Narrative:

I was up on a solo flight trying to stay proficient for my upcoming CFI check ride. I had gone out to the practice area and I practiced several maneuvers. When I had finished practicing; I called tower to come back into the class D airspace and told the tower that I would be doing a couple trips around the pattern. I wanted to practice my lndgs and make sure that I was still proficient with them. I entered the pattern on the left downwind and completed my first trip around the pattern without issue other than missing my landing point by about 100 ft. I then took off and turned onto the right downwind for runway 32. I wanted to practice a short approach if the tower could fit it in; so when I was abeam the 14 numbers; I called tower requesting a short approach if possible. Several seconds of silence on the radio went by; and I wanted to make sure that tower had heard me. I called again requesting the short approach. When I finished my radio call; I heard something from tower seemingly indicating that I had 'stepped on' a call from tower. Wanting to clarify; I called again just to make sure that tower could hear me because I was now abeam the 32 numbers; and I had not heard any instructions yet. I heard the tail end of tower's next call; and I asked if that call was for me. Tower came back saying the call was for helicopter xyz and then said 'you're #3 to the runway' which I assumed was for me. I then was looking for the cessna traffic that I had heard called on the radio on base when the tower asked if I had the helicopter traffic in sight. Looking out in front of me; I did not have the traffic in sight and responded 'negative.' tower then told me to make an immediate left turn to the east; and as I executed the turn I saw the helicopter just below me. Tower then came back and said I had almost run over the helicopter. The rest of the pattern; once re-established on the downwind; was uneventful and I landed and taxied to the ramp. This incident; though; is a prime example of what happens when you lose the vigilance of the 'see and avoid concept.' I was focused on trying to get the short approach and hear back from the tower my landing instructions. Because of this; I lost focus on looking out for the traffic in front of me. This shows how the human eye can miss obstructions and aircraft in front of it; especially when that obstacle is slightly below the nose. If an aviator is not focused on the traffic even for a short instance; it can lead to disaster in a busy traffic pattern. We must have disciplined attention; and in this instance; my discipline fell short of where it needed to be. Another factor to consider is communication between the pilot and ATC. In this case; the pilot was waiting for a callback from tower and did not receive it when he thought he should have. To clarify; there were several communications following asking for instructions; but they stepped on the calls from the tower. This was an unfortunate mix-up; but it could be avoided in the future by maintaining better situational awareness and listening to all the traffic calls going on on the radio and incorporating that into your theory of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 PILOT REPORTS NMAC WITH HELICOPTER IN TRAFFIC PATTERN. AVOIDANCE TURN IS ISSUED BY TOWER CONTROLLER.

Narrative: I WAS UP ON A SOLO FLT TRYING TO STAY PROFICIENT FOR MY UPCOMING CFI CHK RIDE. I HAD GONE OUT TO THE PRACTICE AREA AND I PRACTICED SEVERAL MANEUVERS. WHEN I HAD FINISHED PRACTICING; I CALLED TWR TO COME BACK INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AND TOLD THE TWR THAT I WOULD BE DOING A COUPLE TRIPS AROUND THE PATTERN. I WANTED TO PRACTICE MY LNDGS AND MAKE SURE THAT I WAS STILL PROFICIENT WITH THEM. I ENTERED THE PATTERN ON THE L DOWNWIND AND COMPLETED MY FIRST TRIP AROUND THE PATTERN WITHOUT ISSUE OTHER THAN MISSING MY LNDG POINT BY ABOUT 100 FT. I THEN TOOK OFF AND TURNED ONTO THE R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 32. I WANTED TO PRACTICE A SHORT APCH IF THE TWR COULD FIT IT IN; SO WHEN I WAS ABEAM THE 14 NUMBERS; I CALLED TWR REQUESTING A SHORT APCH IF POSSIBLE. SEVERAL SECONDS OF SILENCE ON THE RADIO WENT BY; AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT TWR HAD HEARD ME. I CALLED AGAIN REQUESTING THE SHORT APCH. WHEN I FINISHED MY RADIO CALL; I HEARD SOMETHING FROM TWR SEEMINGLY INDICATING THAT I HAD 'STEPPED ON' A CALL FROM TWR. WANTING TO CLARIFY; I CALLED AGAIN JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT TWR COULD HEAR ME BECAUSE I WAS NOW ABEAM THE 32 NUMBERS; AND I HAD NOT HEARD ANY INSTRUCTIONS YET. I HEARD THE TAIL END OF TWR'S NEXT CALL; AND I ASKED IF THAT CALL WAS FOR ME. TWR CAME BACK SAYING THE CALL WAS FOR HELI XYZ AND THEN SAID 'YOU'RE #3 TO THE RWY' WHICH I ASSUMED WAS FOR ME. I THEN WAS LOOKING FOR THE CESSNA TFC THAT I HAD HEARD CALLED ON THE RADIO ON BASE WHEN THE TWR ASKED IF I HAD THE HELI TFC IN SIGHT. LOOKING OUT IN FRONT OF ME; I DID NOT HAVE THE TFC IN SIGHT AND RESPONDED 'NEGATIVE.' TWR THEN TOLD ME TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE L TURN TO THE E; AND AS I EXECUTED THE TURN I SAW THE HELI JUST BELOW ME. TWR THEN CAME BACK AND SAID I HAD ALMOST RUN OVER THE HELI. THE REST OF THE PATTERN; ONCE RE-ESTABLISHED ON THE DOWNWIND; WAS UNEVENTFUL AND I LANDED AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. THIS INCIDENT; THOUGH; IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOSE THE VIGILANCE OF THE 'SEE AND AVOID CONCEPT.' I WAS FOCUSED ON TRYING TO GET THE SHORT APCH AND HEAR BACK FROM THE TWR MY LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. BECAUSE OF THIS; I LOST FOCUS ON LOOKING OUT FOR THE TFC IN FRONT OF ME. THIS SHOWS HOW THE HUMAN EYE CAN MISS OBSTRUCTIONS AND ACFT IN FRONT OF IT; ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT OBSTACLE IS SLIGHTLY BELOW THE NOSE. IF AN AVIATOR IS NOT FOCUSED ON THE TFC EVEN FOR A SHORT INSTANCE; IT CAN LEAD TO DISASTER IN A BUSY TFC PATTERN. WE MUST HAVE DISCIPLINED ATTN; AND IN THIS INSTANCE; MY DISCIPLINE FELL SHORT OF WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE. ANOTHER FACTOR TO CONSIDER IS COM BTWN THE PLT AND ATC. IN THIS CASE; THE PLT WAS WAITING FOR A CALLBACK FROM TWR AND DID NOT RECEIVE IT WHEN HE THOUGHT HE SHOULD HAVE. TO CLARIFY; THERE WERE SEVERAL COMS FOLLOWING ASKING FOR INSTRUCTIONS; BUT THEY STEPPED ON THE CALLS FROM THE TWR. THIS WAS AN UNFORTUNATE MIX-UP; BUT IT COULD BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE BY MAINTAINING BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND LISTENING TO ALL THE TFC CALLS GOING ON ON THE RADIO AND INCORPORATING THAT INTO YOUR THEORY OF THE SITUATION.

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.