Narrative:

Our flight was holding short of runway 22L ready for takeoff. There were 3 aircraft that were landed while we waited. While waiting, we heard about a helicopter that was cleared across the airport at 1100 ft. We were never issued this information, we just overheard it on tower frequency. We were cleared for takeoff. It had probably been 5-10 mins since we overheard the helicopter information. We had just lifted off when out of the corner of my eye out the left window I spotted this helicopter right off our left wingtip, actually just ahead of the wingtip. We couldn't have missed this helicopter by more than 200 ft. Due to our close proximity to the ground, I couldn't roll the aircraft away for fear of wingtip contact with the ground. Tower never notified us of this traffic and the helicopter was not detectable on initial takeoff roll -- it was not lit by more than a red beacon. Very hard to see unless you looked at it from our vantage point -- at rotation. Needless to say, myself and my crew were slightly flustered by this event. Mdw airport serves many different types of aircraft from B757's to small GA airplanes. This just makes it more imperative for controllers to be more vigilant.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 HAS NMAC WITH HELI AT MDW, IL.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 22L READY FOR TKOF. THERE WERE 3 ACFT THAT WERE LANDED WHILE WE WAITED. WHILE WAITING, WE HEARD ABOUT A HELI THAT WAS CLRED ACROSS THE ARPT AT 1100 FT. WE WERE NEVER ISSUED THIS INFO, WE JUST OVERHEARD IT ON TWR FREQ. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. IT HAD PROBABLY BEEN 5-10 MINS SINCE WE OVERHEARD THE HELI INFO. WE HAD JUST LIFTED OFF WHEN OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE OUT THE L WINDOW I SPOTTED THIS HELI RIGHT OFF OUR L WINGTIP, ACTUALLY JUST AHEAD OF THE WINGTIP. WE COULDN'T HAVE MISSED THIS HELI BY MORE THAN 200 FT. DUE TO OUR CLOSE PROX TO THE GND, I COULDN'T ROLL THE ACFT AWAY FOR FEAR OF WINGTIP CONTACT WITH THE GND. TWR NEVER NOTIFIED US OF THIS TFC AND THE HELI WAS NOT DETECTABLE ON INITIAL TKOF ROLL -- IT WAS NOT LIT BY MORE THAN A RED BEACON. VERY HARD TO SEE UNLESS YOU LOOKED AT IT FROM OUR VANTAGE POINT -- AT ROTATION. NEEDLESS TO SAY, MYSELF AND MY CREW WERE SLIGHTLY FLUSTERED BY THIS EVENT. MDW ARPT SERVES MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACFT FROM B757'S TO SMALL GA AIRPLANES. THIS JUST MAKES IT MORE IMPERATIVE FOR CTLRS TO BE MORE VIGILANT.

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.