Narrative:

On jan/xx/97, after a request for tv news helicopter flight to cover the flooded areas in and west of modesto and over manteca, ca, I called the FSS requesting WX and fdc NOTAM briefing. This FSS briefing verified that fdc NOTAM #7/017 far part 91.137A(1) temporary flight restr was still in effect in the airspace at and below 1500 ft MSL within 10 NM radius of manteca eca/VORTAC 185 degree radial at 011 NM. Most GA helicopters do not have or use VOR equipment but have LORAN C and/or GPS receivers that use geographic coordinates. To the best of my knowledge I did not enter any far part 91.137A(1) temporary flight restr area on jan/xx/97 using both a LORAN C and a GPS navigation receiver. In complying with the part 91.137 restr I was in a slow orbit over manteca at 1600 ft MSL when in the space of about 3 mins I had a beechcraft bonanza go under me, a schweizer 300C helicopter go right past me, another news helicopter about 150 ft above me and to one side, and other GA fixed wing aircraft flying by (sight-seeing?). I immediately left the area to the northwest to outside of the restr area and descended to a safe 500 ft AGL away from the fixed wing traffic. There is going to be a midair collision caused by the fact that the restrs, as written, cause GA aircraft, news helicopters, and news airplanes to congest over the same spot and altitude without ATC control. I have flown news aircraft for over 25 yrs. Prior to the restrs, the helicopters stayed low and the airplanes stayed high. The reason to allow aircraft carrying properly accredited news representatives into the restr areas was to furnish the public with information and keep the sight-seeing aircraft away. We never have problems getting into part 91.137 temporary flight restr areas with the cdf over fires. This problem always arises over floods with the local police department/sheriff in control. Something has to be done to allow aircraft that are carrying properly accredited news representatives a 'one-call access' to far part 91.137 temporary flight restr data that includes the geographic coordinates of the center of the area, issuance of a far part 91.137 clearance number, and 'on-site' radio frequencys to be used prior to entering the restr area. The majority of the time news media aircraft are not being allowed into the restr areas as provided for in far part 91.137.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A HUGHES 500 HELI, FOR THE NEWS MEDIA FLT, AROUND AND ABOVE A TEMPORARY RESTR AREA, COMPLAINT ABOUT THE LACK OF CTL OUTSIDE AND ABOVE THE RESTR AREA DUE TO MANY ACFT SIGHT-SEEING IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA.

Narrative: ON JAN/XX/97, AFTER A REQUEST FOR TV NEWS HELI FLT TO COVER THE FLOODED AREAS IN AND W OF MODESTO AND OVER MANTECA, CA, I CALLED THE FSS REQUESTING WX AND FDC NOTAM BRIEFING. THIS FSS BRIEFING VERIFIED THAT FDC NOTAM #7/017 FAR PART 91.137A(1) TEMPORARY FLT RESTR WAS STILL IN EFFECT IN THE AIRSPACE AT AND BELOW 1500 FT MSL WITHIN 10 NM RADIUS OF MANTECA ECA/VORTAC 185 DEG RADIAL AT 011 NM. MOST GA HELIS DO NOT HAVE OR USE VOR EQUIP BUT HAVE LORAN C AND/OR GPS RECEIVERS THAT USE GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE I DID NOT ENTER ANY FAR PART 91.137A(1) TEMPORARY FLT RESTR AREA ON JAN/XX/97 USING BOTH A LORAN C AND A GPS NAV RECEIVER. IN COMPLYING WITH THE PART 91.137 RESTR I WAS IN A SLOW ORBIT OVER MANTECA AT 1600 FT MSL WHEN IN THE SPACE OF ABOUT 3 MINS I HAD A BEECHCRAFT BONANZA GO UNDER ME, A SCHWEIZER 300C HELI GO RIGHT PAST ME, ANOTHER NEWS HELI ABOUT 150 FT ABOVE ME AND TO ONE SIDE, AND OTHER GA FIXED WING ACFT FLYING BY (SIGHT-SEEING?). I IMMEDIATELY LEFT THE AREA TO THE NW TO OUTSIDE OF THE RESTR AREA AND DSNDED TO A SAFE 500 FT AGL AWAY FROM THE FIXED WING TFC. THERE IS GOING TO BE A MIDAIR COLLISION CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT THE RESTRS, AS WRITTEN, CAUSE GA ACFT, NEWS HELIS, AND NEWS AIRPLANES TO CONGEST OVER THE SAME SPOT AND ALT WITHOUT ATC CTL. I HAVE FLOWN NEWS ACFT FOR OVER 25 YRS. PRIOR TO THE RESTRS, THE HELIS STAYED LOW AND THE AIRPLANES STAYED HIGH. THE REASON TO ALLOW ACFT CARRYING PROPERLY ACCREDITED NEWS REPRESENTATIVES INTO THE RESTR AREAS WAS TO FURNISH THE PUBLIC WITH INFO AND KEEP THE SIGHT-SEEING ACFT AWAY. WE NEVER HAVE PROBS GETTING INTO PART 91.137 TEMPORARY FLT RESTR AREAS WITH THE CDF OVER FIRES. THIS PROB ALWAYS ARISES OVER FLOODS WITH THE LCL POLICE DEPT/SHERIFF IN CTL. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE TO ALLOW ACFT THAT ARE CARRYING PROPERLY ACCREDITED NEWS REPRESENTATIVES A 'ONE-CALL ACCESS' TO FAR PART 91.137 TEMPORARY FLT RESTR DATA THAT INCLUDES THE GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES OF THE CTR OF THE AREA, ISSUANCE OF A FAR PART 91.137 CLRNC NUMBER, AND 'ON-SITE' RADIO FREQS TO BE USED PRIOR TO ENTERING THE RESTR AREA. THE MAJORITY OF THE TIME NEWS MEDIA ACFT ARE NOT BEING ALLOWED INTO THE RESTR AREAS AS PROVIDED FOR IN FAR PART 91.137.

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.