Narrative:

I was skiing at a local resort when I learned from another skier that there had been a helicopter accident on the back side of the resort. This story troubled me seeing as how my father is a helicopter pilot and he was flying a heliskiing group that day. Later that evening after repeated inquiries and repeatedly being told nothing, my family and some friends decided to see if there was anything we could do to help. Upon our arrival at the resort we formulated our plan and decided to make 1 last call home before we tried to hike in. It was during this telephone call that we learned of my father's death. The next morning I consulted cedar city flight service to see if any NOTAMS had been issued for the area. To my surprise none had been issued. I asked specifically for the ski area as well as the surrounding area, still no NOTAMS. I then consulted far part 91 on the issuance of and reasons for fdc NOTAMS. I also looked at altitude and distance from objects, people and structures to make sure that we were not in violation and that we could operate safely. We flew to the area keeping vigilant of any air traffic and operations that could be happening during our presence. As we spotted the wreckage I gave the controls to X so that I could observe and try to gain some answers. After about 4 or 5 orbits we decided to make 1 last pass. We then circled around james peak so that our last 2 passes would be in the direction of our destination airport. As we began to top the ridge on our second pass, X noticed a helicopter perched completely shutdown, on the mountain. It was at this time that I feel we came between 350-400 ft from the helicopter on the ground. After seeing this aircraft we quickly made our distance requirements and continued back to the airport. At no time during this flight was our safety or the safety of others compromised. As we landed the tower told us that a law enforcement officer had called inquiring as to the occupants of the plane. He then told us that he had informed the officer of the lack of a NOTAM for the area. This then resulted in the officer's inquiry of how to attain one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING SEARCH MISSION, SMA FLIES CLOSER THAN 500 FT FROM A HELI PARKED ON A MOUNTAIN.

Narrative: I WAS SKIING AT A LCL RESORT WHEN I LEARNED FROM ANOTHER SKIER THAT THERE HAD BEEN A HELI ACCIDENT ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE RESORT. THIS STORY TROUBLED ME SEEING AS HOW MY FATHER IS A HELI PLT AND HE WAS FLYING A HELISKIING GROUP THAT DAY. LATER THAT EVENING AFTER REPEATED INQUIRIES AND REPEATEDLY BEING TOLD NOTHING, MY FAMILY AND SOME FRIENDS DECIDED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO HELP. UPON OUR ARR AT THE RESORT WE FORMULATED OUR PLAN AND DECIDED TO MAKE 1 LAST CALL HOME BEFORE WE TRIED TO HIKE IN. IT WAS DURING THIS TELEPHONE CALL THAT WE LEARNED OF MY FATHER'S DEATH. THE NEXT MORNING I CONSULTED CEDAR CITY FLT SVC TO SEE IF ANY NOTAMS HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THE AREA. TO MY SURPRISE NONE HAD BEEN ISSUED. I ASKED SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SKI AREA AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING AREA, STILL NO NOTAMS. I THEN CONSULTED FAR PART 91 ON THE ISSUANCE OF AND REASONS FOR FDC NOTAMS. I ALSO LOOKED AT ALT AND DISTANCE FROM OBJECTS, PEOPLE AND STRUCTURES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE NOT IN VIOLATION AND THAT WE COULD OPERATE SAFELY. WE FLEW TO THE AREA KEEPING VIGILANT OF ANY AIR TFC AND OPS THAT COULD BE HAPPENING DURING OUR PRESENCE. AS WE SPOTTED THE WRECKAGE I GAVE THE CTLS TO X SO THAT I COULD OBSERVE AND TRY TO GAIN SOME ANSWERS. AFTER ABOUT 4 OR 5 ORBITS WE DECIDED TO MAKE 1 LAST PASS. WE THEN CIRCLED AROUND JAMES PEAK SO THAT OUR LAST 2 PASSES WOULD BE IN THE DIRECTION OF OUR DEST ARPT. AS WE BEGAN TO TOP THE RIDGE ON OUR SECOND PASS, X NOTICED A HELI PERCHED COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN, ON THE MOUNTAIN. IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I FEEL WE CAME BTWN 350-400 FT FROM THE HELI ON THE GND. AFTER SEEING THIS ACFT WE QUICKLY MADE OUR DISTANCE REQUIREMENTS AND CONTINUED BACK TO THE ARPT. AT NO TIME DURING THIS FLT WAS OUR SAFETY OR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS COMPROMISED. AS WE LANDED THE TWR TOLD US THAT A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER HAD CALLED INQUIRING AS TO THE OCCUPANTS OF THE PLANE. HE THEN TOLD US THAT HE HAD INFORMED THE OFFICER OF THE LACK OF A NOTAM FOR THE AREA. THIS THEN RESULTED IN THE OFFICER'S INQUIRY OF HOW TO ATTAIN ONE.

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.