Narrative:

Coming home from boston, en route to albany, ny, I told dispatch I was going to fly further south than normal, because it was so dark I wanted to use the lights from the cities for attitude reference. Approximately 8 1/2 - 10 mi northeast of orh, somehow at the last second I saw an unlit tower at my 11:30 O'clock position and about 100 ft above me. I put in right cyclic to miss the tower. I called dispatch and told them of the near miss. They said that there was a NOTAM posted for the tower. When I got back to base, I checked the NOTAMS again on the wsi for massachusetts. The only tower listed near orh was one to the nnw 1.7 mi away. I called burlington FSS and told them about the unlit tower and its location. When I came back on shift at XA00, I checked the NOTAMS for the tower, it still was not listed. I called bur FSS again and asked about the tower. They said it was bdr (bridgeport's) area and to call them to see why it didn't get posted. I called bdr and asked a briefer about the tower. She couldn't find anything under orh, but found the tower under bdr.3b3. I asked her 'what is it doing listed under connecticut, when the tower is located in massachusetts?' she said that's how their software worked, but I was glad it was posted. After looking into the tower a little further, I found out the light had been out for about 5 months. Dispatch knew about the tower and forgot to tell me about it. One of the worcester pilots knew someone from the FAA and got the tower listed under orh NOTAMS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF BK117 ROTOR CRAFT NARROWLY AVOIDED CONTACT WITH UNLIGHTED 2049 FT MSL TWR E OF ORH. PLT WAS AT CRUISE AT 2000 FT MSL AT THE TIME.

Narrative: COMING HOME FROM BOSTON, ENRTE TO ALBANY, NY, I TOLD DISPATCH I WAS GOING TO FLY FURTHER S THAN NORMAL, BECAUSE IT WAS SO DARK I WANTED TO USE THE LIGHTS FROM THE CITIES FOR ATTITUDE REF. APPROX 8 1/2 - 10 MI NE OF ORH, SOMEHOW AT THE LAST SECOND I SAW AN UNLIT TWR AT MY 11:30 O'CLOCK POS AND ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE ME. I PUT IN R CYCLIC TO MISS THE TWR. I CALLED DISPATCH AND TOLD THEM OF THE NEAR MISS. THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS A NOTAM POSTED FOR THE TWR. WHEN I GOT BACK TO BASE, I CHKED THE NOTAMS AGAIN ON THE WSI FOR MASSACHUSETTS. THE ONLY TWR LISTED NEAR ORH WAS ONE TO THE NNW 1.7 MI AWAY. I CALLED BURLINGTON FSS AND TOLD THEM ABOUT THE UNLIT TWR AND ITS LOCATION. WHEN I CAME BACK ON SHIFT AT XA00, I CHKED THE NOTAMS FOR THE TWR, IT STILL WAS NOT LISTED. I CALLED BUR FSS AGAIN AND ASKED ABOUT THE TWR. THEY SAID IT WAS BDR (BRIDGEPORT'S) AREA AND TO CALL THEM TO SEE WHY IT DIDN'T GET POSTED. I CALLED BDR AND ASKED A BRIEFER ABOUT THE TWR. SHE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING UNDER ORH, BUT FOUND THE TWR UNDER BDR.3B3. I ASKED HER 'WHAT IS IT DOING LISTED UNDER CONNECTICUT, WHEN THE TWR IS LOCATED IN MASSACHUSETTS?' SHE SAID THAT'S HOW THEIR SOFTWARE WORKED, BUT I WAS GLAD IT WAS POSTED. AFTER LOOKING INTO THE TWR A LITTLE FURTHER, I FOUND OUT THE LIGHT HAD BEEN OUT FOR ABOUT 5 MONTHS. DISPATCH KNEW ABOUT THE TWR AND FORGOT TO TELL ME ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE WORCESTER PLTS KNEW SOMEONE FROM THE FAA AND GOT THE TWR LISTED UNDER ORH NOTAMS.

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.