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Close approach by police helicopter to small aircraft practicing pylon turns at low altitude over long beach harbor.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 151043 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199007 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : lgb |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 600 agl bound upper : 600 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : myf |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Operator | other |
| Make Model Name | Helicopter |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 240 flight time type : 40 |
| ASRS Report | 151043 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took evasive action |
| Consequence | Other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 550 vertical : 100 |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The event occurred during practice of eights on pylons with a commercial pilot candidate. We used the smokestacks of 2 ships anchored in la harbor as pylons, descending no lower than 500' above the water, nor approaching the ships within less than 500'. During practice of the maneuver, a blue helicopter with black stripes approached from below, climbing on a nearly head-on path. I took the controls and banked the plane to the left, as the helicopter was crossing us left to right. I established a course to fly away from the helicopter. It joined up on our right wing, no more than 200' away. Its tail number was not readable, being black on blue. After about 10 seconds, the helicopter broke off to the right. I believe the helicopter was operated by a law enforcement agency, which thought we were flying too low or too near the ships. One of the contributing factors in this situation was the limited visibility out the plane, between the roofline and the wings (low wing), especially during a 30-40 degree banked turn. Had I seen the helicopter sooner, I could have turned away sooner. However, I am sure the helicopter pilot saw us first, as it maneuvered to force us to stop the pylon eights. The maneuver appeared to be intentional, especially after the helicopter joined up in formation off our wing. To prevent future occurrences of this kind, I intend to fly ground reference maneuvers at a higher altitude, and to continue to emphasize the importance of looking for traffic to my students.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: CLOSE APCH BY POLICE HELICOPTER TO SMA PRACTICING PYLON TURNS AT LOW ALT OVER LONG BEACH HARBOR.
Narrative: THE EVENT OCCURRED DURING PRACTICE OF EIGHTS ON PYLONS WITH A COMMERCIAL PLT CANDIDATE. WE USED THE SMOKESTACKS OF 2 SHIPS ANCHORED IN LA HARBOR AS PYLONS, DSNDING NO LOWER THAN 500' ABOVE THE WATER, NOR APCHING THE SHIPS WITHIN LESS THAN 500'. DURING PRACTICE OF THE MANEUVER, A BLUE HELI WITH BLACK STRIPES APCHED FROM BELOW, CLBING ON A NEARLY HEAD-ON PATH. I TOOK THE CTLS AND BANKED THE PLANE TO THE L, AS THE HELI WAS XING US L TO R. I ESTABLISHED A COURSE TO FLY AWAY FROM THE HELI. IT JOINED UP ON OUR R WING, NO MORE THAN 200' AWAY. ITS TAIL NUMBER WAS NOT READABLE, BEING BLACK ON BLUE. AFTER ABOUT 10 SECS, THE HELI BROKE OFF TO THE R. I BELIEVE THE HELI WAS OPERATED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, WHICH THOUGHT WE WERE FLYING TOO LOW OR TOO NEAR THE SHIPS. ONE OF THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN THIS SITUATION WAS THE LIMITED VISIBILITY OUT THE PLANE, BTWN THE ROOFLINE AND THE WINGS (LOW WING), ESPECIALLY DURING A 30-40 DEG BANKED TURN. HAD I SEEN THE HELI SOONER, I COULD HAVE TURNED AWAY SOONER. HOWEVER, I AM SURE THE HELI PLT SAW US FIRST, AS IT MANEUVERED TO FORCE US TO STOP THE PYLON EIGHTS. THE MANEUVER APPEARED TO BE INTENTIONAL, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE HELI JOINED UP IN FORMATION OFF OUR WING. TO PREVENT FUTURE OCCURRENCES OF THIS KIND, I INTEND TO FLY GND REFERENCE MANEUVERS AT A HIGHER ALT, AND TO CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING FOR TFC TO MY STUDENTS.
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.