Narrative:

I was flying one of the news media helicopters, on feb/xx/96 at about XX00 local time the camera man received a call from the news desk requesting an immediate launch to a high speed pursuit located in the san fernando valley. We launched from hawthorne airport, proceeding northbound to the san fernando valley. Upon reaching stone canyon reservoir west of k-joy radio tower at which time I contacted burbank tower on frequency 118.70 reporting my location west of k-joy tower at 2000 ft and requested a transition due north. Tower replied transition approved. I then entered the class C airspace proceeding northbound. A few moments later the tower reported helicopter traffic at 1300 ft. I replied ab looking for traffic. While I was west abeam of the airport, the tower advised of a Y airlines B737 on final approach on runway 15. I replied ab traffic in sight. Upon reaching the vicinity southeast of the 5-170 interchange, burbank tower contacted me asking if I would be proceeding toward whiteman. I replied 'yes.' the air traffic controller said ab turn left, then corrected himself and said turn toward the four stacks frequency change to whiteman approved. At which time I changed frequency to whiteman tower frequency 135.00. Reported approaching four stacks, would like to join up with the gaggle of helicopters in the pursuit along the 210 freeway. Whiteman air traffic controller cleared me into the class D airspace. Shortly thereafter, whiteman tower contacted me and cleared me to intercept the gaggle of helicopters, frequency change approved. A few moments after the tower's last transmission, I spotted the X traffic at my 1 O'clock position at a higher altitude. The location was hansen flood control basin which is located in whiteman airspace. I then made an exaggerated turn to indicate to that aircraft that I had visual contact and maintained separation. I then intercepted the gaggle. At about XY00 local I was notified upon returning to our base located at van nuys airport that burbank tower had requested I call regarding the above mentioned incident. Due to the extreme amount of news coverage that day, and the time delay in receiving the message from burbank tower, I was not in communication with them until quite some time later. I was informed that there was a 4 hour window for communicating with them, and after that amount of time had elapsed, they were required to file a complaint as per the request of the other pilot employed by X airline. Some of the information reported here was obtained from burbank tower after a fact finding meeting. What I perceived caused the problem: 1) during my entire transition through burbank's airspace there was never any mention of the X traffic. When burbank gave the frequency change to whiteman there was no mention of any traffic that may be of concern to me. 2) whiteman does not have radar, and therefore was not able to advise regarding the airline traffic. However, burbank does have radar and was in a position to advise myself, whiteman as well as the X flight. However, this was not done, no one was notified. 3) upon joining the gaggle, the entire group followed the car chase along the 210 freeway which required the entire gaggle to enter burbank airspace. At this point I, along with the gaggle, entered burbank airspace which was after the encounter with the X airline traffic. It was my understanding that the gaggle was cleared to enter this area of the burbank airspace, having been handed off from whiteman to burbank tower. This does not constitute a deviation on my part. Summary: it is my opinion that, in order to have avoided the above situation, the burbank tower would have had to advise both aircraft as well as whiteman of their respective locations, regardless of the fact that both aircraft were on VFR. This was not in my opinion a near miss, as upon visual of the other aircraft both pilots were able to maintain adequate separation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC. NEWS HELI RUSHING TO 'CHASE SCENE' ENCOUNTERED AN ACR ACFT CLBING OUT OF