VFR.....See and Avoid!
The Accident Report shows the Pilot wouid lose sight of the airplane as the Helicopter turned left in preparation for landing. That placed the airplane below and ahead of the Helicopter.
There was no discussion in the Accident Report about what the Non-Pilot Flight Nurse in the Co-Pilot seat could have seen....and limited its review to only the Pilot.
Normally, the PHI Operation employs the Nurses as well as providing the Aircraft and Pilot.....thus PHI (if that is the case here) has no out by blaming the Flight Nurse.
The Accident Report correctly states the fact that there is no restriction on making a Right Hand Traffic Pattern beyond it being a Recommended Practice to make a Left Hand Pattern unless a Right Hand Pattern is required and so indicated by Signs, Signals, etc.
Eight Hundred feet AGL is considered Traffic Pattern Height.
So...as I read it....the airport was busy, Pilots were making standard radio calls, the accident airplane was in a non-standard pattern, was at 500 feet AGL, was tardy in turning its Transponder on, and as there was no mention by witnesses of any radio calls by the accident airplane....the Helicopter Crew would have been forced to rely purely upon Visual Separation.
A Jury will have a tough time deciding who is the most negligent here. Neither crew did anything illegal or in direct contravention of the FAR's as I see it.
This is an unusual Mid-Air between a Helicopter and Airplane....usually it is the Airplane crew being interviewed and the helicopter crew that goes to the Morque.
Last edited by SASless; 11th October 2012 at 17:32.