Helicopter
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Rotorcraft
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 36.7; Flight Crew Total 200; Flight Crew Type 32.8
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Human Factors
The event occurred during a CFI checkride in the helicopter. I had just finished a ground and flight. The purpose was to accomplish full down autorotations in the pattern for the active runway (current runway was 12 as noted in ATIS). I got my ATIS code and contacted PRC ground for clearance. To the best of my ability I gave my position at the flight school ramp and ATIS code. Ground cleared us by saying 'cleared to taxi to runway 12 via taxiway E4'. At that point I thought I was cleared for the active runway; repeated the clearance back to ground and proceeded to taxi off the school ramp via E4 to runway 12. Prior reaching runway 12 hold lines I looked to my left to see a Cessna on very short final and took action to abruptly stop the helicopter. To my best recollection I was as close as I could be to the hold lines without my rotor blades being over the hold lines. I recounted with my passenger and he agreed there was confusion. I contacted ground to ask if they had cleared us for the runway with landing traffic. They reply that I was not cleared for the runway. I replied with '…holding short of runway 12.'
Helicopter pilot reported an NMAC with a Cessna at PRC airport when he misunderstood his taxi clearance.