Narrative:

On the morning of may/sun/95, approximately XA30, I was along with 3 other helicopters in an out of ground effect hover at approximately 2500 ft MSL over the city of pittsburgh. The helicopters were carrying microwave antennas and receivers relaying signals from ground based carriers. At this point I was below the class B airspace. I then saw the twin engine fixed wing plane in straight and level flight coming straight across my flight path. I made an emergency climbing right turn to avoid him as it was obvious he had not seen me nor was he on pittsburgh approach as he was below the class B. The aircraft never made any course or altitude deviation but continued. I believe at this point I may have inadvertently encroached into class B airspace. This event was witnessed by the other helicopter pilots along with ground crew and antenna crew positioned on the roofs of nearby buildings. I called agc tower to advise them of low flying helicopters over the city, but did not hear their response. I then became engaged with the remainder of the aircraft and the television coverage. Later, several small single enged airplanes were flying low level and very close orbits around all the helicopters. I believe they were taking photographs. All of these single enged airplanes could see the job the helicopters were trying to do below class B airspace and they also presented a hazard to flight, although they did know our position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that he was flying a bell 206 jet ranger helicopter during this incident. He was following very slowly just under the class B airspace but high enough for the transmission of the camera mounted on a bicycle on the streets below. The altitude had to be of sufficient height to reach the line of sight of microwave discs on nearby television stations for the purpose of live coverage transmission. For this reason, the helicopters doing this work for the television stations are in a vulnerable position since they are below class B airspace but high enough to be above the MSA for fixed wing aircraft. He believes that he raised up into the class B airspace just for a moment in taking evasive action from the transiting fixed wing aircraft. Reporter further stated that there was no NOTAM issued and never has been in the past but that this incident may help him and the other pilots get one issued for the next such event.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA HELI CLBED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE WHEN TAKING EVASIVE ACTION AWAY FROM A FIXED WING ACFT.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF MAY/SUN/95, APPROX XA30, I WAS ALONG WITH 3 OTHER HELIS IN AN OUT OF GND EFFECT HOVER AT APPROX 2500 FT MSL OVER THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH. THE HELIS WERE CARRYING MICROWAVE ANTENNAS AND RECEIVERS RELAYING SIGNALS FROM GND BASED CARRIERS. AT THIS POINT I WAS BELOW THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I THEN SAW THE TWIN ENG FIXED WING PLANE IN STRAIGHT AND LEVEL FLT COMING STRAIGHT ACROSS MY FLT PATH. I MADE AN EMER CLBING R TURN TO AVOID HIM AS IT WAS OBVIOUS HE HAD NOT SEEN ME NOR WAS HE ON PITTSBURGH APCH AS HE WAS BELOW THE CLASS B. THE ACFT NEVER MADE ANY COURSE OR ALTDEV BUT CONTINUED. I BELIEVE AT THIS POINT I MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY ENCROACHED INTO CLASS B AIRSPACE. THIS EVENT WAS WITNESSED BY THE OTHER HELI PLTS ALONG WITH GND CREW AND ANTENNA CREW POSITIONED ON THE ROOFS OF NEARBY BUILDINGS. I CALLED AGC TWR TO ADVISE THEM OF LOW FLYING HELIS OVER THE CITY, BUT DID NOT HEAR THEIR RESPONSE. I THEN BECAME ENGAGED WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE ACFT AND THE TELEVISION COVERAGE. LATER, SEVERAL SMALL SINGLE ENGED AIRPLANES WERE FLYING LOW LEVEL AND VERY CLOSE ORBITS AROUND ALL THE HELIS. I BELIEVE THEY WERE TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS. ALL OF THESE SINGLE ENGED AIRPLANES COULD SEE THE JOB THE HELIS WERE TRYING TO DO BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE AND THEY ALSO PRESENTED A HAZARD TO FLT, ALTHOUGH THEY DID KNOW OUR POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS FLYING A BELL 206 JET RANGER HELI DURING THIS INCIDENT. HE WAS FOLLOWING VERY SLOWLY JUST UNDER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE BUT HIGH ENOUGH FOR THE XMISSION OF THE CAMERA MOUNTED ON A BICYCLE ON THE STREETS BELOW. THE ALT HAD TO BE OF SUFFICIENT HEIGHT TO REACH THE LINE OF SIGHT OF MICROWAVE DISCS ON NEARBY TELEVISION STATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF LIVE COVERAGE XMISSION. FOR THIS REASON, THE HELIS DOING THIS WORK FOR THE TELEVISION STATIONS ARE IN A VULNERABLE POS SINCE THEY ARE BELOW CLASS B AIRSPACE BUT HIGH ENOUGH TO BE ABOVE THE MSA FOR FIXED WING ACFT. HE BELIEVES THAT HE RAISED UP INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE JUST FOR A MOMENT IN TAKING EVASIVE ACTION FROM THE TRANSITING FIXED WING ACFT. RPTR FURTHER STATED THAT THERE WAS NO NOTAM ISSUED AND NEVER HAS BEEN IN THE PAST BUT THAT THIS INCIDENT MAY HELP HIM AND THE OTHER PLTS GET ONE ISSUED FOR THE NEXT SUCH EVENT.

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.