Helicopter
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Commercial
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 55; Flight Crew Total 1342; Flight Crew Type 702
Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors; Procedure
While returning to the class D airport in a helicopter we were cleared to land Runway 23 and taxi via taxiway E. We landed the helicopter on the numbers of 23 before preparing to pick it back up and taxi off the runway. Prior to lifting the helicopter back in the air we observed a light twin airplane at the beginning of Runway 5 traveling towards us in what appeared to be a low pass of the runway. I immediately advised Tower that we had an aircraft flying straight towards us. The Tower asked that I repeat the call and when I did he stated that the other aircraft had been talking to Approach not Tower. At this point we opted not to lift off for fear of lifting into the path of the oncoming aircraft. The aircraft passed over us at what appeared to be approximately 100 feet AGL and slightly to our left and then continued a climb out.Later upon speaking with Tower about the incident I was advised that the other aircraft had requested to conduct an ILS approach to runway 5 with a missed procedure. At some point the Tower asked Approach to request the aircraft break off the approach due to our clearance to land and for some reason that request was never carried out and the aircraft never made contact with Tower. Obviously there was a very large break in communication somewhere between Tower; Approach; and the pilot of the light twin. Although I cannot speculate on how that occurred or what can be changed to avoid that in the future I can state that my takeaway is that even in controlled airspace I must remain vigilant and keep scanning for any other traffic that may be in the airport environment that I am unaware of.
Helicopter instructor pilot reported a conflict at LWM airport when another aircraft overflew their position while they were preparing to takeoff.