Hovering police helicopter harasses and irritates a portion of exhibitors at a public relations exhi...

Attributes
ACN	145601
Time
Date	199005
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 1ms6
State Reference	MS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 20 agl bound upper : 25
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fat
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 13750
ASRS Report	145601
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Police helicopter doing P.right. Work at highway rest area promoting ms tourism. Small crowd, couple of displays set up, corps of engineers, forestry service, search and rescue unit, aviation unit, etc. Things were winding down,, was asked to make flyby and hover so video camera could take some final shots of festivities. Was in high hover (25'), with observer facing building taking pictures. View obstructed by him. Was unaware that rotor wash was blowing corps of engineers display over. Broke their prize crappie fish on display and otherwise made those folks very angry. The other people enjoyed the helicopter flying. Totally unintentional occurrence. Had I known this would happen, would have been further away. Consequently, P.right. Mission turned sour. The engineers said I shouldn't have been so close, as if I didn't know by then. Lesson learned. P.right. Isn't P.right. If you make enemies. Hopefully can smooth the ruffled feathers, operations in tight,confined areas. Sometimes require flight closer than you would like, but helicopter operations are so varied that every area might require different techniques and approachs to assure the most safe arrival and departure in event of engine failure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOVERING POLICE HELICOPTER HARASSES AND IRRITATES A PORTION OF EXHIBITORS AT A PUBLIC RELATIONS EXHIBIT AND SPECIAL FUNCTION AS AERIAL PHOTOS ARE BEING MADE AND SEVERAL DISPLAYS ARE BLOWN OVER.

Narrative: POLICE HELI DOING P.R. WORK AT HWY REST AREA PROMOTING MS TOURISM. SMALL CROWD, COUPLE OF DISPLAYS SET UP, CORPS OF ENGINEERS, FORESTRY SVC, SEARCH AND RESCUE UNIT, AVIATION UNIT, ETC. THINGS WERE WINDING DOWN,, WAS ASKED TO MAKE FLYBY AND HOVER SO VIDEO CAMERA COULD TAKE SOME FINAL SHOTS OF FESTIVITIES. WAS IN HIGH HOVER (25'), WITH OBSERVER FACING BUILDING TAKING PICTURES. VIEW OBSTRUCTED BY HIM. WAS UNAWARE THAT ROTOR WASH WAS BLOWING CORPS OF ENGINEERS DISPLAY OVER. BROKE THEIR PRIZE CRAPPIE FISH ON DISPLAY AND OTHERWISE MADE THOSE FOLKS VERY ANGRY. THE OTHER PEOPLE ENJOYED THE HELI FLYING. TOTALLY UNINTENTIONAL OCCURRENCE. HAD I KNOWN THIS WOULD HAPPEN, WOULD HAVE BEEN FURTHER AWAY. CONSEQUENTLY, P.R. MISSION TURNED SOUR. THE ENGINEERS SAID I SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN SO CLOSE, AS IF I DIDN'T KNOW BY THEN. LESSON LEARNED. P.R. ISN'T P.R. IF YOU MAKE ENEMIES. HOPEFULLY CAN SMOOTH THE RUFFLED FEATHERS, OPS IN TIGHT,CONFINED AREAS. SOMETIMES REQUIRE FLT CLOSER THAN YOU WOULD LIKE, BUT HELI OPS ARE SO VARIED THAT EVERY AREA MIGHT REQUIRE DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND APCHS TO ASSURE THE MOST SAFE ARR AND DEP IN EVENT OF ENG FAILURE.

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.

Hovering police helicopter harasses and irritates a portion of exhibitors at a public relations exhibit and special function as aerial photos are being made and several displays are blown over.