Narrative:

I wish to relate this tale to you of this less than perfect world. About a month ago, an EMS helicopter, rushing to the scene of a motorcycle accident, apparently overtook a legal ultralight apparently both persons in control of each ('one a vehicle' and the other a licensed helicopter operating under 'a waiver' I assume) were frightened and reported a 'near miss.' at least the helicopter pilot did to the abc tower via radio and apparently on sheriff's discrete frequency -- these conversations all being 'picked up' by an alert television news team whose business is reporting 'the news as it happens.' the upshot is that television cameras recorded an ultralight in flight near the accident scene with various state and county policemen very much in evidence. The ultralight (driver), he has a 'vehicle' not an aircraft according to far 103, apparently was alarmed but not so much that his curiosity did not prevail and he circled the accident scene and sometime later returned to my airport, xyz airpark, whereupon another pilot informed him he had made the evening news -- not as a hero but as a villain. Thereupon, the ultralight person set about to protect himself from apprehension. He called abc tower first. They referred him to sheriff's department. The different stories all vary considerably as to who did what and when. In over 50 yrs, that seems to be the only constant thing I've noticed in aviation! I, personally, contacted the EMS pilot. He claimed a 'near miss,' admitted to being surprised. Yes, the ultralight person had contacted him. He volunteered he had submitted a NASA form and I was led to believe mr X, the ultralight person, had also filed a NASA form. I thought that was appropriate and proper since neither pilot intended to contribute to the conflict. In my mind, it did not matter who was right, just who was left and a NASA form would provide an opportunity for all pilots to learn more and be among those pilots left. I wrote up as much as I knew, sent to GADO office and figured all was done that could be done except posting a sign -- 'do not circle accidents -- if you cannot be of assistance, don't become part of the problem.' I did not see any reason to further counsel the ultralight person. He had operated off of this airport for more than 10 yrs safely. A word to the wise should be sufficient -- in poster form 24' X 24'. The ultralight person called me on jul/xx/92, was a little unhappy but civil. I discovered he knew nothing about the NASA form filed. Had he spoken to me at an earlier date, I certainly would have advised him to pursue that course. Also, I'd still advise him to if it is possible to do so. I believe this is what it is all about and extremely valuable. Pilots 'bitching to themselves' never has solved anything. Many are suspicious of the 'friendly feds of aeronautics,' many with good cause! How would your office handle this complex problem? If the worst happened and the helicopter up ended the ultralight with its wake or the ultralight 'downed' the helicopter, certainly no one would file a NASA form. Estates 'of the late' are not allowed to do that. That is up to NTSB 'after the fact.' I'm an extremely curious individual and I'd like to see this written up in your 'callback.' I know both individuals feel they were right and both individuals have a strong desire to be left. That's the first constructive step. How can we contribute successfully?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN EMS HELI AND AN ULTRALIGHT ACFT VEHICLE.

