Narrative:

I contacted mmu tower upon takeoff from nearby helicopter pad and requested a practice ILS runway 23 into mmu to refuel. The mmu controller approved the approach and told us to contact caldwell tower which is about 7-8 mi to the east of morristown airport. The FAF for the mmu ILS 23 is moree which lies just inside the caldwell's class D airspace. I contacted the cdw tower controller and told them we were northeast of mmu and setting up for a practice ILS 23 back into mmu. The controller said there were 3 aircraft in the cdw airspace. The controller called traffic taking off runway 28; we reported traffic in sight which had just lifted off cdw runway 28. About 30 seconds later; our TCAS advisory went off as we were turning onto final at moree. We immediately saw a cessna off our nose approximately 250 ft away at our same altitude of 2000 ft. We banked slightly left to avoid. I do not think the other aircraft had us in sight. I also do not think this was the same aircraft that had just taken off because it could not have climbed to 2000 ft in 30 seconds. After landing; I spoke with the caldwell controller to clarify the near midair. The controller said there was another aircraft at 1500 ft near moree; but I don't remember hearing this traffic call. I felt the controller seemed confused at the location of the VFR aircraft in their airspace and should have been more proactive in separating them. The controller also reported that they were doing training at the same time of the near midair. Recommend that caldwell tower and morristown tower not allow practice VFR approachs if the airspace is busy.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER OPERATOR WITH CDW; DESCRIBED NMAC WITH CESSNA DURING ATC APPROVED PRACTICE ILS APPROACH TO MMU; REPORTER'S CONVERSATION WITH ATC INDICATED CONTROLLER TRAINING AND CONTROLLER CONFUSION.

Narrative: I CONTACTED MMU TWR UPON TKOF FROM NEARBY HELI PAD AND REQUESTED A PRACTICE ILS RWY 23 INTO MMU TO REFUEL. THE MMU CTLR APPROVED THE APCH AND TOLD US TO CONTACT CALDWELL TWR WHICH IS ABOUT 7-8 MI TO THE E OF MORRISTOWN ARPT. THE FAF FOR THE MMU ILS 23 IS MOREE WHICH LIES JUST INSIDE THE CALDWELL'S CLASS D AIRSPACE. I CONTACTED THE CDW TWR CTLR AND TOLD THEM WE WERE NE OF MMU AND SETTING UP FOR A PRACTICE ILS 23 BACK INTO MMU. THE CTLR SAID THERE WERE 3 ACFT IN THE CDW AIRSPACE. THE CTLR CALLED TFC TAKING OFF RWY 28; WE RPTED TFC IN SIGHT WHICH HAD JUST LIFTED OFF CDW RWY 28. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER; OUR TCAS ADVISORY WENT OFF AS WE WERE TURNING ONTO FINAL AT MOREE. WE IMMEDIATELY SAW A CESSNA OFF OUR NOSE APPROX 250 FT AWAY AT OUR SAME ALT OF 2000 FT. WE BANKED SLIGHTLY L TO AVOID. I DO NOT THINK THE OTHER ACFT HAD US IN SIGHT. I ALSO DO NOT THINK THIS WAS THE SAME ACFT THAT HAD JUST TAKEN OFF BECAUSE IT COULD NOT HAVE CLBED TO 2000 FT IN 30 SECONDS. AFTER LNDG; I SPOKE WITH THE CALDWELL CTLR TO CLARIFY THE NEAR MIDAIR. THE CTLR SAID THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT AT 1500 FT NEAR MOREE; BUT I DON'T REMEMBER HEARING THIS TFC CALL. I FELT THE CTLR SEEMED CONFUSED AT THE LOCATION OF THE VFR ACFT IN THEIR AIRSPACE AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE PROACTIVE IN SEPARATING THEM. THE CTLR ALSO RPTED THAT THEY WERE DOING TRAINING AT THE SAME TIME OF THE NEAR MIDAIR. RECOMMEND THAT CALDWELL TWR AND MORRISTOWN TWR NOT ALLOW PRACTICE VFR APCHS IF THE AIRSPACE IS BUSY.

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.