Pilot of an small aircraft helicopter hovered over a highway during a photo- shoot causing ground ob...

Attributes
ACN	342200
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : flg
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 20 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	342200
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

This was day 2 of a photo mission for a professional company out of new jersey. The first day was the ground shoot which police were provided to stop traffic so the road would be clean. The permitting agency was notified as to the aerial work scheduled for day 2. They said we did not need permits since we were not landing nor had a need to stop traffic. The officers on day 1 did not think police would be needed for day 2. The purpose of day 2 was to shoot straight down on the highway from various altitudes (20 ft to 600 ft). The field of view was relatively small. We would hover off the highway and move into position when traffic cleared, shoot and then move out. A few times traffic stopped so I stayed a few seconds longer. Once, while at a higher altitude (5O-100 ft), a car that was stopped to watch passed underneath my aircraft. This occurred more often as my altitude increased. I am aware that as a helicopter I'm exempt from altitude restrs under 91.119 concerning 500 ft from any vehicle as long as I do not cause injury or damage to any persons or property, I feel someone may think that this would be careless and reckless. After about 30 mins, 2 police officers came by, stayed for about 15 mins and then left. I could not land to inform them of our permits and what we were doing since I had no permission to land. They may have just been interested or someone may have complained. I am sure I did not cause any injury or damage to any property. I am also sure that if I had an engine failure, I would not have had to land on the road since both sides of the road were open flat fields. I think that the police should have been there for the second day and not just assume that since we were not landing, nor had a definite need to stop traffic. When a helicopter is operating low, people are going to look and not watch their driving. This could possibly cause an accident which could be linked to the helicopter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA HELI HOVERED OVER A HWY DURING A PHOTO- SHOOT CAUSING GND OBSERVERS TO THINK THAT HE WAS POSSIBLY OPERATING IN A CARELESS OR RECKLESS MANNER!

Narrative: THIS WAS DAY 2 OF A PHOTO MISSION FOR A PROFESSIONAL COMPANY OUT OF NEW JERSEY. THE FIRST DAY WAS THE GND SHOOT WHICH POLICE WERE PROVIDED TO STOP TFC SO THE ROAD WOULD BE CLEAN. THE PERMITTING AGENCY WAS NOTIFIED AS TO THE AERIAL WORK SCHEDULED FOR DAY 2. THEY SAID WE DID NOT NEED PERMITS SINCE WE WERE NOT LNDG NOR HAD A NEED TO STOP TFC. THE OFFICERS ON DAY 1 DID NOT THINK POLICE WOULD BE NEEDED FOR DAY 2. THE PURPOSE OF DAY 2 WAS TO SHOOT STRAIGHT DOWN ON THE HWY FROM VARIOUS ALTS (20 FT TO 600 FT). THE FIELD OF VIEW WAS RELATIVELY SMALL. WE WOULD HOVER OFF THE HWY AND MOVE INTO POS WHEN TFC CLRED, SHOOT AND THEN MOVE OUT. A FEW TIMES TFC STOPPED SO I STAYED A FEW SECONDS LONGER. ONCE, WHILE AT A HIGHER ALT (5O-100 FT), A CAR THAT WAS STOPPED TO WATCH PASSED UNDERNEATH MY ACFT. THIS OCCURRED MORE OFTEN AS MY ALT INCREASED. I AM AWARE THAT AS A HELI I'M EXEMPT FROM ALT RESTRS UNDER 91.119 CONCERNING 500 FT FROM ANY VEHICLE AS LONG AS I DO NOT CAUSE INJURY OR DAMAGE TO ANY PERSONS OR PROPERTY, I FEEL SOMEONE MAY THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE CARELESS AND RECKLESS. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS, 2 POLICE OFFICERS CAME BY, STAYED FOR ABOUT 15 MINS AND THEN LEFT. I COULD NOT LAND TO INFORM THEM OF OUR PERMITS AND WHAT WE WERE DOING SINCE I HAD NO PERMISSION TO LAND. THEY MAY HAVE JUST BEEN INTERESTED OR SOMEONE MAY HAVE COMPLAINED. I AM SURE I DID NOT CAUSE ANY INJURY OR DAMAGE TO ANY PROPERTY. I AM ALSO SURE THAT IF I HAD AN ENG FAILURE, I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO LAND ON THE ROAD SINCE BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD WERE OPEN FLAT FIELDS. I THINK THAT THE POLICE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE FOR THE SECOND DAY AND NOT JUST ASSUME THAT SINCE WE WERE NOT LNDG, NOR HAD A DEFINITE NEED TO STOP TFC. WHEN A HELI IS OPERATING LOW, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOK AND NOT WATCH THEIR DRIVING. THIS COULD POSSIBLY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WHICH COULD BE LINKED TO 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.

Pilot of an small aircraft helicopter hovered over a highway during a photo- shoot causing ground observers to think that he was possibly operating in a careless or reckless manner!