Near midair collision.

Attributes
ACN	183162
Time
Date	199107
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz tower : zzz
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 2500 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	183162
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Miss Distance	horizontal : 200 vertical : 0
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Flying a patient from hospital xa to hostipal xb in ZZZ. Remained low, 1500 ft due to patient sensitivity to altitude. Got radar advisories from approach but due to low altitude and frequency congestion could not maintain radar advisories when handed off to ZZZ center. Flight followed tower to tower with abc and def. 4 mi north of destination flight nurse called traffic. I looked to my left and saw a plane in an evasive maneuver. I maneuvered to avoid and continued the flight. The plane was blocked by the forward left hand door post and the flight medic's head. Recommendations would be to exercise more vigilance in busy terminal areas and make effort to get radar advisories even at lower altitudes when close to terminal area. Another good practice is to get med crew to look for traffic also when not too busy with patient.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC.

Narrative: FLYING A PATIENT FROM HOSPITAL XA TO HOSTIPAL XB IN ZZZ. REMAINED LOW, 1500 FT DUE TO PATIENT SENSITIVITY TO ALT. GOT RADAR ADVISORIES FROM APCH BUT DUE TO LOW ALT AND FREQ CONGESTION COULD NOT MAINTAIN RADAR ADVISORIES WHEN HANDED OFF TO ZZZ CTR. FLT FOLLOWED TWR TO TWR WITH ABC AND DEF. 4 MI N OF DEST FLT NURSE CALLED TFC. I LOOKED TO MY L AND SAW A PLANE IN AN EVASIVE MANEUVER. I MANEUVERED TO AVOID AND CONTINUED THE FLT. THE PLANE WAS BLOCKED BY THE FORWARD L HAND DOOR POST AND THE FLT MEDIC'S HEAD. RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD BE TO EXERCISE MORE VIGILANCE IN BUSY TERMINAL AREAS AND MAKE EFFORT TO GET RADAR ADVISORIES EVEN AT LOWER ALTS WHEN CLOSE TO TERMINAL AREA. ANOTHER GOOD PRACTICE IS TO GET MED CREW TO LOOK FOR TFC ALSO WHEN NOT TOO BUSY WITH PATIENT.

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.