Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 4200; Flight Crew Type 540
Distraction; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Airport; Human Factors; Procedure
While on an instruction flight in a Helicopter; my student was on the controls turning left-base to final for taxiway bravo parallel runway 35 (Bravo is west and parallel to runway 35) at 4;800 ft MSL/300 ft AGL. A [single engine Piper] began conducting a power-off 180 to runway 35 at the same time (flying through the approach path of the helicopter). While on short final; a helicopter instructor also in the pattern made a radio call '[Aircraft] turning final; do you have the helicopter on final in sight?' The pilot replied; 'We've got the helicopter in sight.' At that moment I looked up through the overhead window above the cockpit; directly above; to see only the belly of [aircraft]; within 50 feet; descending rapidly directly above us. I immediately took the controls from my student and began a rapid collective descent and turn to the left. At that time I made a call on the radio; '[Aircraft] ON FINAL; STOP DESCENDING; YOU'RE RIGHT ABOVE US!' The [aircraft] continued to descend however we were no longer on a collision course.This was my SECOND incident of a near midair collision with a [local] aircraft; in the same scenario. Since the first incident; the [local] Flight School has not changed the way they conduct 'power-off 180's' to make the maneuver safer for all pilots.
[Several] fixed-wing aircraft in the pattern. 3 helicopter traffic in the pattern. My aircraft was Left-Downwind starting a descent; abeam the numbers 35 and landing on Runway 35. There were two helicopters on a Final Approach. The first helicopter was Short Final for Runway 35. The second helicopter; on a longer final for Runway 35 was unaccounted for. Somehow the radio calls from the second helicopter were missed; thus lapsing my aircraft avoidance procedures. Although the area was visually cleared by myself and my student; the near miss traffic was skipped. My aircraft began its Left Base leg turn; then shortly afterwards its final leg turn. Placing my aircraft within close proximity of the second helicopter. Once the danger was acknowledged an immediate Go-Around procedure was initiated. Helicopter pilot claims a proximity straight-line distance of 50 or more feet. Eye witness account on ground and air say 200 or more feet. A more accurate estimation is unattainable.
Instructor Pilots from 2 aircraft involved in a near-mid-air-collision at a busy non-towered airport provide their insight of the event.