within approximately 500 ft of us. We cleared over and to the left of the helicopter. In retrospect, there are a few things that I might have done differently. I could have started the turn to 360 degrees sooner and turned inside of the helicopter. We should have been listening more closely to the radio and we would have known that the 737 had been cleared for takeoff on runway 28L. When I talked with the tower supervisor, he apologized for the squeeze play and told me the helicopter was supposed to stay to the north of our runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 28R AT CMH. WE WERE GIVEN A TURN TO 360 DEGS AND TOLD ABOUT HELI TFC 2 MI NW OF OUR RWY. WE HAD THE TFC IN SIGHT BUT LOST SIGHT OF HIM DURING OUR TKOF ROLL. WE HAD PLANNED TO CLB PAST THE HELI ON RWY HDG AND THEN TURN TO OUR ASSIGNED HDG. WHEN WE AGAIN HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE HELI, WE WERE COMING UP ON HIS ALT AND HE WAS ON A COLLISION COURSE PERPENDICULAR TO OUR FLT PATH. WE COULD NOT TURN TO THE R BECAUSE WE WOULD BE TURNING INTO HIM. WE TRIED TO CLB OVER HIM AND AT THE SAME TIME STARTED A SHALLOW L BANK TO AVOID HIM. WHAT WE DID NOT KNOW IS THAT A BOEING 737 HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 28L. THE TWR CTLR SAW OUR L TURN AND TOLD US TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE R TURN. AS I STARTED THE TURN BACK TO THE R I SAW THE 737 PASS US ON OUR L WITHIN APPROX 500 FT OF US. WE CLRED OVER AND TO THE L OF THE HELI. IN RETROSPECT, THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT I MIGHT HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY. I COULD HAVE STARTED THE TURN TO 360 DEGS SOONER AND TURNED INSIDE OF THE HELI. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LISTENING MORE CLOSELY TO THE RADIO AND WE WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE 737 HAD BEEN CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 28L. WHEN I TALKED WITH THE TWR SUPVR, HE APOLOGIZED FOR THE SQUEEZE PLAY AND TOLD ME THE HELI WAS SUPPOSED TO STAY TO THE N OF OUR RWY.

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.