Narrative:

While on a sightseeing tour on a normal flight route and after departing the waimea canyon on its western rim en route to the na pali coast via kokee state park, I had encountered a lower than normal ceiling and had avoided IMC by flying VFR under the ceiling at 200 ft AGL which is permissible in uncontrolled airspace with a helicopter. During this transition through kokee state park, I visually spotted a hughes or MD500 helicopter approximately 1 1/2 mi at my 2 O'clock position. Operators monitor 122.7, and as soon as I spotted the other helicopter, which was not easy because it did not have any anti- collision or navigation lights on, I transmitted my relative position at least 3 times with no response from the other helicopter. This helicopter was also on a collision course relative to mine and because he had the right-of-way, I had to alter my course to the left and descend to a lower altitude. Had I maintained my present altitude, I would have encountered IMC conditions. After I had altered my course, the pilot of the other helicopter transmitted on 122.7 that he had a visual on me and in so many words indicated that an 'official' was on board his helicopter and they were surveying helicopters flying at low altitudes in the kokee state park area. This kind of deceptive flying by an 'official' is totally uncalled for and created a hazard to normal navigation of airspace. Had this helicopter not taken the right-of-way, it would not have been necessary to descend to a lower altitude. The ceiling was at a higher altitude in the direction of the other helicopter but a turn to my right would have created a greater hazard. The operator of the other helicopter is known to be a 'maverick' in the industry, and I'm totally surprised that an 'official' would have used his services. The WX at kokee state park occasionally gets low but usually is naved without any problem. When it does get too low, operators fly south out of the waimea canyon and then proceed along the coast line with a much higher ceiling and then proceed towards the na pali coast. Had not this helicopter been flying in a deceptive manner, this incident would not have happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR AND COMPETITOR CAME IN CLOSE PROX WITH EACH OTHER IN HELIS. THE RPTR HAD TO DEVIATE.

Narrative: WHILE ON A SIGHTSEEING TOUR ON A NORMAL FLT RTE AND AFTER DEPARTING THE WAIMEA CANYON ON ITS WESTERN RIM ENRTE TO THE NA PALI COAST VIA KOKEE STATE PARK, I HAD ENCOUNTERED A LOWER THAN NORMAL CEILING AND HAD AVOIDED IMC BY FLYING VFR UNDER THE CEILING AT 200 FT AGL WHICH IS PERMISSIBLE IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE WITH A HELI. DURING THIS TRANSITION THROUGH KOKEE STATE PARK, I VISUALLY SPOTTED A HUGHES OR MD500 HELI APPROX 1 1/2 MI AT MY 2 O'CLOCK POS. OPERATORS MONITOR 122.7, AND AS SOON AS I SPOTTED THE OTHER HELI, WHICH WAS NOT EASY BECAUSE IT DID NOT HAVE ANY ANTI- COLLISION OR NAV LIGHTS ON, I XMITTED MY RELATIVE POS AT LEAST 3 TIMES WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE OTHER HELI. THIS HELI WAS ALSO ON A COLLISION COURSE RELATIVE TO MINE AND BECAUSE HE HAD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, I HAD TO ALTER MY COURSE TO THE L AND DSND TO A LOWER ALT. HAD I MAINTAINED MY PRESENT ALT, I WOULD HAVE ENCOUNTERED IMC CONDITIONS. AFTER I HAD ALTERED MY COURSE, THE PLT OF THE OTHER HELI XMITTED ON 122.7 THAT HE HAD A VISUAL ON ME AND IN SO MANY WORDS INDICATED THAT AN 'OFFICIAL' WAS ON BOARD HIS HELI AND THEY WERE SURVEYING HELIS FLYING AT LOW ALTS IN THE KOKEE STATE PARK AREA. THIS KIND OF DECEPTIVE FLYING BY AN 'OFFICIAL' IS TOTALLY UNCALLED FOR AND CREATED A HAZARD TO NORMAL NAV OF AIRSPACE. HAD THIS HELI NOT TAKEN THE RIGHT-OF-WAY, IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN NECESSARY TO DSND TO A LOWER ALT. THE CEILING WAS AT A HIGHER ALT IN THE DIRECTION OF THE OTHER HELI BUT A TURN TO MY R WOULD HAVE CREATED A GREATER HAZARD. THE OPERATOR OF THE OTHER HELI IS KNOWN TO BE A 'MAVERICK' IN THE INDUSTRY, AND I'M TOTALLY SURPRISED THAT AN 'OFFICIAL' WOULD HAVE USED HIS SVCS. THE WX AT KOKEE STATE PARK OCCASIONALLY GETS LOW BUT USUALLY IS NAVED WITHOUT ANY PROB. WHEN IT DOES GET TOO LOW, OPERATORS FLY S OUT OF THE WAIMEA CANYON AND THEN PROCEED ALONG THE COAST LINE WITH A MUCH HIGHER CEILING AND THEN PROCEED TOWARDS THE NA PALI COAST. HAD NOT THIS HELI BEEN FLYING IN A DECEPTIVE MANNER, THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED.

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.