Pilot of small aircraft must sidestep to grass runway to avoid a helicopter which has landed and the...

Attributes
ACN	380234
Time
Date	199709
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : n57
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 11 flight time total : 1500 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	380234
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 30 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

The enstrom helicopter ahead of me in the landing pattern landed and hovered over the hard surface runway while I was on final approach. I assumed the enstrom would move off the runway and continued my approach. The enstrom turned 90 degrees to the right (the direction of the ramp and office). I assumed the pilot saw me on final approach, and I decided to continue the approach. The enstrom turned back to the runway heading. The paved runway has a grass runway on the left side adjacent to it (the opposite side from the ramp and office) which sailplanes, and the towplane I was flying, use. I chose to land on the grass portion of the runway and roll out beside the enstrom. I believed this was safer than a go around since I was on short final and if the enstrom rose/climbed, it might climb into the towplane. I landed and rolled out beside the enstrom. I pulled off the left side of the runway and the enstrom took off and departed. There was very little wind, and when the enstrom was hovering, it was very steady. The enstrom uses N57 for training and knows the towplane and sailplanes use the grass portion of the runway. Analysis: helicopters and single engine planes have much different behaviors. The amount of time required to fly a landing pattern or landing is different. The airplane pilot must be patient and fly safely, and must not insist on right-of- way or intended course of action. Adequate separation must always be maintained even if aborting the approach and going around are required. The practice of airplanes taxiing in the grass beside the paved runway while other airplanes are taking off and landing is similar to this near miss, and should be changed. There is room for aircraft to move completely off the paved and grass runway (outside the landing lights). I was taught to clear the runway, not to situation on it or block it waiting to takeoff or after landing. Helicopters should not do a landing approach and then remain over the runway in a hover. Helicopters should hover off the runway. N57 has plenty of space off the runway to practice hovering. Teaching new helicopter pilots to hover on the runway (with the helicopter oriented so the pilot cannot see planes on approach) is wrong since it may create the conflict described. Sailplanes cannot go around and must land beside or over the helicopter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA MUST SIDESTEP TO GRASS RWY TO AVOID A HELI WHICH HAS LANDED AND THEN HOVERS OVER THE PAVED RWY WITH ACFT ON FINAL.

Narrative: THE ENSTROM HELI AHEAD OF ME IN THE LNDG PATTERN LANDED AND HOVERED OVER THE HARD SURFACE RWY WHILE I WAS ON FINAL APCH. I ASSUMED THE ENSTROM WOULD MOVE OFF THE RWY AND CONTINUED MY APCH. THE ENSTROM TURNED 90 DEGS TO THE R (THE DIRECTION OF THE RAMP AND OFFICE). I ASSUMED THE PLT SAW ME ON FINAL APCH, AND I DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE APCH. THE ENSTROM TURNED BACK TO THE RWY HDG. THE PAVED RWY HAS A GRASS RWY ON THE L SIDE ADJACENT TO IT (THE OPPOSITE SIDE FROM THE RAMP AND OFFICE) WHICH SAILPLANES, AND THE TOWPLANE I WAS FLYING, USE. I CHOSE TO LAND ON THE GRASS PORTION OF THE RWY AND ROLL OUT BESIDE THE ENSTROM. I BELIEVED THIS WAS SAFER THAN A GAR SINCE I WAS ON SHORT FINAL AND IF THE ENSTROM ROSE/CLBED, IT MIGHT CLB INTO THE TOWPLANE. I LANDED AND ROLLED OUT BESIDE THE ENSTROM. I PULLED OFF THE L SIDE OF THE RWY AND THE ENSTROM TOOK OFF AND DEPARTED. THERE WAS VERY LITTLE WIND, AND WHEN THE ENSTROM WAS HOVERING, IT WAS VERY STEADY. THE ENSTROM USES N57 FOR TRAINING AND KNOWS THE TOWPLANE AND SAILPLANES USE THE GRASS PORTION OF THE RWY. ANALYSIS: HELIS AND SINGLE ENG PLANES HAVE MUCH DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS. THE AMOUNT OF TIME REQUIRED TO FLY A LNDG PATTERN OR LNDG IS DIFFERENT. THE AIRPLANE PLT MUST BE PATIENT AND FLY SAFELY, AND MUST NOT INSIST ON RIGHT-OF- WAY OR INTENDED COURSE OF ACTION. ADEQUATE SEPARATION MUST ALWAYS BE MAINTAINED EVEN IF ABORTING THE APCH AND GOING AROUND ARE REQUIRED. THE PRACTICE OF AIRPLANES TAXIING IN THE GRASS BESIDE THE PAVED RWY WHILE OTHER AIRPLANES ARE TAKING OFF AND LNDG IS SIMILAR TO THIS NEAR MISS, AND SHOULD BE CHANGED. THERE IS ROOM FOR ACFT TO MOVE COMPLETELY OFF THE PAVED AND GRASS RWY (OUTSIDE THE LNDG LIGHTS). I WAS TAUGHT TO CLR THE RWY, NOT TO SIT ON IT OR BLOCK IT WAITING TO TKOF OR AFTER LNDG. HELIS SHOULD NOT DO A LNDG APCH AND THEN REMAIN OVER THE RWY IN A HOVER. HELIS SHOULD HOVER OFF THE RWY. N57 HAS PLENTY OF SPACE OFF THE RWY TO PRACTICE HOVERING. TEACHING NEW HELI PLTS TO HOVER ON THE RWY (WITH THE HELI ORIENTED SO THE PLT CANNOT SEE PLANES ON APCH) IS WRONG SINCE IT MAY CREATE THE CONFLICT DESCRIBED. SAILPLANES CANNOT GAR AND MUST LAND BESIDE OR OVER THE HELI.

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.

Pilot of small aircraft must sidestep to grass runway to avoid a helicopter which has landed and then hovers over the paved runway with aircraft on final.