Narrative:

I was returning to 7fl6 to land in my RV4. I heard a helicopter in the pattern. I called a 3 mi initial for runway 5. (I did not realize at that time that my transmitter was not working. On taxi out, I keyed the microphone 3 times to activate the paris system and it worked.) I observed the helicopter turning base to final ahead and well below me as I was about 1 mi out on initial. I called the left brake over the end of the runway, called turning base and final. Turning final I could see the helicopter in the middle of the runway, about 1/3 of the way down. I could not tell if it was on the ground or hovering. I slowed to minimum approach speed and continued, thinking he would either take off or taxi clear of the runway. On short final, it was apparent he was not going to clear, so I initiated a go around. Because of my minimum approach speed and the necessity to get the flaps up for climb, my initial climb rate was fairly low. The choice was to maintain speed and climb, but probably lose sight of the helicopter and not be able to maneuver if required, or accelerate, keep the helicopter in sight, and be able to maneuver if required. I chose to accelerate and be able to maneuver. I flew lined up on the right edge of the runway (175 ft wide) where I could keep the helicopter in sight and passed abeam the helicopter well above it. The helicopter pilot called on the radio and when I tried to answer him, I soon realized that I was not transmitting. None of my previous xmissions required a reply, so I was unaware of the transmitter not working. If he had heard me turning base and final, I am sure he would not have been sitting on the runway. Furthermore, if he had complied with the airman information manual paragraph 4-3-20, 'exiting the runway after landing,' he would not have been on the runway. The helicopter pilot thought that I 'buzzed' him on the go around and was very upset. I assured him that I had no intention of 'buzzing' him but he did not want to hear that. He was irate and refused to discuss it. It is always regrettable when a misunderstanding occurs, but at no time did I allow safety to be compromised. Had my radio transmitter been working, or if I had realized sooner that it was not working, or if the helicopter pilot had cleared the runway after landing, the whole situation would have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RV4 LNDG 7FL6 EXECUTES GAR BECAUSE OF HELI OP.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO 7FL6 TO LAND IN MY RV4. I HEARD A HELI IN THE PATTERN. I CALLED A 3 MI INITIAL FOR RWY 5. (I DID NOT REALIZE AT THAT TIME THAT MY XMITTER WAS NOT WORKING. ON TAXI OUT, I KEYED THE MIKE 3 TIMES TO ACTIVATE THE PARIS SYS AND IT WORKED.) I OBSERVED THE HELI TURNING BASE TO FINAL AHEAD AND WELL BELOW ME AS I WAS ABOUT 1 MI OUT ON INITIAL. I CALLED THE L BRAKE OVER THE END OF THE RWY, CALLED TURNING BASE AND FINAL. TURNING FINAL I COULD SEE THE HELI IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RWY, ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN. I COULD NOT TELL IF IT WAS ON THE GND OR HOVERING. I SLOWED TO MINIMUM APCH SPD AND CONTINUED, THINKING HE WOULD EITHER TAKE OFF OR TAXI CLR OF THE RWY. ON SHORT FINAL, IT WAS APPARENT HE WAS NOT GOING TO CLR, SO I INITIATED A GAR. BECAUSE OF MY MINIMUM APCH SPD AND THE NECESSITY TO GET THE FLAPS UP FOR CLB, MY INITIAL CLB RATE WAS FAIRLY LOW. THE CHOICE WAS TO MAINTAIN SPD AND CLB, BUT PROBABLY LOSE SIGHT OF THE HELI AND NOT BE ABLE TO MANEUVER IF REQUIRED, OR ACCELERATE, KEEP THE HELI IN SIGHT, AND BE ABLE TO MANEUVER IF REQUIRED. I CHOSE TO ACCELERATE AND BE ABLE TO MANEUVER. I FLEW LINED UP ON THE R EDGE OF THE RWY (175 FT WIDE) WHERE I COULD KEEP THE HELI IN SIGHT AND PASSED ABEAM THE HELI WELL ABOVE IT. THE HELI PLT CALLED ON THE RADIO AND WHEN I TRIED TO ANSWER HIM, I SOON REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT XMITTING. NONE OF MY PREVIOUS XMISSIONS REQUIRED A REPLY, SO I WAS UNAWARE OF THE XMITTER NOT WORKING. IF HE HAD HEARD ME TURNING BASE AND FINAL, I AM SURE HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SITTING ON THE RWY. FURTHERMORE, IF HE HAD COMPLIED WITH THE AIRMAN INFO MANUAL PARAGRAPH 4-3-20, 'EXITING THE RWY AFTER LNDG,' HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE RWY. THE HELI PLT THOUGHT THAT I 'BUZZED' HIM ON THE GAR AND WAS VERY UPSET. I ASSURED HIM THAT I HAD NO INTENTION OF 'BUZZING' HIM BUT HE DID NOT WANT TO HEAR THAT. HE WAS IRATE AND REFUSED TO DISCUSS IT. IT IS ALWAYS REGRETTABLE WHEN A MISUNDERSTANDING OCCURS, BUT AT NO TIME DID I ALLOW SAFETY TO BE COMPROMISED. HAD MY RADIO XMITTER BEEN WORKING, OR IF I HAD REALIZED SOONER THAT IT WAS NOT WORKING, OR IF THE HELI PLT HAD CLRED THE RWY AFTER LNDG, THE WHOLE SIT WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.