Narrative:

I was on a pleasure trip with my wife. Upon takeoff from vay in rental aircraft; it was discovered that the top latch on the door was undone. I diverted to a nearby airport (ZZZ1); landed; stopped on the ramp; and re-latched the door. After takeoff; the door's top latch was found to be still a problem. I decided to land at ZZZ. In preparation; I retuned the radios to the CTAF for ZZZ and the second radio to nearby ZZZ3 ATIS to get wind and WX for my landing. I was not able to get the ATIS and I descended to 1500 ft AGL and made a pass mid-field and was able to observe a wind T indicating that runway 4 was the current runway in use. I didn't see or hear any other traffic on the radio. I entered the pattern announced my locations and landed on runway 4. Upon parking on a ramp I shut down to re-secure the door; my wife discovered that she had lost a camera she was using probably at the prior airport. We decided to return to look for it. The door was finally secure and I taxied to take off on runway 4. I did my run-up and announced departure on runway 4. As I was starting my takeoff roll; I noticed a helicopter about 300 ft AGL moving from left to right over what I thought to be the airport's turf runway. I did not hear any announcements on the radio so I continued to accelerate and rotated thinking he was passing over the end of the runway. I realized that he had stopped and turned over the end of the runway and was probably landing on runway 22; but there was not enough runway ahead to make a safe stop and I was already 100 ft above the runway. I took evasive action and turned left toward the pattern to avoid the landing helicopter. After I was clear; I looked at my radios and discovered I had left the audio switch on the ATIS radio and not the CTAF one. After I changed the setting; I heard the helicopter pilot discussing the near miss. I talked to the other pilot and apologized for my error. Not being on the CTAF I never heard the pattern calls from the other pilots so I was not aware they were using runway 22 and not runway 4. I should have doublechked the switch settings on my radios and audio panel before I took off and requested a radio check to verify communications. I should not have let the door open and lost camera distract me from the proper radio checks before taking off and not have relied on the wind T but also performed another fly-over and checked the windsock as well. I hope this mistake will help other pilots avoid a similar situation. It impressed on me the importance of performing a thorough doublechk of all checklist items before takeoff.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA28 PILOT HAD AN NMAC WITH A HELICOPTER IN THE PATTERN WHEN HE FAILED TO SET HIS RADIOS PROPERLY.

Narrative: I WAS ON A PLEASURE TRIP WITH MY WIFE. UPON TKOF FROM VAY IN RENTAL ACFT; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE TOP LATCH ON THE DOOR WAS UNDONE. I DIVERTED TO A NEARBY ARPT (ZZZ1); LANDED; STOPPED ON THE RAMP; AND RE-LATCHED THE DOOR. AFTER TKOF; THE DOOR'S TOP LATCH WAS FOUND TO BE STILL A PROB. I DECIDED TO LAND AT ZZZ. IN PREPARATION; I RETUNED THE RADIOS TO THE CTAF FOR ZZZ AND THE SECOND RADIO TO NEARBY ZZZ3 ATIS TO GET WIND AND WX FOR MY LNDG. I WAS NOT ABLE TO GET THE ATIS AND I DSNDED TO 1500 FT AGL AND MADE A PASS MID-FIELD AND WAS ABLE TO OBSERVE A WIND T INDICATING THAT RWY 4 WAS THE CURRENT RWY IN USE. I DIDN'T SEE OR HEAR ANY OTHER TFC ON THE RADIO. I ENTERED THE PATTERN ANNOUNCED MY LOCATIONS AND LANDED ON RWY 4. UPON PARKING ON A RAMP I SHUT DOWN TO RE-SECURE THE DOOR; MY WIFE DISCOVERED THAT SHE HAD LOST A CAMERA SHE WAS USING PROBABLY AT THE PRIOR ARPT. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO LOOK FOR IT. THE DOOR WAS FINALLY SECURE AND I TAXIED TO TAKE OFF ON RWY 4. I DID MY RUN-UP AND ANNOUNCED DEP ON RWY 4. AS I WAS STARTING MY TKOF ROLL; I NOTICED A HELI ABOUT 300 FT AGL MOVING FROM L TO R OVER WHAT I THOUGHT TO BE THE ARPT'S TURF RWY. I DID NOT HEAR ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE RADIO SO I CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND ROTATED THINKING HE WAS PASSING OVER THE END OF THE RWY. I REALIZED THAT HE HAD STOPPED AND TURNED OVER THE END OF THE RWY AND WAS PROBABLY LNDG ON RWY 22; BUT THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH RWY AHEAD TO MAKE A SAFE STOP AND I WAS ALREADY 100 FT ABOVE THE RWY. I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AND TURNED L TOWARD THE PATTERN TO AVOID THE LNDG HELI. AFTER I WAS CLEAR; I LOOKED AT MY RADIOS AND DISCOVERED I HAD LEFT THE AUDIO SWITCH ON THE ATIS RADIO AND NOT THE CTAF ONE. AFTER I CHANGED THE SETTING; I HEARD THE HELI PLT DISCUSSING THE NEAR MISS. I TALKED TO THE OTHER PLT AND APOLOGIZED FOR MY ERROR. NOT BEING ON THE CTAF I NEVER HEARD THE PATTERN CALLS FROM THE OTHER PLTS SO I WAS NOT AWARE THEY WERE USING RWY 22 AND NOT RWY 4. I SHOULD HAVE DOUBLECHKED THE SWITCH SETTINGS ON MY RADIOS AND AUDIO PANEL BEFORE I TOOK OFF AND REQUESTED A RADIO CHK TO VERIFY COMS. I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET THE DOOR OPEN AND LOST CAMERA DISTRACT ME FROM THE PROPER RADIO CHKS BEFORE TAKING OFF AND NOT HAVE RELIED ON THE WIND T BUT ALSO PERFORMED ANOTHER FLY-OVER AND CHKED THE WINDSOCK AS WELL. I HOPE THIS MISTAKE WILL HELP OTHER PLTS AVOID A SIMILAR SITUATION. IT IMPRESSED ON ME THE IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMING A THOROUGH DOUBLECHK OF ALL CHKLIST ITEMS BEFORE TKOF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.