Narrative: I WISH TO RELATE THIS TALE TO YOU OF THIS LESS THAN PERFECT WORLD. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AN EMS HELI, RUSHING TO THE SCENE OF A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT, APPARENTLY OVERTOOK A LEGAL ULTRALIGHT APPARENTLY BOTH PERSONS IN CTL OF EACH ('ONE A VEHICLE' AND THE OTHER A LICENSED HELI OPERATING UNDER 'A WAIVER' I ASSUME) WERE FRIGHTENED AND RPTED A 'NEAR MISS.' AT LEAST THE HELI PLT DID TO THE ABC TWR VIA RADIO AND APPARENTLY ON SHERIFF'S DISCRETE FREQ -- THESE CONVERSATIONS ALL BEING 'PICKED UP' BY AN ALERT TELEVISION NEWS TEAM WHOSE BUSINESS IS RPTING 'THE NEWS AS IT HAPPENS.' THE UPSHOT IS THAT TELEVISION CAMERAS RECORDED AN ULTRALIGHT IN FLT NEAR THE ACCIDENT SCENE WITH VARIOUS STATE AND COUNTY POLICEMEN VERY MUCH IN EVIDENCE. THE ULTRALIGHT (DRIVER), HE HAS A 'VEHICLE' NOT AN ACFT ACCORDING TO FAR 103, APPARENTLY WAS ALARMED BUT NOT SO MUCH THAT HIS CURIOSITY DID NOT PREVAIL AND HE CIRCLED THE ACCIDENT SCENE AND SOMETIME LATER RETURNED TO MY ARPT, XYZ AIRPARK, WHEREUPON ANOTHER PLT INFORMED HIM HE HAD MADE THE EVENING NEWS -- NOT AS A HERO BUT AS A VILLAIN. THEREUPON, THE ULTRALIGHT PERSON SET ABOUT TO PROTECT HIMSELF FROM APPREHENSION. HE CALLED ABC TWR FIRST. THEY REFERRED HIM TO SHERIFF'S DEPT. THE DIFFERENT STORIES ALL VARY CONSIDERABLY AS TO WHO DID WHAT AND WHEN. IN OVER 50 YRS, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY CONSTANT THING I'VE NOTICED IN AVIATION! I, PERSONALLY, CONTACTED THE EMS PLT. HE CLAIMED A 'NEAR MISS,' ADMITTED TO BEING SURPRISED. YES, THE ULTRALIGHT PERSON HAD CONTACTED HIM. HE VOLUNTEERED HE HAD SUBMITTED A NASA FORM AND I WAS LED TO BELIEVE MR X, THE ULTRALIGHT PERSON, HAD ALSO FILED A NASA FORM. I THOUGHT THAT WAS APPROPRIATE AND PROPER SINCE NEITHER PLT INTENDED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONFLICT. IN MY MIND, IT DID NOT MATTER WHO WAS RIGHT, JUST WHO WAS LEFT AND A NASA FORM WOULD PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL PLTS TO LEARN MORE AND BE AMONG THOSE PLTS LEFT. I WROTE UP AS MUCH AS I KNEW, SENT TO GADO OFFICE AND FIGURED ALL WAS DONE THAT COULD BE DONE EXCEPT POSTING A SIGN -- 'DO NOT CIRCLE ACCIDENTS -- IF YOU CANNOT BE OF ASSISTANCE, DON'T BECOME PART OF THE PROBLEM.' I DID NOT SEE ANY REASON TO FURTHER COUNSEL THE ULTRALIGHT PERSON. HE HAD OPERATED OFF OF THIS ARPT FOR MORE THAN 10 YRS SAFELY. A WORD TO THE WISE SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT -- IN POSTER FORM 24' X 24'. THE ULTRALIGHT PERSON CALLED ME ON JUL/XX/92, WAS A LITTLE UNHAPPY BUT CIVIL. I DISCOVERED HE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE NASA FORM FILED. HAD HE SPOKEN TO ME AT AN EARLIER DATE, I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE ADVISED HIM TO PURSUE THAT COURSE. ALSO, I'D STILL ADVISE HIM TO IF IT IS POSSIBLE TO DO SO. I BELIEVE THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT AND EXTREMELY VALUABLE. PLTS 'BITCHING TO THEMSELVES' NEVER HAS SOLVED ANYTHING. MANY ARE SUSPICIOUS OF THE 'FRIENDLY FEDS OF AERONAUTICS,' MANY WITH GOOD CAUSE! HOW WOULD YOUR OFFICE HANDLE THIS COMPLEX PROBLEM? IF THE WORST HAPPENED AND THE HELI UP ENDED THE ULTRALIGHT WITH ITS WAKE OR THE ULTRALIGHT 'DOWNED' THE HELI, CERTAINLY NO ONE WOULD FILE A NASA FORM. ESTATES 'OF THE LATE' ARE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT. THAT IS UP TO NTSB 'AFTER THE FACT.' I'M AN EXTREMELY CURIOUS INDIVIDUAL AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THIS WRITTEN UP IN YOUR 'CALLBACK.' I KNOW BOTH INDIVIDUALS FEEL THEY WERE RIGHT AND BOTH INDIVIDUALS HAVE A STRONG DESIRE TO BE LEFT. THAT'S THE FIRST CONSTRUCTIVE STEP. HOW CAN WE CONTRIBUTE SUCCESSFULLY?

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.