Narrative:

On jun/fri/03, at approximately XA30 pm, I took emergency evasive action to avoid a helicopter that was overflying the airport at pattern altitude (1400 ft MSL) at midfield when I was on the downwind leg to runway 17 at 1400 ft MSL. Previously, I reported 10 mi and 5 mi south respectively and inbound for a full stop landing on runway 17. When I was 2 mi south, a life flight helicopter reported he was 4 mi west, heading east and would overfly the runway at midfield at 1400 ft MSL. I replied negative traffic and I was downwind for runway 17, the helicopter replied 'he did not have me in sight' and he would go north. I replied I was landing on runway 17, which requires flying north on the downwind leg and places both aircraft dangerously close when neither aircraft had visual contact. I pulled power, initiated a steep left dive and made an emergency landing. The helicopter passed over me approximately 300 ft above me and I touched down at mid runway. A witness, who is a pilot, stated the helicopter passed over the airport at midfield at pattern altitude or less and that we were very close and the evasive action I took may have avoided a midair collision. I contacted the helicopter pilot, and stated I thought we were supposed to overfly pattern altitude by 500 ft when transitioning an airport at midfield. He informed me as an emergency aircraft those rules do not apply to him and that 'they could pretty much do what they wanted to.' within 10 mins, the helicopter pilot's brother, who is a pilot on the field, and an airport board member was at my hangar threatening me. Fearing for my livelihood, (I am a flight instructor and operate a flight school on the field), I called the helicopter pilot. He stated there was no far that required an airport overfly by 500 ft above pattern altitude, that this was an uncontrolled airport in uncontrolled airspace, and there were no rules. I responded I was landing traffic, already on a downwind leg, that ZZZ was in class east airspace and there was a victor airway that ran above the runway. He responded that emergency helicopters had the highest priority next to military. He stated he was on his way to pick up a patient at the hospital. The conditions were surface visibility 7 SM with haze at YYY, which is 17 NM south of ZZZ. The visibility was much worse in the air. At 2000 ft MSL, I observed the ZZZ runway at 3 mi, per GPS. I saw the helicopter when he was directly overhead, while I was on a modified final approach. While both pilots were in communication, relaying position reports, visual contact was never made. The helicopter pilot did not take evasive action nor did it yield to landing traffic already in the pattern. I was unaware that emergency helicopters always had the right of way, irrespective of their distance from their landing site (in this case 22 mi away) and could overfly a transition airport at pattern altitude or below, irrespective of landing aircraft. Obviously, I would have cleared the area or done a 360 degree turn, 2 mi south of the airport if I had known that emergency helicopters have priority I did take appropriate emergency evasive action and saved lives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT HAS TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION WHILE LNDG WHEN A LIFE FLT HELI FLIES OVERHEAD BELOW TFC PATTERN ALT.

Narrative: ON JUN/FRI/03, AT APPROX XA30 PM, I TOOK EMER EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID A HELI THAT WAS OVERFLYING THE ARPT AT PATTERN ALT (1400 FT MSL) AT MIDFIELD WHEN I WAS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG TO RWY 17 AT 1400 FT MSL. PREVIOUSLY, I RPTED 10 MI AND 5 MI S RESPECTIVELY AND INBOUND FOR A FULL STOP LNDG ON RWY 17. WHEN I WAS 2 MI S, A LIFE FLT HELI RPTED HE WAS 4 MI W, HEADING E AND WOULD OVERFLY THE RWY AT MIDFIELD AT 1400 FT MSL. I REPLIED NEGATIVE TFC AND I WAS DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17, THE HELI REPLIED 'HE DID NOT HAVE ME IN SIGHT' AND HE WOULD GO N. I REPLIED I WAS LNDG ON RWY 17, WHICH REQUIRES FLYING N ON THE DOWNWIND LEG AND PLACES BOTH ACFT DANGEROUSLY CLOSE WHEN NEITHER ACFT HAD VISUAL CONTACT. I PULLED PWR, INITIATED A STEEP L DIVE AND MADE AN EMER LNDG. THE HELI PASSED OVER ME APPROX 300 FT ABOVE ME AND I TOUCHED DOWN AT MID RWY. A WITNESS, WHO IS A PLT, STATED THE HELI PASSED OVER THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD AT PATTERN ALT OR LESS AND THAT WE WERE VERY CLOSE AND THE EVASIVE ACTION I TOOK MAY HAVE AVOIDED A MIDAIR COLLISION. I CONTACTED THE HELI PLT, AND STATED I THOUGHT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO OVERFLY PATTERN ALT BY 500 FT WHEN TRANSITIONING AN ARPT AT MIDFIELD. HE INFORMED ME AS AN EMER ACFT THOSE RULES DO NOT APPLY TO HIM AND THAT 'THEY COULD PRETTY MUCH DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO.' WITHIN 10 MINS, THE HELI PLT'S BROTHER, WHO IS A PLT ON THE FIELD, AND AN ARPT BOARD MEMBER WAS AT MY HANGAR THREATENING ME. FEARING FOR MY LIVELIHOOD, (I AM A FLT INSTRUCTOR AND OPERATE A FLT SCHOOL ON THE FIELD), I CALLED THE HELI PLT. HE STATED THERE WAS NO FAR THAT REQUIRED AN ARPT OVERFLY BY 500 FT ABOVE PATTERN ALT, THAT THIS WAS AN UNCTLED ARPT IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE, AND THERE WERE NO RULES. I RESPONDED I WAS LNDG TFC, ALREADY ON A DOWNWIND LEG, THAT ZZZ WAS IN CLASS E AIRSPACE AND THERE WAS A VICTOR AIRWAY THAT RAN ABOVE THE RWY. HE RESPONDED THAT EMER HELIS HAD THE HIGHEST PRIORITY NEXT TO MIL. HE STATED HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO PICK UP A PATIENT AT THE HOSPITAL. THE CONDITIONS WERE SURFACE VISIBILITY 7 SM WITH HAZE AT YYY, WHICH IS 17 NM S OF ZZZ. THE VISIBILITY WAS MUCH WORSE IN THE AIR. AT 2000 FT MSL, I OBSERVED THE ZZZ RWY AT 3 MI, PER GPS. I SAW THE HELI WHEN HE WAS DIRECTLY OVERHEAD, WHILE I WAS ON A MODIFIED FINAL APCH. WHILE BOTH PLTS WERE IN COM, RELAYING POS RPTS, VISUAL CONTACT WAS NEVER MADE. THE HELI PLT DID NOT TAKE EVASIVE ACTION NOR DID IT YIELD TO LNDG TFC ALREADY IN THE PATTERN. I WAS UNAWARE THAT EMER HELIS ALWAYS HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY, IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR DISTANCE FROM THEIR LNDG SITE (IN THIS CASE 22 MI AWAY) AND COULD OVERFLY A TRANSITION ARPT AT PATTERN ALT OR BELOW, IRRESPECTIVE OF LNDG ACFT. OBVIOUSLY, I WOULD HAVE CLRED THE AREA OR DONE A 360 DEG TURN, 2 MI S OF THE ARPT IF I HAD KNOWN THAT EMER HELIS HAVE PRIORITY I DID TAKE APPROPRIATE EMER EVASIVE ACTION AND SAVED LIVES.

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.