Narrative:

After a fairly light duty day I returned to find an inspection due on each of our aircraft. The mechanics wanted to stay and fly them afterwards. I wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere, I hadn't flown that much (only about 3.5 hours) and I wasn't even close on duty time. When I got back outside the first aircraft was ready to fly. We ran it up and leak checked it, then closed the cowlings and took off on a flight to check the operation of the video camera we have mounted in the nose to film tours. Clearance delivery cleared us for the 'strip tour' (flight up las vegas blvd and back) and turned us over to tower. Tower told us to call airborne, which we did, but it took a few calls to get through. Then tower handed us off to departure. I flew the strip northbound while discussing the video problem with the mechanics. When I turned to reverse course to las, I called approach to tell them I was inbound. They informed me that I hadn't contacted them after departure. I apologized and reasoned that I had gotten too involved with the video problem. We completed the flight and landed. The mechanics completed the inspection on the second aircraft. They finished in about an hour and I secured the cowlings while they completed the paper work. After about 15 mins they returned with 2 mechanics from another operator who they wanted to let ride along. I told them it was ok seeing as we were only going to check out the other video camera and it wasn't a test flight. After we got ready to go my mechanic asked if we could takeoff towards the east where it was a little darker to check the resolution of the second aircraft's nose camera. I called clearance and we discussed where I needed to go and he thought there wouldn't be a problem because I would be remaining north of the active runways where the redeye arrs were beginning. He told me he'd get back after coordinating with tower. After only about 30 seconds he was back, gave me my squawk and told I was cleared out of the class B direct. I departed and after about 30 seconds, clearance called back and asked if I had contacted tower (I hadn't). He then reminded me that his clearance didn't allow me to takeoff and to contact tower. I contacted tower and they were pretty good about it seeing as there were no conflicts and they already knew where I was going. We completed the check on the camera and returned without incident. Obviously this was a human factors incident (mine), but as I drove home I tried to figure out why I made so many mistakes in such a short time without any reason. It had not been that hard of a day. I've flown 8 hours a day without mistakes or incidents. I wasn't pushing duty time. I didn't even feel that tired or hurried. As I reviewed the day in my mind I remembered a few things. Because I was on standby I had gotten up 2 hours early to run and I ran an extra mi. I then worked on some paper work at my home office, although my 'duty day' did not start until XA00, my real day had started earlier. Not having been a 'fitness' person all of my life, I had always looked at exercise as 'good' if a little is good, more is better. While the obvious negative thing such as alcohol, smoking, and late nights were bad. I feel that if you avoid the negative, do a lot of exercise, and follow a healthy diet I'd always be sharp as a tack. I failed to take into account, no matter what, you still tire out. Stress is still a factor (between flts I was trying to work out a schedule to keep the other pilots from burning out when it got busier). I neglected to include myself in that picture. Now that this incident has taken place, I am going to place as much emphasis on my 'personal' duty time as my 'business' duty time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI ON MAINT MISSION FAILS TO CONTACT DEP