Narrative:

I was flying a us coast guard auxiliary logistics flight for coast guard station st. Inigoes. I departed cge en route to (navy) webster field, located 9 NM on the 200 degree right of pxt VORTAC. I was sole occupant and expected to pick up 2 passenger at webster. I tried to contact pxt approach control on 127.95 several times for clearance to enter R4005 and proceed direct to webster. The controller was too busy and kept telling me to stand by. I circled over the honga river outside of R4005 for about 10 mins, then proceeded north to taylor's island and crossed the chesapeake bay to calvert cliffs nuclear power plant. From there I proceeded southwest to st. Mary's county airport. I tried contacting pxt approach control on 120.05, but they still would not acknowledge me. NAS patuxent river was using runway 14 and about 2 NM north of the solomon's bridge I noticed a helicopter turning east, and ultimately south toward the field. It didn't appear that he was closer than 500-700' horizontal. I took no evasive actin. Finally patuxent approach (on 120.05) gave me a transponder code and clearance to webster. This was over st. Mary's county airport at 1500' MSL. The controller then asked for my name and destination. When I called him from coast guard station st. Inigoes, he reported that a helicopter on a gca approach came within 50' vertical. I never saw him. When I called supervisor at pxt river the next day he stated that upon review of the tapes, I was outside the restr airspace and there was 100' vertical sep between the aircraft. I feel that the patuxent river controller was at fault and should have given me a transponder code and advisories, especially when I mentioned I was a coast guard auxiliary flight. He should also have called my location to the helicopter pilot because I was squawking 1200 with mode C.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CLOSE PROX 2 COAST GUARD HELICOPTERS NORTHEAST OF 2MD6.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A U.S. COAST GUARD AUX LOGISTICS FLT FOR COAST GUARD STATION ST. INIGOES. I DEPARTED CGE ENRTE TO (NAVY) WEBSTER FIELD, LOCATED 9 NM ON THE 200 DEG R OF PXT VORTAC. I WAS SOLE OCCUPANT AND EXPECTED TO PICK UP 2 PAX AT WEBSTER. I TRIED TO CONTACT PXT APCH CTL ON 127.95 SEVERAL TIMES FOR CLRNC TO ENTER R4005 AND PROCEED DIRECT TO WEBSTER. THE CTLR WAS TOO BUSY AND KEPT TELLING ME TO STAND BY. I CIRCLED OVER THE HONGA RIVER OUTSIDE OF R4005 FOR ABOUT 10 MINS, THEN PROCEEDED N TO TAYLOR'S ISLAND AND CROSSED THE CHESAPEAKE BAY TO CALVERT CLIFFS NUCLEAR PWR PLANT. FROM THERE I PROCEEDED SW TO ST. MARY'S COUNTY ARPT. I TRIED CONTACTING PXT APCH CTL ON 120.05, BUT THEY STILL WOULD NOT ACKNOWLEDGE ME. NAS PATUXENT RIVER WAS USING RWY 14 AND ABOUT 2 NM N OF THE SOLOMON'S BRIDGE I NOTICED A HELI TURNING E, AND ULTIMATELY S TOWARD THE FIELD. IT DIDN'T APPEAR THAT HE WAS CLOSER THAN 500-700' HORIZ. I TOOK NO EVASIVE ACTIN. FINALLY PATUXENT APCH (ON 120.05) GAVE ME A XPONDER CODE AND CLRNC TO WEBSTER. THIS WAS OVER ST. MARY'S COUNTY ARPT AT 1500' MSL. THE CTLR THEN ASKED FOR MY NAME AND DEST. WHEN I CALLED HIM FROM COAST GUARD STATION ST. INIGOES, HE RPTED THAT A HELI ON A GCA APCH CAME WITHIN 50' VERT. I NEVER SAW HIM. WHEN I CALLED SUPVR AT PXT RIVER THE NEXT DAY HE STATED THAT UPON REVIEW OF THE TAPES, I WAS OUTSIDE THE RESTR AIRSPACE AND THERE WAS 100' VERT SEP BTWN THE ACFT. I FEEL THAT THE PATUXENT RIVER CTLR WAS AT FAULT AND SHOULD HAVE GIVEN ME A XPONDER CODE AND ADVISORIES, ESPECIALLY WHEN I MENTIONED I WAS A COAST GUARD AUX FLT. HE SHOULD ALSO HAVE CALLED MY LOCATION TO THE HELI PLT BECAUSE I WAS SQUAWKING 1200 WITH MODE C.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.