BUR. ACR FLC FILED COMPLAINT WITH BUR TWR AND FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ONE OF THE NEWS MEDIA HELIS, ON FEB/XX/96 AT ABOUT XX00 LCL TIME THE CAMERA MAN RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE NEWS DESK REQUESTING AN IMMEDIATE LAUNCH TO A HIGH SPD PURSUIT LOCATED IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. WE LAUNCHED FROM HAWTHORNE ARPT, PROCEEDING NBOUND TO THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY. UPON REACHING STONE CANYON RESERVOIR W OF K-JOY RADIO TWR AT WHICH TIME I CONTACTED BURBANK TWR ON FREQ 118.70 RPTING MY LOCATION W OF K-JOY TWR AT 2000 FT AND REQUESTED A TRANSITION DUE N. TWR REPLIED TRANSITION APPROVED. I THEN ENTERED THE CLASS C AIRSPACE PROCEEDING NBOUND. A FEW MOMENTS LATER THE TWR RPTED HELI TFC AT 1300 FT. I REPLIED AB LOOKING FOR TFC. WHILE I WAS W ABEAM OF THE ARPT, THE TWR ADVISED OF A Y AIRLINES B737 ON FINAL APCH ON RWY 15. I REPLIED AB TFC IN SIGHT. UPON REACHING THE VICINITY SE OF THE 5-170 INTERCHANGE, BURBANK TWR CONTACTED ME ASKING IF I WOULD BE PROCEEDING TOWARD WHITEMAN. I REPLIED 'YES.' THE AIR TFC CTLR SAID AB TURN L, THEN CORRECTED HIMSELF AND SAID TURN TOWARD THE FOUR STACKS FREQ CHANGE TO WHITEMAN APPROVED. AT WHICH TIME I CHANGED FREQ TO WHITEMAN TWR FREQ 135.00. RPTED APCHING FOUR STACKS, WOULD LIKE TO JOIN UP WITH THE GAGGLE OF HELIS IN THE PURSUIT ALONG THE 210 FREEWAY. WHITEMAN AIR TFC CTLR CLRED ME INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WHITEMAN TWR CONTACTED ME AND CLRED ME TO INTERCEPT THE GAGGLE OF HELIS, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. A FEW MOMENTS AFTER THE TWR'S LAST XMISSION, I SPOTTED THE X TFC AT MY 1 O'CLOCK POS AT A HIGHER ALT. THE LOCATION WAS HANSEN FLOOD CTL BASIN WHICH IS LOCATED IN WHITEMAN AIRSPACE. I THEN MADE AN EXAGGERATED TURN TO INDICATE TO THAT ACFT THAT I HAD VISUAL CONTACT AND MAINTAINED SEPARATION. I THEN INTERCEPTED THE GAGGLE. AT ABOUT XY00 LCL I WAS NOTIFIED UPON RETURNING TO OUR BASE LOCATED AT VAN NUYS ARPT THAT BURBANK TWR HAD REQUESTED I CALL REGARDING THE ABOVE MENTIONED INCIDENT. DUE TO THE EXTREME AMOUNT OF NEWS COVERAGE THAT DAY, AND THE TIME DELAY IN RECEIVING THE MESSAGE FROM BURBANK TWR, I WAS NOT IN COM WITH THEM UNTIL QUITE SOME TIME LATER. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A 4 HR WINDOW FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THEM, AND AFTER THAT AMOUNT OF TIME HAD ELAPSED, THEY WERE REQUIRED TO FILE A COMPLAINT AS PER THE REQUEST OF THE OTHER PLT EMPLOYED BY X AIRLINE. SOME OF THE INFO RPTED HERE WAS OBTAINED FROM BURBANK TWR AFTER A FACT FINDING MEETING. WHAT I PERCEIVED CAUSED THE PROB: 1) DURING MY ENTIRE TRANSITION THROUGH BURBANK'S AIRSPACE THERE WAS NEVER ANY MENTION OF THE X TFC. WHEN BURBANK GAVE THE FREQ CHANGE TO WHITEMAN THERE WAS NO MENTION OF ANY TFC THAT MAY BE OF CONCERN TO ME. 2) WHITEMAN DOES NOT HAVE RADAR, AND THEREFORE WAS NOT ABLE TO ADVISE REGARDING THE AIRLINE TFC. HOWEVER, BURBANK DOES HAVE RADAR AND WAS IN A POS TO ADVISE MYSELF, WHITEMAN AS WELL AS THE X FLT. HOWEVER, THIS WAS NOT DONE, NO ONE WAS NOTIFIED. 3) UPON JOINING THE GAGGLE, THE ENTIRE GROUP FOLLOWED THE CAR CHASE ALONG THE 210 FREEWAY WHICH REQUIRED THE ENTIRE GAGGLE TO ENTER BURBANK AIRSPACE. AT THIS POINT I, ALONG WITH THE GAGGLE, ENTERED BURBANK AIRSPACE WHICH WAS AFTER THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE X AIRLINE TFC. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE GAGGLE WAS CLRED TO ENTER THIS AREA OF THE BURBANK AIRSPACE, HAVING BEEN HANDED OFF FROM WHITEMAN TO BURBANK TWR. THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A DEV ON MY PART. SUMMARY: IT IS MY OPINION THAT, IN ORDER TO HAVE AVOIDED THE ABOVE SIT, THE BURBANK TWR WOULD HAVE HAD TO ADVISE BOTH ACFT AS WELL AS WHITEMAN OF THEIR RESPECTIVE LOCATIONS, REGARDLESS OF THE FACT THAT BOTH AIRCRAFT WERE ON VFR. THIS WAS NOT IN MY OPINION A NEAR MISS, AS UPON VISUAL OF THE OTHER ACFT BOTH PLTS WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SEPARATION.

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.