Narrative:

Our flight (air carrier X) was next for departure from runway 16 at hpn. Landing traffic was on final for runway 16 as well. Hpn tower advised of the landing traffic on final and cleared our flight for takeoff, and to expedite the takeoff roll for that traffic. Climbing through about 600 ft MSL (approximately 200 ft AGL) a helicopter at approximately 2 O'clock position and paralleling our course appeared to me. At that time, our altitude was increasing toward theirs and our speed appeared somewhat faster than the helicopter. Tower then asked if we had the helicopter in sight. I was PNF and responded yes, but that it would seem necessary to pass outside of the helicopter. This appeared necessary at the time because our altitudes and headings were approximately equal, and our speed was higher relative to theirs, as it appeared. However, at this time, we reached 800 ft MSL, where the SID calls for a right turn from runway heading 162 degrees to 320 degrees. We maintained 190 KTS as per the SID. Tower handed us off to new york departure and told us to advise new york that we had helicopter in sight. We did so, and were told to maintain visual separation with helicopter -- which we did. The TCASII first called 'traffic' and then the RA commanded 'monitor vertical speed' to keep us climbing above the helicopter. The captain realized that the best way to comply with the SID and maintain visual separation was to make a right turn to pass behind and above the helicopter, which was accomplished by using a somewhat more aggressive turn and climb. We wre clear of conflict by approximately 2000 ft MSL. This conflict could have been avoided by hpn tower delaying the takeoff and departure of either our flight or the helicopter, even by as little as 1 min. This conflict seems to have been caused by hpn tower's attempt to depart 2 aircraft into a certain conflict, based upon adherence to a published SID. The traffic behind us on final for runway 16 seems to have contributed to hpn tower's desire to hurry our departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HPN CLRS ACR FOR TKOF THAT CONFLICTS WITH DEPARTING HELI.

Narrative: OUR FLT (ACR X) WAS NEXT FOR DEP FROM RWY 16 AT HPN. LNDG TFC WAS ON FINAL FOR RWY 16 AS WELL. HPN TWR ADVISED OF THE LNDG TFC ON FINAL AND CLRED OUR FLT FOR TKOF, AND TO EXPEDITE THE TKOF ROLL FOR THAT TFC. CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 600 FT MSL (APPROX 200 FT AGL) A HELI AT APPROX 2 O'CLOCK POS AND PARALLELING OUR COURSE APPEARED TO ME. AT THAT TIME, OUR ALT WAS INCREASING TOWARD THEIRS AND OUR SPD APPEARED SOMEWHAT FASTER THAN THE HELI. TWR THEN ASKED IF WE HAD THE HELI IN SIGHT. I WAS PNF AND RESPONDED YES, BUT THAT IT WOULD SEEM NECESSARY TO PASS OUTSIDE OF THE HELI. THIS APPEARED NECESSARY AT THE TIME BECAUSE OUR ALTS AND HDGS WERE APPROX EQUAL, AND OUR SPD WAS HIGHER RELATIVE TO THEIRS, AS IT APPEARED. HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME, WE REACHED 800 FT MSL, WHERE THE SID CALLS FOR A R TURN FROM RWY HDG 162 DEGS TO 320 DEGS. WE MAINTAINED 190 KTS AS PER THE SID. TWR HANDED US OFF TO NEW YORK DEP AND TOLD US TO ADVISE NEW YORK THAT WE HAD HELI IN SIGHT. WE DID SO, AND WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WITH HELI -- WHICH WE DID. THE TCASII FIRST CALLED 'TFC' AND THEN THE RA COMMANDED 'MONITOR VERT SPD' TO KEEP US CLBING ABOVE THE HELI. THE CAPT REALIZED THAT THE BEST WAY TO COMPLY WITH THE SID AND MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION WAS TO MAKE A R TURN TO PASS BEHIND AND ABOVE THE HELI, WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY USING A SOMEWHAT MORE AGGRESSIVE TURN AND CLB. WE WRE CLR OF CONFLICT BY APPROX 2000 FT MSL. THIS CONFLICT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY HPN TWR DELAYING THE TKOF AND DEP OF EITHER OUR FLT OR THE HELI, EVEN BY AS LITTLE AS 1 MIN. THIS CONFLICT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY HPN TWR'S ATTEMPT TO DEPART 2 ACFT INTO A CERTAIN CONFLICT, BASED UPON ADHERENCE TO A PUBLISHED SID. THE TFC BEHIND US ON FINAL FOR RWY 16 SEEMS TO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO HPN TWR'S DESIRE TO HURRY OUR DEP.

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.