Piper cherokee pilot encounters a helicopter on final and takes evasive action and landed at bvs.

Attributes
ACN	698700
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bvs.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	other
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 21 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 2700
ASRS Report	698700
Person 2
Function	oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne critical non adherence : far non adherence : required legal separation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 85
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I announced I was on left base to land on runway 04. There were 2 other aircraft in the pattern for the other runway on 28. When I was on a quarter mile final; I noticed the helicopter hovering over the runway. I announced my intentions to land several times and asked if the helicopter heard me. I received no response. Afterward he said he hadn't heard me; either. Our transmissions may have been blocked by other aircraft in the pattern. I was on descent at this point ready to land and was concerned about doing a sharp bank in either direction because of other traffic in pattern and the possibility of a stall. I felt at this time the safest evasive action to take was to make a sharp descent under the hovering helicopter and land; which I did. The helicopter pilot thinks he was approximately 100 ft AGL at the time. I have never had a situation like this happen in all the years I've flown. What caused the problem was no communications were being received by either pilot. I was concerned about conducting a sharp banking turn and felt I had adequate clearance to get under the helicopter. What I could do to prevent this from happening in the future is to use the runway that other traffic was using at the time. There wouldn't have been a hovering helicopter on an active use runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER CHEROKEE PLT ENCOUNTERS A HELI ON FINAL AND TAKES EVASIVE ACTION AND LANDED AT BVS.

Narrative: I ANNOUNCED I WAS ON LEFT BASE TO LAND ON RWY 04. THERE WERE 2 OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN FOR THE OTHER RWY ON 28. WHEN I WAS ON A QUARTER MILE FINAL; I NOTICED THE HELI HOVERING OVER THE RWY. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO LAND SEVERAL TIMES AND ASKED IF THE HELI HEARD ME. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. AFTERWARD HE SAID HE HADN'T HEARD ME; EITHER. OUR TRANSMISSIONS MAY HAVE BEEN BLOCKED BY OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN. I WAS ON DESCENT AT THIS POINT READY TO LAND AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT DOING A SHARP BANK IN EITHER DIRECTION BECAUSE OF OTHER TFC IN PATTERN AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A STALL. I FELT AT THIS TIME THE SAFEST EVASIVE ACTION TO TAKE WAS TO MAKE A SHARP DESCENT UNDER THE HOVERING HELI AND LAND; WHICH I DID. THE HELI PLT THINKS HE WAS APPROX 100 FT AGL AT THE TIME. I HAVE NEVER HAD A SITUATION LIKE THIS HAPPEN IN ALL THE YEARS I'VE FLOWN. WHAT CAUSED THE PROB WAS NO COMMUNICATIONS WERE BEING RECEIVED BY EITHER PLT. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT CONDUCTING A SHARP BANKING TURN AND FELT I HAD ADEQUATE CLRNC TO GET UNDER THE HELI. WHAT I COULD DO TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE IS TO USE THE RWY THAT OTHER TFC WAS USING AT THE TIME. THERE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A HOVERING HELI ON AN ACTIVE USE RWY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.