HOUMA, LA, USA
N24516
CESSNA 152
N5796P
AEROSPATIALE AS-355F-1
A STUDENT PLT IN CESSNA 152, N24516, TOOK OFF ON RWY 18 TO PRACTICE TFC PATTERN WORK & PERFORM TOUCH & GO LNDGS. ALSO, AN ATP PLT IN AEROSPATIALE AS-355F-1, N5796P, DEPARTED THE HELICOPTER OPNS AREA AT THE NORTH END OF THE ARPT ON A PSNG FLT TO A HOSPITAL ABOUT 3 MI TO THE NW. THE TOWER HAD CLOSED EARLIER (AT 1800 CDT). SVRL ARPT PSNL WERE ON DUTY (INCLUDING PSNL AT OPERATOR FACILITIES); THOSE INTERVIEWED, DID NOT RECALL HEARING A RADIO ADZY FM EITHER PLT. AT ABOUT 1846 CDT, THE 2 ACFT COLLIDED ABOUT 1.4 MI NW OF THE ARPT AT AN ESTD ALT OF 500 TO 600 FT. WITNESSES RPRTD THAT THE HELICOPTER WAS CLIMBING ON A NW HDG, WHILE THE CESSNA WAS IN LVL FLT. ONE WITNESS THOUGHT THE CESSNA HAD TURNED ONTO A BASE LEG FOR RWY 12. JUST BEFORE IMPACT, THE CESSNA ENTERED AN ABRUPT LEFT CLIMBING TURN & ROLLED OUT OF THE TURN SLIGHTLY ABV & TO THE RGT OF THE HELICOPTER. SUBSEQUENTLY, THEY CONVERGED & THE HELICOPTER'S MAIN ROTOR BLADES STRUCK THE LEFT SIDE OF THE CESSNA, THEN BOTH CRASHED. THE HELICOPTER WAS NOT OBSERVED TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTN.
THE FAILURE OF BOTH PILOTS TO SEE-AND-AVOID EACH OTHER'S AIRCRAFT (INADEQUATE VISUAL LOOKOUT). A PROBABLE FACTOR WAS: FAILURE OF EITHER PILOT TO ISSUE A TRAFFIC ADVISORY.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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