Narrative:

Helicopter X contracted to fly tv news crew to crash site of 2 military fighters. Approximately xa:45 checked with lansing FSS on 122.65 about any flight restrictions posted for the area (NOTAMS). Was advised that all flight restrictions have been cancelled for the crash site 6 NM west of huron county airport, bad axe, mi. Found crash site and wreckage scattered around several acres of clear open farm land. Tried to establish radio contact with ground personnel on 123.05 and 122.8. No contact made. Circled low (100 ft AGL) over piece of wreckage that was not being investigated so my cameraman could get video. While I was hovering over the piece of unattended wreckage, air force personnel were moving toward that piece. So not to jeopardize safety to us or ground personnel I moved to another place of unattended wreckage. After established over that piece of plane, again ground personnel moved towards the same piece of wreckage. So again I hovered to another unattended piece of wreckage. After approximately 15 mins of this CAT and mouse game, I determined there were now too many people on the ground to conduct a safe operation and we then departed the area. To summarize: when I arrived all ground personnel that I could see were on the roadway around the crash site and in the tree line following a creek. That is why I tried to stay away from ground personnel by staying out over open field. But after ground personnel started swarming over all pieces of plane wreckage that we were trying to photograph, I departed the area. At no time did I fly directly over ground personnel as to create a safety hazard. Recommendations: when no radio contact has been established between ground personnel and aircraft, and no NOTAMS have been posted, ground personnel and aircraft should avoid each other when operating over the same site of interest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELI X LOW LEVEL FLT OVER CRASH SITE ENDANGERMENT TO RESCUE INVESTIGATIVE PERSONNEL. VIOLATION OF FAR.

Narrative: HELI X CONTRACTED TO FLY TV NEWS CREW TO CRASH SITE OF 2 MIL FIGHTERS. APPROX XA:45 CHKED WITH LANSING FSS ON 122.65 ABOUT ANY FLT RESTRICTIONS POSTED FOR THE AREA (NOTAMS). WAS ADVISED THAT ALL FLT RESTRICTIONS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED FOR THE CRASH SITE 6 NM W OF HURON COUNTY ARPT, BAD AXE, MI. FOUND CRASH SITE AND WRECKAGE SCATTERED AROUND SEVERAL ACRES OF CLR OPEN FARM LAND. TRIED TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH GND PERSONNEL ON 123.05 AND 122.8. NO CONTACT MADE. CIRCLED LOW (100 FT AGL) OVER PIECE OF WRECKAGE THAT WAS NOT BEING INVESTIGATED SO MY CAMERAMAN COULD GET VIDEO. WHILE I WAS HOVERING OVER THE PIECE OF UNATTENDED WRECKAGE, AIR FORCE PERSONNEL WERE MOVING TOWARD THAT PIECE. SO NOT TO JEOPARDIZE SAFETY TO US OR GND PERSONNEL I MOVED TO ANOTHER PLACE OF UNATTENDED WRECKAGE. AFTER ESTABLISHED OVER THAT PIECE OF PLANE, AGAIN GND PERSONNEL MOVED TOWARDS THE SAME PIECE OF WRECKAGE. SO AGAIN I HOVERED TO ANOTHER UNATTENDED PIECE OF WRECKAGE. AFTER APPROX 15 MINS OF THIS CAT AND MOUSE GAME, I DETERMINED THERE WERE NOW TOO MANY PEOPLE ON THE GND TO CONDUCT A SAFE OP AND WE THEN DEPARTED THE AREA. TO SUMMARIZE: WHEN I ARRIVED ALL GND PERSONNEL THAT I COULD SEE WERE ON THE ROADWAY AROUND THE CRASH SITE AND IN THE TREE LINE FOLLOWING A CREEK. THAT IS WHY I TRIED TO STAY AWAY FROM GND PERSONNEL BY STAYING OUT OVER OPEN FIELD. BUT AFTER GND PERSONNEL STARTED SWARMING OVER ALL PIECES OF PLANE WRECKAGE THAT WE WERE TRYING TO PHOTOGRAPH, I DEPARTED THE AREA. AT NO TIME DID I FLY DIRECTLY OVER GND PERSONNEL AS TO CREATE A SAFETY HAZARD. RECOMMENDATIONS: WHEN NO RADIO CONTACT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED BTWN GND PERSONNEL AND ACFT, AND NO NOTAMS HAVE BEEN POSTED, GND PERSONNEL AND ACFT SHOULD AVOID EACH OTHER WHEN OPERATING OVER THE SAME SITE OF INTEREST.

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.