Narrative:

On the evening of mar/xx/95, I took a friend flying. We departed andrau airpark in houston, tx, at approximately XA30 pm. While monitoring andrau's unicom frequency 123.0, we circled over a mutual friend's house, 1 mi northwest of andrau. After acknowledging each other, we turned our plane back towards andrau when we were suddenly blinded by ground searchlights beaming in our faces by a houston police department helicopter which made no effort to turn off his blinding lights so I could see to fly. I determined, as PIC, to take evasive action because the safety of my flight was in jeopardy due to the temporary loss of my night vision, so I turned off all external lights and made a climbing turn away from the lights. We flew without lights only long enough to regain my vision and then headed back to the airport to land. Upon doing so and only then was I contacted via radio by the police helicopter and instructed to stop on the taxiway. I complied without hesitation. I was then instructed to proceed to the parking ramp where I turned off my engine and waited for further instructions. By then there were 3 helicopters, 7 police cars, and 10-15 officers involved. My friend and I were interrogated, had our plane searched and harassed for over an hour. When they could find no evidence of wrong doing, we were released. I would like to state I feel I did what I needed to do to land safely. I also feel the houston police department were dangerously misusing their equipment which very easily could have ended in total catastrophe. The houston police department should be reprimanded for using such dangerous tactics on such an innocent event -- even if they didn't believe so at the time. If I hadn't been lucky enough to regain my vision and land safely and there was a crash, who would be blamed then? They should and could have contacted me via radio in the air and I could have explained myself and if further questions still existed, then we could have easily landed right then. FARS will back up my defense as I will list them hereafter. Thank you for your time to research this on my behalf. I think you will find this tends to be a very habit of theirs. Applicable FARS: 91.3(a)(B)(C). 91.126(B)(2). Aim 5-94. 91.111(a). 91.209D. Table 5-94(1).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL WAS MOMENTARILY BLINDED BY THE GND SEARCH LIGHT OF A POLICE HELI.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF MAR/XX/95, I TOOK A FRIEND FLYING. WE DEPARTED ANDRAU AIRPARK IN HOUSTON, TX, AT APPROX XA30 PM. WHILE MONITORING ANDRAU'S UNICOM FREQ 123.0, WE CIRCLED OVER A MUTUAL FRIEND'S HOUSE, 1 MI NW OF ANDRAU. AFTER ACKNOWLEDGING EACH OTHER, WE TURNED OUR PLANE BACK TOWARDS ANDRAU WHEN WE WERE SUDDENLY BLINDED BY GND SEARCHLIGHTS BEAMING IN OUR FACES BY A HOUSTON POLICE DEPT HELI WHICH MADE NO EFFORT TO TURN OFF HIS BLINDING LIGHTS SO I COULD SEE TO FLY. I DETERMINED, AS PIC, TO TAKE EVASIVE ACTION BECAUSE THE SAFETY OF MY FLT WAS IN JEOPARDY DUE TO THE TEMPORARY LOSS OF MY NIGHT VISION, SO I TURNED OFF ALL EXTERNAL LIGHTS AND MADE A CLBING TURN AWAY FROM THE LIGHTS. WE FLEW WITHOUT LIGHTS ONLY LONG ENOUGH TO REGAIN MY VISION AND THEN HEADED BACK TO THE ARPT TO LAND. UPON DOING SO AND ONLY THEN WAS I CONTACTED VIA RADIO BY THE POLICE HELI AND INSTRUCTED TO STOP ON THE TXWY. I COMPLIED WITHOUT HESITATION. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED TO THE PARKING RAMP WHERE I TURNED OFF MY ENG AND WAITED FOR FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. BY THEN THERE WERE 3 HELIS, 7 POLICE CARS, AND 10-15 OFFICERS INVOLVED. MY FRIEND AND I WERE INTERROGATED, HAD OUR PLANE SEARCHED AND HARASSED FOR OVER AN HR. WHEN THEY COULD FIND NO EVIDENCE OF WRONG DOING, WE WERE RELEASED. I WOULD LIKE TO STATE I FEEL I DID WHAT I NEEDED TO DO TO LAND SAFELY. I ALSO FEEL THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPT WERE DANGEROUSLY MISUSING THEIR EQUIP WHICH VERY EASILY COULD HAVE ENDED IN TOTAL CATASTROPHE. THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPT SHOULD BE REPRIMANDED FOR USING SUCH DANGEROUS TACTICS ON SUCH AN INNOCENT EVENT -- EVEN IF THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE SO AT THE TIME. IF I HADN'T BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH TO REGAIN MY VISION AND LAND SAFELY AND THERE WAS A CRASH, WHO WOULD BE BLAMED THEN? THEY SHOULD AND COULD HAVE CONTACTED ME VIA RADIO IN THE AIR AND I COULD HAVE EXPLAINED MYSELF AND IF FURTHER QUESTIONS STILL EXISTED, THEN WE COULD HAVE EASILY LANDED RIGHT THEN. FARS WILL BACK UP MY DEFENSE AS I WILL LIST THEM HEREAFTER. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TO RESEARCH THIS ON MY BEHALF. I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS TENDS TO BE A VERY HABIT OF THEIRS. APPLICABLE FARS: 91.3(A)(B)(C). 91.126(B)(2). AIM 5-94. 91.111(A). 91.209D. TABLE 5-94(1).

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.