Narrative:

An EMS helicopter was dispatched to the ZZZ airport where a parachutist had missed his drop zone, and descended into a heavily wooded area near the airport (approximately 1/2 mi north of the runway threshold). When the helicopter arrived over the airport, there were multiple, small fixed wing aircraft in the traffic pattern. We announced ourselves as an EMS aircraft that would be orbiting overhead, locate the landing zone setup by the ground rescue team. Pilot asked the cessna traffic if they were aware of the emergency situation. An aircraft responded with 'yes, we are aware of the situation.' a small aircraft in the pattern continued flying around the pattern and training with no regard to the emergency situation within the traffic pattern. After a few mins of avoiding the fixed wing traffic, we requested over unicom frequency that all aircraft clear the air traffic area so we could locate and recon the emergency landing zone setup by the ground rescue team. Contributing factors: 3 small, single engine, fixed wing aircraft were sighted by the EMS crew during the search for the landing zone. All the aircraft apparently disregarded the EMS helicopter until the insistent request to clear the airport area was made by the pilot of the EMS helicopter. The aircraft's continued operation within the airport traffic pattern hindered and delayed the EMS helicopter crew in the performance of their duties. The inaction of the private pilots operating at the airport could have potentially caused a midair collision with the EMS operator. Corrective action: there needs to be more awareness training in the emergency situation in and around uncontrolled airports. Create an emphasis on airspace priorities or aircraft performance emergency rescue or search operations in uncontrolled airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ARPT TFC INTERFERES WITH RPTR EMS HELI.

Narrative: AN EMS HELI WAS DISPATCHED TO THE ZZZ ARPT WHERE A PARACHUTIST HAD MISSED HIS DROP ZONE, AND DSNDED INTO A HEAVILY WOODED AREA NEAR THE ARPT (APPROX 1/2 MI N OF THE RWY THRESHOLD). WHEN THE HELI ARRIVED OVER THE ARPT, THERE WERE MULTIPLE, SMALL FIXED WING ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN. WE ANNOUNCED OURSELVES AS AN EMS ACFT THAT WOULD BE ORBITING OVERHEAD, LOCATE THE LNDG ZONE SETUP BY THE GND RESCUE TEAM. PLT ASKED THE CESSNA TFC IF THEY WERE AWARE OF THE EMER SIT. AN ACFT RESPONDED WITH 'YES, WE ARE AWARE OF THE SIT.' A SMALL ACFT IN THE PATTERN CONTINUED FLYING AROUND THE PATTERN AND TRAINING WITH NO REGARD TO THE EMER SIT WITHIN THE TFC PATTERN. AFTER A FEW MINS OF AVOIDING THE FIXED WING TFC, WE REQUESTED OVER UNICOM FREQ THAT ALL ACFT CLR THE ATA SO WE COULD LOCATE AND RECON THE EMER LNDG ZONE SETUP BY THE GND RESCUE TEAM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 3 SMALL, SINGLE ENG, FIXED WING ACFT WERE SIGHTED BY THE EMS CREW DURING THE SEARCH FOR THE LNDG ZONE. ALL THE ACFT APPARENTLY DISREGARDED THE EMS HELI UNTIL THE INSISTENT REQUEST TO CLR THE ARPT AREA WAS MADE BY THE PLT OF THE EMS HELI. THE ACFT'S CONTINUED OP WITHIN THE ARPT TFC PATTERN HINDERED AND DELAYED THE EMS HELI CREW IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES. THE INACTION OF THE PVT PLTS OPERATING AT THE ARPT COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED A MIDAIR COLLISION WITH THE EMS OPERATOR. CORRECTIVE ACTION: THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE AWARENESS TRAINING IN THE EMER SIT IN AND AROUND UNCTLED ARPTS. CREATE AN EMPHASIS ON AIRSPACE PRIORITIES OR ACFT PERFORMANCE EMER RESCUE OR SEARCH OPS IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE.

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.