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ASRS 2024143

ACN 2024143 · 2023-08 · Amateur/Home Built/Experimental

General aviation pilot reported a near miss with a helicopter after landing at RAP airport during taxi in. The helicopter was cleared to depart from a taxiway with limited visibility from the Tower and the helicopter passed just in front of the pilot on the taxiway as he stopped immediately.

Rotary Wing Aircraft Flight Crew Reports TaxiPart 91Takeoff / Launch

Pilot narrative

Verbatim, de-identified by NASA. Placeholders: ZZZ, X, Y.

I just landed and was cleared to taxi to parking via Taxiway A. Many aircraft exit at G2. To get to my hangar. While taxiing between G2 and G1, a helicopter was cleared to depart via Taxiway A. The helicopter air taxied from the ramp and appeared to proceed with his departure just prior to reaching Taxiway A and directly in front of me, not more than 75- 100 feet in front of me. I don't think he even saw me or realized I was there. I saw him just as he transitioned from air taxi to takeoff and stopped immediately. I told the Tower that what just occurred was unsafe. The Tower Controller responded that it was a helicopter and had to depart quickly. I told it it was still an unsafe situation; had I been slightly further down the taxiway, a collision could have occurred. This particular area is not visible from the Tower, and I don't think the controller saw where I was in relationship to the helicopter when they cleared him for departure. This is a very busy time for the helicopters as an event was going on with lots of flights. Still, when operations are rushed, that is where mistakes happen that be tragic.

NASA classification · Anomalies

  • ATC Issue
  • Conflict
  • Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural

NASA classification · Assessments

Contributing Factors / Situations
Airport · Airspace Structure · Human Factors · Procedure
Primary Problem
Procedure

ASRS reports are voluntary, de-identified by NASA, and represent the reporter's perspective; they are not investigated and cannot be used to infer prevalence. Authoritative source: asrs.arc.nasa.gov ↗