Helicopter in practice area experienced near midair collision near non tower airport.

Attributes
ACN	579967
Time
Date	200304
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 2v2.airport
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl single value : 30
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : den.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach other
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Experimental
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	579967
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 100 vertical : 20
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Longmont has helicopter practice area that a local operator established. Was working in that area and on the airport boundary. At the boundary, there is an irrigation crossing that is good for pinnacle lndgs and slope lndgs. Normal radio calls for position and positioning were made. Had 1 cessna see in the local pattern for favored runway 29. Experimental aircraft (sel) made normal takeoff to west. Shortly, the experimental aircraft called in and would be making a landing 'in the grass,' runway 11. I had the cessna and I initially had the opposite direction experimental. I was between 30-20 ft approaching the pinnacle where I realized the experimental aircraft was at my 11:30 O'clock position, at or near my altitude. The experimental did a go around and I broke off the approach as well. Longmont has a turf runway, but the experimental was landing on an unimproved area well south of the turf runway. I was operating in an area that should have been well clear. I obviously lost sight of the experimental and I believed that they would be using the turf strip. Invalid assumptions! As soon as the experimental decided to go opposite direction, I should have been more alert. I was in a low altitude, high workload operation and was surprised by the non standard airplane operation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI IN PRACTICE AREA EXPERIENCED NMAC NEAR NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: LONGMONT HAS HELI PRACTICE AREA THAT A LCL OPERATOR ESTABLISHED. WAS WORKING IN THAT AREA AND ON THE ARPT BOUNDARY. AT THE BOUNDARY, THERE IS AN IRRIGATION XING THAT IS GOOD FOR PINNACLE LNDGS AND SLOPE LNDGS. NORMAL RADIO CALLS FOR POS AND POSITIONING WERE MADE. HAD 1 CESSNA SEE IN THE LCL PATTERN FOR FAVORED RWY 29. EXPERIMENTAL ACFT (SEL) MADE NORMAL TKOF TO W. SHORTLY, THE EXPERIMENTAL ACFT CALLED IN AND WOULD BE MAKING A LNDG 'IN THE GRASS,' RWY 11. I HAD THE CESSNA AND I INITIALLY HAD THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION EXPERIMENTAL. I WAS BTWN 30-20 FT APCHING THE PINNACLE WHERE I REALIZED THE EXPERIMENTAL ACFT WAS AT MY 11:30 O'CLOCK POS, AT OR NEAR MY ALT. THE EXPERIMENTAL DID A GAR AND I BROKE OFF THE APCH AS WELL. LONGMONT HAS A TURF RWY, BUT THE EXPERIMENTAL WAS LNDG ON AN UNIMPROVED AREA WELL S OF THE TURF RWY. I WAS OPERATING IN AN AREA THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WELL CLR. I OBVIOUSLY LOST SIGHT OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AND I BELIEVED THAT THEY WOULD BE USING THE TURF STRIP. INVALID ASSUMPTIONS! AS SOON AS THE EXPERIMENTAL DECIDED TO GO OPPOSITE DIRECTION, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ALERT. I WAS IN A LOW ALT, HIGH WORKLOAD OP AND WAS SURPRISED BY THE NON STANDARD AIRPLANE OP.

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.