Narrative:

I cleared light transport X to land after he had reported a 2 mi final on runway 25. Mlt Y, a helicopter, had been making consecutive touch and go lndgs on runway 25 (closed traffic). After light transport X landed, the pilot stated, 'there's a helicopter on the runway.' shortly thereafter, the helicopter stated he had a twin engine jet land by me on the runway, right hand side. At this time I was relieved from local control. Light transport X, after exiting runway 25, asked if we were aware of the helicopter. I then transmitted a ground control frequency that I was aware of the helicopter, was sorry for the incident, and that it was controller error. Contributing factors towards the incident were: 1) I was physically sick and had stated such to fellow controllers, 2) there were 5 controllers in the tower at the time and I was somewhat distracted, 3) the helicopter was sitting on the runway near the approach end of runway 25, which is quite some distance from the tower, plus the fact that any aircraft tends to blend in with a tree line in that quadrant, and 4) normal position reports were not required of the helicopter. Procedure corrective action implemented 11/fri/88 include: 1) putting aircraft information for both VFR and IFR aircraft on the writing pad at local control position, 2) working all traffic the same (all aircraft shall be given a clearance for each operation), 3) a meeting has been scheduled for 11/wed/88 to discuss areas of concern, and 4) a cabin attendant coordinator position is under consideration. Supplemental information from acn 98284: upon T/D, a mlt Y helicopter was seen on the centerline of the runway about 1000' from the approach end and about 500' from the point of T/D. The landing aircraft was an light transport X with a landing vref of 122 KTS. I immediately took evasive action by raising the aircraft slightly and slipping to the right edge of the runway. The aircraft was straightened and as the aircraft settled firmly on the runway, brakes and reverse thrust were applied. The aircraft passed underneath the helicopter rotor blades and the left tip tank was approximately 10' horizontal from the fuselage of the helicopter. A successful stop was made west/O injury or damage to either crew or aircraft. The helicopter was grey and blended with the runway surface so as not to be noticed until T/D. An FAA investigation is presently under way over this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWR CTLR CLEARED LTT TO LAND WITH MLT-HELICOPTER HOVERING APPROX 10' OVER RWY. ACFT PASSING VERY CLOSE PROX.

Narrative: I CLRED LTT X TO LAND AFTER HE HAD RPTED A 2 MI FINAL ON RWY 25. MLT Y, A HELI, HAD BEEN MAKING CONSECUTIVE TOUCH AND GO LNDGS ON RWY 25 (CLOSED TFC). AFTER LTT X LANDED, THE PLT STATED, 'THERE'S A HELI ON THE RWY.' SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE HELI STATED HE HAD A TWIN ENG JET LAND BY ME ON THE RWY, RIGHT HAND SIDE. AT THIS TIME I WAS RELIEVED FROM LCL CTL. LTT X, AFTER EXITING RWY 25, ASKED IF WE WERE AWARE OF THE HELI. I THEN XMITTED A GND CTL FREQ THAT I WAS AWARE OF THE HELI, WAS SORRY FOR THE INCIDENT, AND THAT IT WAS CTLR ERROR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TOWARDS THE INCIDENT WERE: 1) I WAS PHYSICALLY SICK AND HAD STATED SUCH TO FELLOW CTLRS, 2) THERE WERE 5 CTLRS IN THE TWR AT THE TIME AND I WAS SOMEWHAT DISTRACTED, 3) THE HELI WAS SITTING ON THE RWY NEAR THE APCH END OF RWY 25, WHICH IS QUITE SOME DISTANCE FROM THE TWR, PLUS THE FACT THAT ANY ACFT TENDS TO BLEND IN WITH A TREE LINE IN THAT QUADRANT, AND 4) NORMAL POS RPTS WERE NOT REQUIRED OF THE HELI. PROC CORRECTIVE ACTION IMPLEMENTED 11/FRI/88 INCLUDE: 1) PUTTING ACFT INFO FOR BOTH VFR AND IFR ACFT ON THE WRITING PAD AT LCL CTL POS, 2) WORKING ALL TFC THE SAME (ALL ACFT SHALL BE GIVEN A CLRNC FOR EACH OPERATION), 3) A MEETING HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR 11/WED/88 TO DISCUSS AREAS OF CONCERN, AND 4) A CAB COORDINATOR POS IS UNDER CONSIDERATION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 98284: UPON T/D, A MLT Y HELI WAS SEEN ON THE CENTERLINE OF THE RWY ABOUT 1000' FROM THE APCH END AND ABOUT 500' FROM THE POINT OF T/D. THE LNDG ACFT WAS AN LTT X WITH A LNDG VREF OF 122 KTS. I IMMEDIATELY TOOK EVASIVE ACTION BY RAISING THE ACFT SLIGHTLY AND SLIPPING TO THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE RWY. THE ACFT WAS STRAIGHTENED AND AS THE ACFT SETTLED FIRMLY ON THE RWY, BRAKES AND REVERSE THRUST WERE APPLIED. THE ACFT PASSED UNDERNEATH THE HELI ROTOR BLADES AND THE LEFT TIP TANK WAS APPROX 10' HORIZ FROM THE FUSELAGE OF THE HELI. A SUCCESSFUL STOP WAS MADE W/O INJURY OR DAMAGE TO EITHER CREW OR ACFT. THE HELI WAS GREY AND BLENDED WITH THE RWY SURFACE SO AS NOT TO BE NOTICED UNTIL T/D. AN FAA INVESTIGATION IS PRESENTLY UNDER WAY OVER THIS INCIDENT.

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