Narrative:

An unmarked helicopter Y in civil paint tailed my aircraft, small aircraft X, for over 15 mins. The pilot then turned away and assumed a parallel course, same altitude at greater than 300 yds to starboard. I looked down to try several radio frequencys to communicate with the helicopter. At my next glance to starboard the right window was filled by a helicopter belly arresting his rapid closure at approximately 50'. At this range, small sheriff's insignia and letters were visible. The sheriff then communicated by hand signals that he wanted me to pull over/land. Upon landing I was issued a ticket for 2 pvc violations--lawfulness of flight (minimum altitude) and operation in careless or reckless manner. The officer asked if I knew far minimums. I stated 1000' over populated areas, 500' over non-congested areas and no closer than 500' to persons or structures over water or desolate areas, and down to the deck, otherwise. He argued a 1000' absolute minimum in 'his' airspace. He asked my closest distance to the surface. I stated 400'. This was along a ridge absolutely devoid of manmade structures or people, with ridge ht of approximately 1800'. I was demonstrating ridge lift and leeward sink. I was also at 400' approximately 300 yds off the shoreline. Chain of events: how problem arose: an overeager sheriff attempting to demonstrate his usefulness and justify flight time. Extended tail chase with no effort at identing himself via radio or rotor disk rock. I'm an a & P and know numerous chopper pilots up and down the coast. I was monitoring the smo tower frequency when the near miss occurred. Tried several unicom frequencys, crop duster air-to-air frequencys. Was on emergency 121.5 when near miss occurred, appropriately enough. During our discussion I asked the sheriff if he'd attempted to communicate via radio. Officer stated he was on the banner tow frequency!?? A possible corrective action might be to publish a standard intercept protocol with frequencys, hand signals and/or standardized maneuvers. I fly an antique aircraft with no electrical system whatsoever. I do carry a hand-held radio or 2 for airport access, air-to-air and navigation. These sheriffs and their 'drug wars' are making it tough on us little guys. Human performance considerations: I believe the officer's perception, judgement and decision to pursue my aircraft was influenced by other than potential hazard to persons or property; i.e., ticket quotas. I might add that the sheriff had me taxi and meet him at the base of the tower as advised over the tower frequency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BETWEEN SMA AND SHERIFF HELICOPTER.

Narrative: AN UNMARKED HELI Y IN CIVIL PAINT TAILED MY ACFT, SMA X, FOR OVER 15 MINS. THE PLT THEN TURNED AWAY AND ASSUMED A PARALLEL COURSE, SAME ALT AT GREATER THAN 300 YDS TO STARBOARD. I LOOKED DOWN TO TRY SEVERAL RADIO FREQS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE HELI. AT MY NEXT GLANCE TO STARBOARD THE RIGHT WINDOW WAS FILLED BY A HELI BELLY ARRESTING HIS RAPID CLOSURE AT APPROX 50'. AT THIS RANGE, SMALL SHERIFF'S INSIGNIA AND LETTERS WERE VISIBLE. THE SHERIFF THEN COMMUNICATED BY HAND SIGNALS THAT HE WANTED ME TO PULL OVER/LAND. UPON LNDG I WAS ISSUED A TICKET FOR 2 PVC VIOLATIONS--LAWFULNESS OF FLT (MINIMUM ALT) AND OPERATION IN CARELESS OR RECKLESS MANNER. THE OFFICER ASKED IF I KNEW FAR MINIMUMS. I STATED 1000' OVER POPULATED AREAS, 500' OVER NON-CONGESTED AREAS AND NO CLOSER THAN 500' TO PERSONS OR STRUCTURES OVER WATER OR DESOLATE AREAS, AND DOWN TO THE DECK, OTHERWISE. HE ARGUED A 1000' ABSOLUTE MINIMUM IN 'HIS' AIRSPACE. HE ASKED MY CLOSEST DISTANCE TO THE SURFACE. I STATED 400'. THIS WAS ALONG A RIDGE ABSOLUTELY DEVOID OF MANMADE STRUCTURES OR PEOPLE, WITH RIDGE HT OF APPROX 1800'. I WAS DEMONSTRATING RIDGE LIFT AND LEEWARD SINK. I WAS ALSO AT 400' APPROX 300 YDS OFF THE SHORELINE. CHAIN OF EVENTS: HOW PROB AROSE: AN OVEREAGER SHERIFF ATTEMPTING TO DEMONSTRATE HIS USEFULNESS AND JUSTIFY FLT TIME. EXTENDED TAIL CHASE WITH NO EFFORT AT IDENTING HIMSELF VIA RADIO OR ROTOR DISK ROCK. I'M AN A & P AND KNOW NUMEROUS CHOPPER PLTS UP AND DOWN THE COAST. I WAS MONITORING THE SMO TWR FREQ WHEN THE NEAR MISS OCCURRED. TRIED SEVERAL UNICOM FREQS, CROP DUSTER AIR-TO-AIR FREQS. WAS ON EMER 121.5 WHEN NEAR MISS OCCURRED, APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH. DURING OUR DISCUSSION I ASKED THE SHERIFF IF HE'D ATTEMPTED TO COMMUNICATE VIA RADIO. OFFICER STATED HE WAS ON THE BANNER TOW FREQ!?? A POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE ACTION MIGHT BE TO PUBLISH A STANDARD INTERCEPT PROTOCOL WITH FREQS, HAND SIGNALS AND/OR STANDARDIZED MANEUVERS. I FLY AN ANTIQUE ACFT WITH NO ELECTRICAL SYS WHATSOEVER. I DO CARRY A HAND-HELD RADIO OR 2 FOR ARPT ACCESS, AIR-TO-AIR AND NAV. THESE SHERIFFS AND THEIR 'DRUG WARS' ARE MAKING IT TOUGH ON US LITTLE GUYS. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: I BELIEVE THE OFFICER'S PERCEPTION, JUDGEMENT AND DECISION TO PURSUE MY ACFT WAS INFLUENCED BY OTHER THAN POTENTIAL HAZARD TO PERSONS OR PROPERTY; I.E., TICKET QUOTAS. I MIGHT ADD THAT THE SHERIFF HAD ME TAXI AND MEET HIM AT THE BASE OF THE TWR AS ADVISED OVER THE TWR FREQ.

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.