Narrative:

I was dispatched with a media camera team to a landslide site inside the pdx area to the west of pdx airport. En route I was in contact with pdx approach and was approved to continue to the designated area. I remained below 1800 ft, the floor of the area for that segment. After arriving at the emergency scene I established a hover between 300 ft and 400 ft and approximately 400 ft to 500 ft laterally from the rescue area for the best position for the camera crew. At that point I switched frequencys to monitor the arrival of any medical helicopters. (I had only 1 radio in the ship.) after approximately 20 mins at the site, I overheard conversation between other helicopters in the surrounding area which suggested the area had been designated a tfr. I immediately departed the area to the south and had to turn back to a reciprocal heading because of lowering visibility. This resulted in a second entry into the area before I could find altitude clearance to climb above the low cloud cover I had been hovering beneath. After climbing to 1500 ft I again turned south on course back to my base which probably again carried me across the tfr although it was beneath a fog layer at that time and was not visible. I had contacted pdx approach on my initial departure, but tracking me across the tfr sbound was interpreted to being a time lag (15 mins) between my stated departure and the time approach had contact with me. I also understand there were complaints concerning noise in the emergency rescue area where I was hovering. There was no indication from emergency crews on the ground that this was the case. No formal complaints have been made yet to my knowledge but it is my understanding that the incident will be investigated. I feel that this is another example where helicopters have a 'high profile' situation with somewhat intimidating effects on people on the ground. The feeling of someone recording one's performance while engaged in an emergency rescue, etc, probably promotes a feeling of being the subject of possible criticism and critique.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD500 HELI ON MEDIA CAMERA MISSION ENTERED AREA DESIGNATED AS A TFR. OVERHEARD OTHER HELI REFING THE RESTR AREA AND THE RPTR IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED TO THE S. ON RETURN TO BASE PROBABLY ENTERED THE AREA AGAIN.

Narrative: I WAS DISPATCHED WITH A MEDIA CAMERA TEAM TO A LANDSLIDE SITE INSIDE THE PDX AREA TO THE W OF PDX ARPT. ENRTE I WAS IN CONTACT WITH PDX APCH AND WAS APPROVED TO CONTINUE TO THE DESIGNATED AREA. I REMAINED BELOW 1800 FT, THE FLOOR OF THE AREA FOR THAT SEGMENT. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE EMER SCENE I ESTABLISHED A HOVER BTWN 300 FT AND 400 FT AND APPROX 400 FT TO 500 FT LATERALLY FROM THE RESCUE AREA FOR THE BEST POS FOR THE CAMERA CREW. AT THAT POINT I SWITCHED FREQS TO MONITOR THE ARR OF ANY MEDICAL HELIS. (I HAD ONLY 1 RADIO IN THE SHIP.) AFTER APPROX 20 MINS AT THE SITE, I OVERHEARD CONVERSATION BTWN OTHER HELIS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA WHICH SUGGESTED THE AREA HAD BEEN DESIGNATED A TFR. I IMMEDIATELY DEPARTED THE AREA TO THE S AND HAD TO TURN BACK TO A RECIPROCAL HEADING BECAUSE OF LOWERING VISIBILITY. THIS RESULTED IN A SECOND ENTRY INTO THE AREA BEFORE I COULD FIND ALT CLRNC TO CLB ABOVE THE LOW CLOUD COVER I HAD BEEN HOVERING BENEATH. AFTER CLBING TO 1500 FT I AGAIN TURNED S ON COURSE BACK TO MY BASE WHICH PROBABLY AGAIN CARRIED ME ACROSS THE TFR ALTHOUGH IT WAS BENEATH A FOG LAYER AT THAT TIME AND WAS NOT VISIBLE. I HAD CONTACTED PDX APCH ON MY INITIAL DEP, BUT TRACKING ME ACROSS THE TFR SBOUND WAS INTERPRETED TO BEING A TIME LAG (15 MINS) BTWN MY STATED DEP AND THE TIME APCH HAD CONTACT WITH ME. I ALSO UNDERSTAND THERE WERE COMPLAINTS CONCERNING NOISE IN THE EMER RESCUE AREA WHERE I WAS HOVERING. THERE WAS NO INDICATION FROM EMER CREWS ON THE GND THAT THIS WAS THE CASE. NO FORMAL COMPLAINTS HAVE BEEN MADE YET TO MY KNOWLEDGE BUT IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE INCIDENT WILL BE INVESTIGATED. I FEEL THAT THIS IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE WHERE HELIS HAVE A 'HIGH PROFILE' SIT WITH SOMEWHAT INTIMIDATING EFFECTS ON PEOPLE ON THE GND. THE FEELING OF SOMEONE RECORDING ONE'S PERFORMANCE WHILE ENGAGED IN AN EMER RESCUE, ETC, PROBABLY PROMOTES A FEELING OF BEING THE SUBJECT OF POSSIBLE CRITICISM AND CRITIQUE.

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.