Narrative:

Location: 1/2 mi north of the statue of liberty. Aircraft: I was flying a bell 206 1.4 helicopter. We were flying sightseeing trips out of east 34TH st heliport (GNS), manhattan. Based on its profile, I believe that the other aircraft was a tomahawk. Positive identify was not possible. Other pilot was not talking on the hudson river frequency (123.05) WX was clear. While flying sightseeing flts from east 34TH st helipad, I made my usual position reports (on the hudson river frequency) at the williamsburg bridge, the north tip of governors island, and ellis island. Upon approaching the statue, I caught sight of the position lights and dark outline of an airplane at my 2 O'clock position and less than 100 yards. Upon spotting the airplane, I immediately made a hard left diving turn. The airplane was in a r-hand turn around the statue. Since it was a low wing aircraft, I believe that the position of his left wing would have prevented him from seeing me. While still in my evasive maneuver, I looked to my right and saw him to my right and slightly above me. He was no more than 20 ft from my rotor tip. I continued to turn hard left and he continued his slow right turn until we had adequate separation. I don't believe that he ever saw me. I did not say anything on the radio for at least 30 seconds following the near midair collision because it took me at least that long to get my breathing under control. By that time he was continuing sbound and I continued on my normal sightseeing route making my normal position reports. Suggestions: the FAA, AOPA, and the entire aviation community need to renew their efforts to educate the flying public that they need to 'self announce' their position on 123.05 when flying in this high density area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN A SIGHT-SEEING HELI AND A SMA SEL ACFT CIRCLING A NATIONAL MONUMENT IN NEW YORK AREA.

Narrative: LOCATION: 1/2 MI N OF THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. ACFT: I WAS FLYING A BELL 206 1.4 HELI. WE WERE FLYING SIGHTSEEING TRIPS OUT OF E 34TH ST HELIPORT (GNS), MANHATTAN. BASED ON ITS PROFILE, I BELIEVE THAT THE OTHER ACFT WAS A TOMAHAWK. POSITIVE IDENT WAS NOT POSSIBLE. OTHER PLT WAS NOT TALKING ON THE HUDSON RIVER FREQ (123.05) WX WAS CLR. WHILE FLYING SIGHTSEEING FLTS FROM E 34TH ST HELIPAD, I MADE MY USUAL POS RPTS (ON THE HUDSON RIVER FREQ) AT THE WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE, THE N TIP OF GOVERNORS ISLAND, AND ELLIS ISLAND. UPON APCHING THE STATUE, I CAUGHT SIGHT OF THE POS LIGHTS AND DARK OUTLINE OF AN AIRPLANE AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS AND LESS THAN 100 YARDS. UPON SPOTTING THE AIRPLANE, I IMMEDIATELY MADE A HARD L DIVING TURN. THE AIRPLANE WAS IN A R-HAND TURN AROUND THE STATUE. SINCE IT WAS A LOW WING ACFT, I BELIEVE THAT THE POS OF HIS L WING WOULD HAVE PREVENTED HIM FROM SEEING ME. WHILE STILL IN MY EVASIVE MANEUVER, I LOOKED TO MY R AND SAW HIM TO MY R AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE ME. HE WAS NO MORE THAN 20 FT FROM MY ROTOR TIP. I CONTINUED TO TURN HARD L AND HE CONTINUED HIS SLOW R TURN UNTIL WE HAD ADEQUATE SEPARATION. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT HE EVER SAW ME. I DID NOT SAY ANYTHING ON THE RADIO FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS FOLLOWING THE NMAC BECAUSE IT TOOK ME AT LEAST THAT LONG TO GET MY BREATHING UNDER CTL. BY THAT TIME HE WAS CONTINUING SBOUND AND I CONTINUED ON MY NORMAL SIGHTSEEING RTE MAKING MY NORMAL POS RPTS. SUGGESTIONS: THE FAA, AOPA, AND THE ENTIRE AVIATION COMMUNITY NEED TO RENEW THEIR EFFORTS TO EDUCATE THE FLYING PUBLIC THAT THEY NEED TO 'SELF ANNOUNCE' THEIR POS ON 123.05 WHEN FLYING IN THIS HIGH DENSITY AREA.

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.