CTL, THEN FAILS TO CONTACT TWR AND MAKES TKOF WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AFTER A FAIRLY LIGHT DUTY DAY I RETURNED TO FIND AN INSPECTION DUE ON EACH OF OUR ACFT. THE MECHS WANTED TO STAY AND FLY THEM AFTERWARDS. I WASN'T IN A HURRY TO GO ANYWHERE, I HADN'T FLOWN THAT MUCH (ONLY ABOUT 3.5 HRS) AND I WASN'T EVEN CLOSE ON DUTY TIME. WHEN I GOT BACK OUTSIDE THE FIRST ACFT WAS READY TO FLY. WE RAN IT UP AND LEAK CHKED IT, THEN CLOSED THE COWLINGS AND TOOK OFF ON A FLT TO CHK THE OP OF THE VIDEO CAMERA WE HAVE MOUNTED IN THE NOSE TO FILM TOURS. CLRNC DELIVERY CLRED US FOR THE 'STRIP TOUR' (FLT UP LAS VEGAS BLVD AND BACK) AND TURNED US OVER TO TWR. TWR TOLD US TO CALL AIRBORNE, WHICH WE DID, BUT IT TOOK A FEW CALLS TO GET THROUGH. THEN TWR HANDED US OFF TO DEP. I FLEW THE STRIP NBOUND WHILE DISCUSSING THE VIDEO PROB WITH THE MECHS. WHEN I TURNED TO REVERSE COURSE TO LAS, I CALLED APCH TO TELL THEM I WAS INBOUND. THEY INFORMED ME THAT I HADN'T CONTACTED THEM AFTER DEP. I APOLOGIZED AND REASONED THAT I HAD GOTTEN TOO INVOLVED WITH THE VIDEO PROB. WE COMPLETED THE FLT AND LANDED. THE MECHS COMPLETED THE INSPECTION ON THE SECOND ACFT. THEY FINISHED IN ABOUT AN HR AND I SECURED THE COWLINGS WHILE THEY COMPLETED THE PAPER WORK. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS THEY RETURNED WITH 2 MECHS FROM ANOTHER OPERATOR WHO THEY WANTED TO LET RIDE ALONG. I TOLD THEM IT WAS OK SEEING AS WE WERE ONLY GOING TO CHK OUT THE OTHER VIDEO CAMERA AND IT WASN'T A TEST FLT. AFTER WE GOT READY TO GO MY MECH ASKED IF WE COULD TKOF TOWARDS THE E WHERE IT WAS A LITTLE DARKER TO CHK THE RESOLUTION OF THE SECOND ACFT'S NOSE CAMERA. I CALLED CLRNC AND WE DISCUSSED WHERE I NEEDED TO GO AND HE THOUGHT THERE WOULDN'T BE A PROB BECAUSE I WOULD BE REMAINING N OF THE ACTIVE RWYS WHERE THE REDEYE ARRS WERE BEGINNING. HE TOLD ME HE'D GET BACK AFTER COORDINATING WITH TWR. AFTER ONLY ABOUT 30 SECONDS HE WAS BACK, GAVE ME MY SQUAWK AND TOLD I WAS CLRED OUT OF THE CLASS B DIRECT. I DEPARTED AND AFTER ABOUT 30 SECONDS, CLRNC CALLED BACK AND ASKED IF I HAD CONTACTED TWR (I HADN'T). HE THEN REMINDED ME THAT HIS CLRNC DIDN'T ALLOW ME TO TKOF AND TO CONTACT TWR. I CONTACTED TWR AND THEY WERE PRETTY GOOD ABOUT IT SEEING AS THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS AND THEY ALREADY KNEW WHERE I WAS GOING. WE COMPLETED THE CHK ON THE CAMERA AND RETURNED WITHOUT INCIDENT. OBVIOUSLY THIS WAS A HUMAN FACTORS INCIDENT (MINE), BUT AS I DROVE HOME I TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHY I MADE SO MANY MISTAKES IN SUCH A SHORT TIME WITHOUT ANY REASON. IT HAD NOT BEEN THAT HARD OF A DAY. I'VE FLOWN 8 HRS A DAY WITHOUT MISTAKES OR INCIDENTS. I WASN'T PUSHING DUTY TIME. I DIDN'T EVEN FEEL THAT TIRED OR HURRIED. AS I REVIEWED THE DAY IN MY MIND I REMEMBERED A FEW THINGS. BECAUSE I WAS ON STANDBY I HAD GOTTEN UP 2 HRS EARLY TO RUN AND I RAN AN EXTRA MI. I THEN WORKED ON SOME PAPER WORK AT MY HOME OFFICE, ALTHOUGH MY 'DUTY DAY' DID NOT START UNTIL XA00, MY REAL DAY HAD STARTED EARLIER. NOT HAVING BEEN A 'FITNESS' PERSON ALL OF MY LIFE, I HAD ALWAYS LOOKED AT EXERCISE AS 'GOOD' IF A LITTLE IS GOOD, MORE IS BETTER. WHILE THE OBVIOUS NEGATIVE THING SUCH AS ALCOHOL, SMOKING, AND LATE NIGHTS WERE BAD. I FEEL THAT IF YOU AVOID THE NEGATIVE, DO A LOT OF EXERCISE, AND FOLLOW A HEALTHY DIET I'D ALWAYS BE SHARP AS A TACK. I FAILED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, NO MATTER WHAT, YOU STILL TIRE OUT. STRESS IS STILL A FACTOR (BTWN FLTS I WAS TRYING TO WORK OUT A SCHEDULE TO KEEP THE OTHER PLTS FROM BURNING OUT WHEN IT GOT BUSIER). I NEGLECTED TO INCLUDE MYSELF IN THAT PICTURE. NOW THAT THIS INCIDENT HAS TAKEN PLACE, I AM GOING TO PLACE AS MUCH EMPHASIS ON MY 'PERSONAL' DUTY TIME AS MY 'BUSINESS' DUTY TIME.

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.