Narrative:

At the time of the incident I was providing pilot services by flying the traffic reporter for a local radio station. Another traffic watch aircraft and I were circling a rural accident scene at 2000' AGL at a radius of approximately 1/2 to 3/4 mi. We were coordination our activities with each other and a third traffic watch aircraft on our usual common air-to-air frequency. Each aircraft had the other in sight at all times. We had monitored the dispatch of a local EMS helicopter but were unable to raise him on the common helicopter frequency for the area. We discussed his likely arrival from the southwest (the location of the dispatching hospital and/or municipal heliport). As expected, he arrived from the southwest 500' or more below us and we deviated to allow an arrival corridor for him. More discussion among the traffic watch aircraft yielded a plan to watch for the loading of the patient litter and for us to again deviate to allow EMS's departure. Throughout his ground time, we were unable to coordination this plan with EMS on the helicopter frequency or the common departure control frequency in use by all 3 fixed wing traffic watch aircraft. After circling in this manner for approximately 10 mins all of us were informed by ATC that the county sheriff had ordered all aircraft from the area due to the presence of the helicopter. No litter was loaded and the departure was obviously not imminent. All aircraft, however, complied immediately. I was not convinced that far's required us to vacate, but believed that he did probably have the authority under 'public safety' laws pertaining to accident scenes. AOPA legal specialist have since concurred, but there had yet to be a definitive judgement on the point. I didn't feel like being the test case. Discretion being the better part of valor and all that.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAFFIC WATCH ACFT CIRCLING ACCIDENT SCENE REQUESTED TO LEAVE AREA BY SHERIFF.

Narrative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

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.