Narrative:

While flying a tv news team in downtown detroit (I94 and I75 interchange), I reported to and was cleared into detroit city airspace (det). I was advised by det tower that there was numerous helicopters in the area. I stated my intentions on aircraft common frequency (123.05) which was acknowledged by helicopters Y and Z. I was advised at that time to be on the lookout for a det police helicopter using call sign abc. I made no radio contact with abc but observed him flying away from the scene, low level to the northeast. I entered a r-hand shallow turn to allow my cameraman to begin video taping the incident on the ground. Local altimeter setting at that time for det airport was 30.10. My indicated altitude was 1400 ft MSL at a speed of 50 mph indicated. Det field elevation, 640 ft asl which put me at approximately 760 ft AGL. Upon looking out my left door, I noticed abc helicopter taking evasive action climbing up and to the left from below and behind me. At this point, I took evasive action and banked right. Abc helicopter continued climbing up and to the left above me and upon recovery banked sharply to the right and began flying formation with me at my 9 O'clock position in a r-hand turn without radio contact. I tried to establish radio contact with abc on 123.05 and also det frequency of 121.30. At no time did he acknowledge my attempts. After abc read my n- numbers, he reported to det ATC that he wanted to file a formal near midair collision report. At that time, I called det tower and also reported a formal near midair collision. The FARS dictate, along with common sense, that it is each air crew's responsibility to see and avoid other aircraft. I feel that if we had collided, I never would have known what hit me because abc helicopter was below and behind me and would have climbed up into me if he had not seen me and taken evasive action at the last moment. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that the tower controller started the investigation with a report to the local FSDO. Each helicopter pilot was interviewed by phone and the FSDO representative indicated the only problem was that 2 aircraft were trying to occupy the same space at the same time. Nobody was really at fault. Neither pilot had violated any FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI HELI AND POLICE HELI HAVE NMAC.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING A TV NEWS TEAM IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT (I94 AND I75 INTERCHANGE), I RPTED TO AND WAS CLRED INTO DETROIT CITY AIRSPACE (DET). I WAS ADVISED BY DET TWR THAT THERE WAS NUMEROUS HELIS IN THE AREA. I STATED MY INTENTIONS ON ACFT COMMON FREQ (123.05) WHICH WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY HELIS Y AND Z. I WAS ADVISED AT THAT TIME TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A DET POLICE HELI USING CALL SIGN ABC. I MADE NO RADIO CONTACT WITH ABC BUT OBSERVED HIM FLYING AWAY FROM THE SCENE, LOW LEVEL TO THE NE. I ENTERED A R-HAND SHALLOW TURN TO ALLOW MY CAMERAMAN TO BEGIN VIDEO TAPING THE INCIDENT ON THE GND. LCL ALTIMETER SETTING AT THAT TIME FOR DET ARPT WAS 30.10. MY INDICATED ALT WAS 1400 FT MSL AT A SPD OF 50 MPH INDICATED. DET FIELD ELEVATION, 640 FT ASL WHICH PUT ME AT APPROX 760 FT AGL. UPON LOOKING OUT MY L DOOR, I NOTICED ABC HELI TAKING EVASIVE ACTION CLBING UP AND TO THE L FROM BELOW AND BEHIND ME. AT THIS POINT, I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION AND BANKED R. ABC HELI CONTINUED CLBING UP AND TO THE L ABOVE ME AND UPON RECOVERY BANKED SHARPLY TO THE R AND BEGAN FLYING FORMATION WITH ME AT MY 9 O'CLOCK POS IN A R-HAND TURN WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT. I TRIED TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH ABC ON 123.05 AND ALSO DET FREQ OF 121.30. AT NO TIME DID HE ACKNOWLEDGE MY ATTEMPTS. AFTER ABC READ MY N- NUMBERS, HE RPTED TO DET ATC THAT HE WANTED TO FILE A FORMAL NMAC RPT. AT THAT TIME, I CALLED DET TWR AND ALSO RPTED A FORMAL NMAC. THE FARS DICTATE, ALONG WITH COMMON SENSE, THAT IT IS EACH AIR CREW'S RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE AND AVOID OTHER ACFT. I FEEL THAT IF WE HAD COLLIDED, I NEVER WOULD HAVE KNOWN WHAT HIT ME BECAUSE ABC HELI WAS BELOW AND BEHIND ME AND WOULD HAVE CLBED UP INTO ME IF HE HAD NOT SEEN ME AND TAKEN EVASIVE ACTION AT THE LAST MOMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THE TWR CTLR STARTED THE INVESTIGATION WITH A RPT TO THE LCL FSDO. EACH HELI PLT WAS INTERVIEWED BY PHONE AND THE FSDO REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED THE ONLY PROB WAS THAT 2 ACFT WERE TRYING TO OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE AT THE SAME TIME. NOBODY WAS REALLY AT FAULT. NEITHER PLT HAD VIOLATED ANY FARS.

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.