Narrative:

I was returning home from a wire stringing job to attend my son's football game at a local area high school stadium. Because I was late, I elected to fly the helicopter to the football stadium to be dropped off and let my copilot return the aircraft to our base. The landing occurred after dark, so I utilized the lights of the stadium and made my approach to a large grass area on the east side of the field. I felt it was safe to land in this area as there was a chain link fence behind the helicopter after landing to prevent anyone from approaching the aircraft from the rear. There was also a concession building approximately 150 ft to the right, and portable toilets 150 ft to the left. There were no people within 150 ft of the aircraft after landing. The helicopter was on the ground for about 10 seconds to drop me off and my copilot departed to the south to avoid overflying any people. The next day I received a phone call from the athletic director at my son's high school informing me that the athletic director from the high school where I landed had called to complain about the helicopter landing. I called the athletic director and idented myself as the pilot. He was quite angry with me and questioned my judgement to land where I landed unannounced. I told him my reasons for landing at the game, and apologized to him. He then xferred me to his principal who was also concerned about the landing. After explaining myself again, the principal told me that he was glad I called and that he was satisfied with my explanation. I feel it was safe to land where I landed, and do not believe any FARS were violated under part 91, however, with the number of people who were concerned about the operation, I feel it would be wise to submit this form to the aviation safety reporting board.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD500 CREW LANDED IN AN OPEN STADIUM FIELD ADJACENT TO A SCHOOL. SCHOOL OFFICIALS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE UNANNOUNCED LNDG.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING HOME FROM A WIRE STRINGING JOB TO ATTEND MY SON'S FOOTBALL GAME AT A LCL AREA HIGH SCHOOL STADIUM. BECAUSE I WAS LATE, I ELECTED TO FLY THE HELI TO THE FOOTBALL STADIUM TO BE DROPPED OFF AND LET MY COPLT RETURN THE ACFT TO OUR BASE. THE LNDG OCCURRED AFTER DARK, SO I UTILIZED THE LIGHTS OF THE STADIUM AND MADE MY APCH TO A LARGE GRASS AREA ON THE E SIDE OF THE FIELD. I FELT IT WAS SAFE TO LAND IN THIS AREA AS THERE WAS A CHAIN LINK FENCE BEHIND THE HELI AFTER LNDG TO PREVENT ANYONE FROM APCHING THE ACFT FROM THE REAR. THERE WAS ALSO A CONCESSION BUILDING APPROX 150 FT TO THE R, AND PORTABLE TOILETS 150 FT TO THE L. THERE WERE NO PEOPLE WITHIN 150 FT OF THE ACFT AFTER LNDG. THE HELI WAS ON THE GND FOR ABOUT 10 SECONDS TO DROP ME OFF AND MY COPLT DEPARTED TO THE S TO AVOID OVERFLYING ANY PEOPLE. THE NEXT DAY I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT MY SON'S HIGH SCHOOL INFORMING ME THAT THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE I LANDED HAD CALLED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE HELI LNDG. I CALLED THE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AND IDENTED MYSELF AS THE PLT. HE WAS QUITE ANGRY WITH ME AND QUESTIONED MY JUDGEMENT TO LAND WHERE I LANDED UNANNOUNCED. I TOLD HIM MY REASONS FOR LNDG AT THE GAME, AND APOLOGIZED TO HIM. HE THEN XFERRED ME TO HIS PRINCIPAL WHO WAS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE LNDG. AFTER EXPLAINING MYSELF AGAIN, THE PRINCIPAL TOLD ME THAT HE WAS GLAD I CALLED AND THAT HE WAS SATISFIED WITH MY EXPLANATION. I FEEL IT WAS SAFE TO LAND WHERE I LANDED, AND DO NOT BELIEVE ANY FARS WERE VIOLATED UNDER PART 91, HOWEVER, WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE OP, I FEEL IT WOULD BE WISE TO SUBMIT THIS FORM TO THE AVIATION SAFETY RPTING BOARD.

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.