Narrative:

On jun/xa/01 at XA30, I was taking an aircraft for a maintenance flight. A few mins after departure from the gmu airport, the oil temperature exceeded the red line, and I landed without incident at nearby donaldson center airpark. My plan was to shut down and allow the oil temperature to cool, then make the quick flight back to gmu, where our maintenance shop is located. During my 30 min wait, there was little air traffic activity at donaldson. I did note that before my start-up, a robinson R22 helicopter crossed over the field from north to south. It is not unusual for the helicopter flight school, also located at gmu, to use the 'closed runway' at donaldson, which is a non twred airport. After cranking up, I started taxiing, making a call on the unicom frequency, before leaving the FBO's parking area, stating that I was taxiing to runway 23. I elected to spend as little time as necessary on the ground, in order to 'get up and going' before the oil temperature had a chance to red line again. The flight to gmu would take less than 4 mins, so there was very little danger it would have time to overheat. After my run-up, I again announced on the unicom frequency that I was positioning onto runway 23 for departure, and asked if there was any other traffic in the area to please advise. No one responded on unicom. As I taxied onto the runway, I stated on the radio I was rolling on runway 5 (note wrong runway number). As I was about to rotate, I spotted the robinson R22 on short final to runway 5. No calls on the unicom had been made from the R22. From my position the helicopter appeared to be offset to the right side of the runway. It is normal for the training helicopters to make an approach and land in the grass along the side of the runway. This is what I thought they were doing. Since I was already airborne, I started a left turn to maneuver away from the helicopter as I gained altitude. The R22 did not land, but instead continued with a low approach down the centerline of runway 5. The first and only time any radio call was made (other than mine), was when someone at the FBO called to the helicopter on unicom informing him of me using the opposite runway. The helicopter pilot was listening and stated he had us in sight, but heard me say I was departing runway 5. I acknowledged on the unicom frequency I did inadvertently say runway 5 and apologized. At no time were our 2 aircraft less than 400 ft apart. I admit my mind was on getting the aircraft back to gmu before it overheated again. But up until my 'departure call,' I had stated several times I would be using runway 23. No one made any position calls on the frequency from the time I started up until departing, which was 4 mins.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C152 PLT HAD NMAC WITH AN R22 HELI DEPARTING GYH. THE PLT WAS DISTR WITH AN OIL TEMP WHICH HAD EXCEEDED RED LINE TEMP.

Narrative: ON JUN/XA/01 AT XA30, I WAS TAKING AN ACFT FOR A MAINT FLT. A FEW MINS AFTER DEP FROM THE GMU ARPT, THE OIL TEMP EXCEEDED THE RED LINE, AND I LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT AT NEARBY DONALDSON CENTER AIRPARK. MY PLAN WAS TO SHUT DOWN AND ALLOW THE OIL TEMP TO COOL, THEN MAKE THE QUICK FLT BACK TO GMU, WHERE OUR MAINT SHOP IS LOCATED. DURING MY 30 MIN WAIT, THERE WAS LITTLE AIR TFC ACTIVITY AT DONALDSON. I DID NOTE THAT BEFORE MY START-UP, A ROBINSON R22 HELI CROSSED OVER THE FIELD FROM N TO S. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR THE HELI FLT SCHOOL, ALSO LOCATED AT GMU, TO USE THE 'CLOSED RWY' AT DONALDSON, WHICH IS A NON TWRED ARPT. AFTER CRANKING UP, I STARTED TAXIING, MAKING A CALL ON THE UNICOM FREQ, BEFORE LEAVING THE FBO'S PARKING AREA, STATING THAT I WAS TAXIING TO RWY 23. I ELECTED TO SPEND AS LITTLE TIME AS NECESSARY ON THE GND, IN ORDER TO 'GET UP AND GOING' BEFORE THE OIL TEMP HAD A CHANCE TO RED LINE AGAIN. THE FLT TO GMU WOULD TAKE LESS THAN 4 MINS, SO THERE WAS VERY LITTLE DANGER IT WOULD HAVE TIME TO OVERHEAT. AFTER MY RUN-UP, I AGAIN ANNOUNCED ON THE UNICOM FREQ THAT I WAS POSITIONING ONTO RWY 23 FOR DEP, AND ASKED IF THERE WAS ANY OTHER TFC IN THE AREA TO PLEASE ADVISE. NO ONE RESPONDED ON UNICOM. AS I TAXIED ONTO THE RWY, I STATED ON THE RADIO I WAS ROLLING ON RWY 5 (NOTE WRONG RWY NUMBER). AS I WAS ABOUT TO ROTATE, I SPOTTED THE ROBINSON R22 ON SHORT FINAL TO RWY 5. NO CALLS ON THE UNICOM HAD BEEN MADE FROM THE R22. FROM MY POS THE HELI APPEARED TO BE OFFSET TO THE R SIDE OF THE RWY. IT IS NORMAL FOR THE TRAINING HELIS TO MAKE AN APCH AND LAND IN THE GRASS ALONG THE SIDE OF THE RWY. THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT THEY WERE DOING. SINCE I WAS ALREADY AIRBORNE, I STARTED A L TURN TO MANEUVER AWAY FROM THE HELI AS I GAINED ALT. THE R22 DID NOT LAND, BUT INSTEAD CONTINUED WITH A LOW APCH DOWN THE CTRLINE OF RWY 5. THE FIRST AND ONLY TIME ANY RADIO CALL WAS MADE (OTHER THAN MINE), WAS WHEN SOMEONE AT THE FBO CALLED TO THE HELI ON UNICOM INFORMING HIM OF ME USING THE OPPOSITE RWY. THE HELI PLT WAS LISTENING AND STATED HE HAD US IN SIGHT, BUT HEARD ME SAY I WAS DEPARTING RWY 5. I ACKNOWLEDGED ON THE UNICOM FREQ I DID INADVERTENTLY SAY RWY 5 AND APOLOGIZED. AT NO TIME WERE OUR 2 ACFT LESS THAN 400 FT APART. I ADMIT MY MIND WAS ON GETTING THE ACFT BACK TO GMU BEFORE IT OVERHEATED AGAIN. BUT UP UNTIL MY 'DEP CALL,' I HAD STATED SEVERAL TIMES I WOULD BE USING RWY 23. NO ONE MADE ANY POS CALLS ON THE FREQ FROM THE TIME I STARTED UP UNTIL DEPARTING, WHICH WAS 4 MINS.

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.