Narrative:

I am reporting this near mid-air collision based on the word of the pilot of the other aircraft involved, the last time I had visual contact with such aircraft before the close call, I was maintaining a safe clearance. The incident occurred during a high speed pursuit of a stolen car. A helicopter was providing air support to the ground units when I joined them to provide tv live coverage of the event. A third helicopter (news aircraft) was already covering the pursuit when I arrived. I reported my position when joining the chase on the air to air recommended frequency of 123.025, at that time I was level at 1200 ft MSL and with visual contact of both the police (at 900 ft MSL) and the news helicopter (at approximately 1300 ft MSL). My cameraman was shooting video from the right rear door while I was reporting live for the tv channel. The suspect in the car made several turns trying to lose the patrol cars until he came to a stop at a dead end street. At approximately that time the police helicopter made a left turn to keep his observer on the suspect that had left the car and was now running along some railroad tracks. At the same time I made a right turn to keep my cameraman on the shot, it is at this time when according to the pilot of the ship and the pilot of the other news station (approximately 300 ft above us) that we came into a collision course. The last time I had visual contact with the police aircraft was just less than a min before I made my right turn. I was monitoring the 123.02 frequency at alternate times but having some trouble with its reception, I was also monitoring 4 other radio frequencys (2 production radios, 1 programming radio, an intercom) and reporting live. According to the police pilot, he asked me to climb to 1200 ft MSL more than once, at this time I was level at approximately 1000 ft MSL. I only copied such request once, at which time I immediately climbed and reported level at 1200 ft MSL. I personally cannot confirm this near miss because I never saw him at an unsafe distance from my aircraft nor did my cameraman. If such incident did occur, I think it was due mainly to the reception problem with my radios, combined with the heavy load work in my and the police helicopter's cockpit at the time of the incident. It was both of our responsibility to see and avoid. Corrective action has been taken with the radio system in the helicopter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TV NEWS HELI HAS NMAC WITH POLICE HELI IN PURSUIT.

Narrative: I AM RPTING THIS NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION BASED ON THE WORD OF THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT INVOLVED, THE LAST TIME I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH SUCH ACFT BEFORE THE CLOSE CALL, I WAS MAINTAINING A SAFE CLRNC. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A HIGH SPD PURSUIT OF A STOLEN CAR. A HELI WAS PROVIDING AIR SUPPORT TO THE GND UNITS WHEN I JOINED THEM TO PROVIDE TV LIVE COVERAGE OF THE EVENT. A THIRD HELI (NEWS ACFT) WAS ALREADY COVERING THE PURSUIT WHEN I ARRIVED. I RPTED MY POS WHEN JOINING THE CHASE ON THE AIR TO AIR RECOMMENDED FREQ OF 123.025, AT THAT TIME I WAS LEVEL AT 1200 FT MSL AND WITH VISUAL CONTACT OF BOTH THE POLICE (AT 900 FT MSL) AND THE NEWS HELI (AT APPROX 1300 FT MSL). MY CAMERAMAN WAS SHOOTING VIDEO FROM THE R REAR DOOR WHILE I WAS RPTING LIVE FOR THE TV CHANNEL. THE SUSPECT IN THE CAR MADE SEVERAL TURNS TRYING TO LOSE THE PATROL CARS UNTIL HE CAME TO A STOP AT A DEAD END STREET. AT APPROX THAT TIME THE POLICE HELI MADE A L TURN TO KEEP HIS OBSERVER ON THE SUSPECT THAT HAD LEFT THE CAR AND WAS NOW RUNNING ALONG SOME RAILROAD TRACKS. AT THE SAME TIME I MADE A R TURN TO KEEP MY CAMERAMAN ON THE SHOT, IT IS AT THIS TIME WHEN ACCORDING TO THE PLT OF THE SHIP AND THE PLT OF THE OTHER NEWS STATION (APPROX 300 FT ABOVE US) THAT WE CAME INTO A COLLISION COURSE. THE LAST TIME I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE POLICE ACFT WAS JUST LESS THAN A MIN BEFORE I MADE MY R TURN. I WAS MONITORING THE 123.02 FREQ AT ALTERNATE TIMES BUT HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH ITS RECEPTION, I WAS ALSO MONITORING 4 OTHER RADIO FREQS (2 PRODUCTION RADIOS, 1 PROGRAMMING RADIO, AN INTERCOM) AND RPTING LIVE. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE PLT, HE ASKED ME TO CLB TO 1200 FT MSL MORE THAN ONCE, AT THIS TIME I WAS LEVEL AT APPROX 1000 FT MSL. I ONLY COPIED SUCH REQUEST ONCE, AT WHICH TIME I IMMEDIATELY CLBED AND RPTED LEVEL AT 1200 FT MSL. I PERSONALLY CANNOT CONFIRM THIS NEAR MISS BECAUSE I NEVER SAW HIM AT AN UNSAFE DISTANCE FROM MY ACFT NOR DID MY CAMERAMAN. IF SUCH INCIDENT DID OCCUR, I THINK IT WAS DUE MAINLY TO THE RECEPTION PROB WITH MY RADIOS, COMBINED WITH THE HVY LOAD WORK IN MY AND THE POLICE HELI'S COCKPIT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. IT WAS BOTH OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE AND AVOID. CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN WITH THE RADIO SYS IN THE HELI.

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.